SAN BERNARDINO — Replicating the same scenario and outcome as their 2024 matchup, the nonleague rivalry between the Etiwanda Eagles and Cajon Cowboys once again turned in favor of Cajon, with a 34-19 victory on Thursday night.
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Cajon’s Maleek Nolley (0) heads to the end zone for a score in a game against Etiwanda at Cajon High School in San Bernardino on Sept. 4, 2025. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
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Cajon’s Maleek Nolley (0) heads to the end zone for a score in a game against Etiwanda at Cajon High School in San Bernardino on Sept. 4, 2025. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
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Cajon (1-1) collected their first victory of the season while leaning on freshman quarterback Marcus Washington, who threw for 154 yards and a touchdown on 11 completion and rushed for 118 yards on six attempts, including a 90-yard touchdown run.
“When he gets out there in the open field, he’s tough to track down,” Cowboys coach Nick Rogers said. “He just does a great job for us even leading as a young kid at this stage.”
No strangers to talented freshmen quarterbacks, many long-time Cajon supporters see similar traits from Washington to 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, 2024 NFL Rookie of the Year and current Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, who attended Cajon from 2015-18.
Despite the lofty expectations, Washington believes the next four years will be special.
“Everybody expects me to be the next Jayden, so I gotta fill those shoes,” Washington said. “The (next four years) are going to be great. Something special.”
Coming off a 161-yard rushing performance against Citrus Valley the week prior, Etiwanda senior running back Jaleel Sutton looked destined for another big night offensively with 59 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries halfway through the second quarter.
On his 10th carry, however, Sutton tweaked his ankle and was limited in both action and performance with just five carries in the second half for 9 yards.
“He got banged up a little bit,” Etiwanda head coach Paul Unga said. “No excuses, but our guys are going to want to be out there and give us 110%, but we can see on the field that he ain’t got it, so we have to protect him as coaches.”
After starting the 2025 campaign the same as 2024 with victories over Grand Terrace and Citrus Valley, Etiwanda (2-1) saw their first loss comes at the hands of Cajon; the first loss for new head coach Unga.
“I got outcoached on that one,” Unga said. “I’m still young in this game but I’ll get better and put it all in my head and try to figure these things out because I know I can be better.”
Although not playing in the same league, Etiwanda and Cajon have built a short-distance rivalry between programs over the past four seasons, where they have played each other every year with the Cowboys coming out victorious in three of the four games.
“Etiwanda is a solid program,” Rogers said. “Hopefully we can keep this little thing going. It’s a good rivalry for us. They’re fairly close and a lot of these kids know each other so we’d love to keep playing them.”
Up next for Cajon will be a nonleague game at Newport Harbor, while Etiwanda will play Norco — which defeated Cajon 35-27 in the season opener — at home.
