Good Griffins back in win over L.A. Harbor

By ECS Staff
Updated: September 10, 2017

Grossmont players (L to R) LANE SELF, STEPHEN KINGSLEY, TERRANCE WARD and TRE JENKINS following the win Saturday.

2017 GROSSMONT GRIFFINS FOOTBALL

GRIFFINS 34, L.A. HARBOR 27

By David Dickens

EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON – It seems like a cliché but what a difference a week can make.

The weather was 12° cooler and the host Grossmont College Griffins a lot warmer on all phases.

Grossmont College quarterback BRAD CAGLE threw four touchdown passes and running back JEROME JOHNSON scored on a 5-yard touchdown run with just under two minutes remaining Saturday as the Griffins beat visiting L.A. Harbor, 40-34.

A pass is intended for Grossmont freshman MYLIK STEEN on Saturday.

The first break was the first play of the game on the kickoff as L.A. Harbor fumbled, which the Griffins quickly pounced on, to take over first and 10 on the LA Harbor 15 yard line, eventually settling for a 36 yard NELS HALTOM field goal to put Grossmont up 3-0 with 14:01 left in the first quarter.

The visiting Seahawks ate up some clock eventually scoring on the 3-yard burst into the end zone by Juan Sandabriaga, but a failed conversion made it 6-3 L.A. Harbor with 8:40 left in the first quarter.

With the help of Grossmont lead ground grainer Johnson setting up a perfect scenario for the resurgent Cagle, setting the Griffs up at the 9-yard line of the Seahawks with just over three minutes left in the first quarter, Cagle hit wide receiver JOHN SUMMERS in the back of the end zone for six and a Haltom successful PAT, made it 10-6 Griffins.

The Seahawks from L.A. Harbor had at least four penalties at the end of the first half and the score was knotted up at 13-13.

The second half of play, particularly in the third quarter, belonged to the host Grossmont Griffins.

Cagle had short but effective touchdown passes to wide receiver ALEX DOCKERY and running back SAM STEPHENS.

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After the visiting Seahawks cut the lead back to only seven, Cagle and defensive back/wide receiver for LUQ BARCOO hooked up on a long 72-yard bomb, to once again put the Griffins on a two score lead.

L.A. Harbor refused to go quietly as two minutes later, the Seahawks would score yet again, leaving the defense frustrated on the Grossmont side.

The Griffins’ frustration continued defensively as towards the middle of the concluding quarter L.A. Harbor would tie the contest 34-34 on Seahawks quarterback Jalin Scott’s second touchdown, as he once again found the end zone with his legs as he did the previous week with five minutes of football left in regulation.

The clock continued to move on this back-and-forth tennis-tight match, however, the Grossmont Griffins looked to their running back general Johnson yet again, and he delivered on a 5-yard touchdown run with just under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, as the Griffins would close it out 42-34 on this long, exciting Grossmont performance that would still include one more L.A. Harbor drive with 50 seconds left all the way down to the 21 yard line of Grossmont. But on fourth down, Seahawks quarterback Scott threw his last pass that would fall incomplete and seal the deal for the 34-27 victory and even their non-conference record at one win and one loss.

Notables for this fine performance from the Grossmont College Griffins running back Johnson rushed 16 times for 82 yards and a touchdown run, quarterback Brad Cagle was 20-of-37 for 286 yards and accounted for four touchdown.

Cagle, regarding those four touchdowns spread the wealth to four different receivers, as the sophomore gunslinger surveyed and found nine different targets on the afternoon.

Cagle had to be sharp to keep pace with L.A. Harbor quarterback Scott, who last week versus Compton was 11-of-18 for 156 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a quarterback rating of 141, and today against the Griffins, Scott had 395 yards in the air, 59 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns.

Grossmont with its stellar defense overall on Saturday afternoon had ERNIE GARCIA leading the griffins with eight tackles while Chris James had six tackles including one sack. Former Steele canyon superstar Kyree Woods had three tackles and a forced fumble.

Grossmont will travel next week to El Camino College for a kick off at 6 PM.

El Camino College routed Moorpark this afternoon 56-2, however, good news for the Griffins for next week is that they did struggle early trying to establish the run. This will be Grossmont’s first travel game of the year and they will be facing El Camino, who is 2-0 in nonconference play.