Don’t Dog Granada Hills

The vote is in, and among Northwest Valley Conference football coaches, it’s unanimous: Unbeaten Granada Hills High has no chance to defeat Taft on Friday night for the conference championship.

“Taft, 21-14,” Coach Dave Lertzman of Birmingham said.

“Taft, 20-17, in double overtime,” Coach Bob Francola of Kennedy said.

“Taft, 28-21,” Coach Joe Santellano of Cleveland said.

“Taft, 28-14,” Coach Bill Coan of Chatsworth said.

“Taft, 35-14,” Coach Rick Hayashida of El Camino Real said.

“Taft, 24-18,” Coach Sean Blunt of San Fernando said.

Co-coach Darryl Stroh of Granada Hills couldn’t be happier. He wouldn’t know how to coach without being the underdog. He’s got Knute Rockne DNA in his blood.

To wit: Granada Hills’ game against Chatsworth last Friday night. The Highlanders (9-0, 6-0 in conference play) trailed Chatsworth, 21-14, at halftime. Then came the Stroh tirade.

“Oh yeah, everyone got yelled at,” receiver Peter Gunny said. “He was going on and on. His face gets red, the veins stick out in his neck.”

Said co-coach Tom Harp: “For 10 years, I’ve been listening to it.”

In 1987, Stroh’s Granada Hills team was a huge underdog to Carson in the City Section 4-A championship game. Final score: Granada Hills 27, Carson 14.

“I was there in ‘87,” said Coach Troy Starr of Taft, who was an assistant at Carson. “You can forget about [us] being overconfident.”

Understand, these Granada Hills players will do anything for Stroh. Call it fear, call it respect, call it loyalty--he has helped the Highlanders go from worst to first in a year.

When Stroh, Harp and line coach Bill Lake took over a program that was 3-27 the previous three years, did anyone expect the Highlanders to be 9-0?

“Nobody I know,” Harp said.

Winning week after week is no fluke. This is a team with good players and good coaches. They rarely make mistakes.

Granada Hills has committed only eight turnovers in nine games. The defense doesn’t allow big plays. The longest touchdown pass against the Highlanders is 43 yards. The longest touchdown run is 25 yards.

It’s a real challenge to score against Granada Hills because teams usually have to put together a long drive without fumbling, having a pass intercepted or being penalized. It requires patience and focus. All the while, you’re facing a defense that never relies on one player.

“The amazing thing is it’s a true team effort,” Harp said. “There are at least 10 guys or more that could be mentioned as prime reasons for our success. We’re pleased and surprised how things are going. We didn’t know what we were inheriting or how they would perform.”

Granada Hills’ top players might have been anonymous before the season, but their impact is well documented now.

Junior Jason Winn has passed for 1,666 yards and 17 touchdowns. Gunny, a receiver and free safety, plays the game like a boxer. You can bruise him, even batter him, but he keeps getting up for the next play.

Gerald Jones, a receiver and strong safety, and Josh Brandon, a receiver and cornerback, can catch passes and tackle ballcarriers with the best.

Middle linebacker Adrian Padilla and Roberto Garcia, a center and defensive lineman, make big plays. Linebacker Josh Roepke wants to be a Navy SEAL and plays like one.

Omari Mack, a junior, breaks off at least one long run each game. The offensive line, led by 6-foot-4, 280-pound tackle Jory Goldberg, might be the conference’s best.

Junior kicker Tommy Garagliano has made all 28 of his extra points and is four of six on field goals.

These are only few of the players who have made Granada Hills’ season so special. Faculty and school workers are proudly talking about the football team again. Large crowds are coming out to games again. Alumni are returning to visit practices.

“They want to know why I’m still alive,” Stroh said. “They think I died years ago.”

The school that produced John Elway and this year named its stadium after its most famous graduate owes a debt of gratitude to Stroh, 59.

He came to the school in 1964, quit coaching after the 1993 football season and returned only because he couldn’t accept the erosion of Granada Hills’ successful football legacy.

Gunny never thought he’d have the chance to learn under Stroh.

“I’m in awe,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to play for him. Everyone tells you stories, ‘He’s scary.’ Yeah, he’s scary, but it’s the best feeling. This is what I wanted to do.”

So everybody can go ahead and pick Taft (8-1, 6-0) to win Friday night in Woodland Hills. The Toreadors have more speed. They have tailback Marquis Brignac, receiver Lawrence Wallace, offensive lineman Chris Garlington and defensive lineman Carl “Boeing 747” Cannon. They haven’t lost a conference game since 1995.

But there’s something magical about this Granada Hills team.

“They’ve got 45 kids so hungry to win,” Francola said. “If they beat Taft for the conference championship, what better story is there?”

Eric Sondheimer’s local column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422.