The Griffins’ coaching staff looks upon that recognition
as flattering, but little else. Grossmont, which finished
5-5 a year ago, is still in the process of building
its team.
It’s a long time before the Griffins kick off
the season Sept. 5 at San Diego Mesa College, so who
knows who has what in terms of player personnel.
Scholarships — Grossmont must have set
some sort of record when all three of last season’s
tight ends signed Division I scholarships. KYLE HIPP
(Cathedral Catholic) is headed for New Mexico State,
converted linebacker A.J. CAZARES (Chula Vista) is bound
for Northern Arizona University and KYLE HOWARD (Hilltop)
is on his way to Northwestern State (Natchitoches, La.).
Other late signings include freshman defensive back
LARRY PARKER (St. Augustine) to San Diego State
University; GAREN DEMERY (Valhalla) to St. Francis
of Fort Wayne, Ind.; corner LUIS VILLAVICENCIO (Point
Loma) to the University of San Diego; and safety AUSTIN
BEDART to NAIA Southern Oregon (Ashland, Ore.).
Parker was a man of many choices. An All-Southern Conference
National Division selection in his freshman season,
Parker received scholarship offers from the University
of Houston, BYU and Louisville. He wanted to stay closer
to home and was prepared to play his sophomore season
at Grossmont College.
When SDSU made a scholarship pitch, Parker was sold.
So far Grossmont has landed a dozen scholarships, including
Patrick Henry kicker BRANDON BOGOTAY (Georgia), Christian
High’s CHAD O’DONNELL ( Idaho State ) and
El Cajon Valley safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE (Florida A&M).
Ex-Charger joins staff — Former San Diego
Chargers linebacker CARLOS POLK has joined the Grossmont
College football staff. He will coach the Griffins’
outside linebackers this season.
Polk, a 4th round pick out of the University of Nebraska
by the Chargers in the 2001 National Football League
draft, played seven seasons in San Diego before concluding
his career with the Dallas Cowboys in 2008. During his
stay with the Chargers, Polk was named Special Teams
Player of the Year in 2002 and was tabbed the Most inspirational
Player in 2007.
Another addition to the Griffins coaching staff is
LUI FUGA, a 6-foot-1, 301-pound four-year starter as
a defensive tackle at Hawai'i. Fuga, signed by the Chargers
as an undrafted free agent in 2007, has taken over chores
as Grossmont’s defensive line coach. He could well
still be playing with the Chargers had an injury not
ended his career a year ago.
Griffins kicker Brandon Bogotay
signed a full-ride scholarship
with the University of Georgia. (Photo by Tori Mills)
That’s what makes the Bulldogs’ scholarship
award to Grossmont College freshman kicker BRANDON BOGOTAY
so special.
“We’re excited to have Brandon joining our
2009 signing class and look forward to him competing
on our kick off, field goal and extra point teams,”
Georgia head coach Mark Richt said.
Bogotay arrived at Grossmont College last fall as a
virtual unknown. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder was a four-year
starter and all-league soccer player at Patrick Henry
High School . Football was merely a secondary adventure
when he was in high school.
Bogotay came into his own in his only football season
with the Griffins. In 2008, he was successful on 15
of 23 field goal attempts and ranked third in the state
in kick scoring with 72 points.
Georgia’s football tradition attracted Bogotay,
who also had a scholarship offer from Hawaii on the
table.
“I want to play at the highest level I can and
Georgia gives me that opportunity,” Bogotay said.
“I was so excited when they offered that scholarship
that I went out and bought as much Bulldog gear as I
could find.”
Grossmont College defensive coordinator and special
teams coach DAVE JORDAN recalls when Bogotay first walked
onto the Griffins’ Mashin-Roth Memorial Field.
“He could barely kick the ball between the uprights,”
Jordan said. “But he was a worker, you could tell
that from the start. He was willing to spend hours perfecting
his kicking technique.”
Bogotay said all he did as a football senior at Patrick
Henry was kick off.
“I had so much fun at Grossmont College,”
he said. “I never saw myself playing college football.
I never dreamed it would get me where I’m going.”
More than its football tradition wooed Bogotay to Georgia.
“When I made my (official recruiting) visit back
there (Athens, Ga.), I was amazed,” Bogotay said.
“There are so many trees, tall trees. And the facilities
are brand new, top notch.”
Bogotay noted the expanded football facilities, which
include three practice fields.
“Things are a lot more intense and organized at
Georgia ,” he said. “The whole town is passionate
about football.”
Bogotay visited the Hawaiian Islands first, which one
might think would catch his eye. But Georgia got the
final word.
“Hawai'i is nice, but too laid back for me,”
he said.
Sounds like Bogotay is ready for the big time.
Griffins safety Abraham Muheize
signs with Florida A&M Univ. (File photo by Tori Mills)
“I was looking for a school that really wanted
me, one that would let me come in and play right away,”
Muheize said. “FAMU fit the bill in all areas.”
Another attraction to the NCAA Division I-AA university
is FAMU will face the University of Miami (Fla.) in
week five (Oct. 10) at Dolphin Stadium.
“That’s pretty exciting,” said Muheize,
the Griffins defensive MVP of a year ago. “It doesn’t
get much bigger than that.”
FAMU is directly across the street from Florida State
University.
“When I tripped to Florida A&M I loved it,”
Muheize said. “They have so many alumni that are
still part of the program. The support for football
is unbelievable.”
Muheize said people he’d never met came up to
shake his hand and welcome him to the FAMU family.
“I don’t know where they got them but a lot
of people said they’d seen my highlight films and
that’s how they knew of me.”
A handful of other schools also expressed interest
in Muheize. Probably No. 2 on that list was Texas State
in San Marcos, Texas.
“The guy who recruited me out of high school for
Montana State is on the Texas State staff,” Muheize
said. “He wanted me to come there, but the head
coach apparently didn’t agree.”
The 6-foot, 190-pound Muheize led the Griffins in tackles
with 136 tackles, notched seven career interceptions
and blocked five punts.
At FAMU, Muheize will be playing for the legendary
coach of the Rattlers, Joe Taylor, who posted more than
200 victories during his lengthy career. The Rattlers
were 9-3 a year ago.
Muheize, who holds several records as a running back,
quarterback and defensive back at El Cajon Valley High,
was a two-year starter for the Griffins after bouncing
back from Montana State. His 4,050 yards passing as
a senior remains a San Diego CIF record.
A Kinesiology major, Muheize hopes to “go into
coaching some day.”
Grossmont College DE Chad O'Donnell (95, left),
pictured with LB Jesse Swann,
accepted a scholarship at Idaho State. (File photo by Tori Mills)
O'Donnell accepts
starting DE role
with Idaho State
Instead, the 6-foot-2, 260-pound defensive end out
of Christian High has accepted a football ride to Idaho
State University in Pocatello, Idaho. The Bengals, coming
off a dismal 1-10 season, expect O’Donnell to start.
“Yeah, I know people might think I’m crazy
for passing up a chance to play at Oklahoma or ASU,”
O’Donnell said. “But that’s just it.
How much would I play if I went to either of those places?
I don’t want to sit on the bench.”
DE Chad O'Donnell (95, left)
gets held
by a San Diego Mesa College player. (File photo by Tori Mills )
That’s a moot point now. O’Donnell will call
Idaho State home for the next two years. He plans an
accounting major.
“This is a nationally renowned college for accounting,”
said O’Donnell. “And I’m really excited
about the opportunity I’ll have in football.”
“Unlike those bigger schools, I don’t feel
like I’m just a number here.”
O’Donnell played both ways in the trenches at
Christian High, but specialized on defense at Grossmont.
He spent two seasons with the Griffins where he logged
58 tackles and 6 sacks last season and earning All-Southern
Conference as a sophomore.
Three other East County products have one more year
at Idaho State – fullback KEN CORNIST, running
back KENYON BLUE and JASON WRIGHT. All three are products
of Helix High.
BOAT LOAD OF UNDECIDED
Grossmont College freshman defensive back LARRY PARKER
(St. Augustine) is a hot ticket, but seems to be a bit
choosy about who wants him to come their way. The speedy
Parker has already turned down offers from the University
of Houston and BYU.
The Griffins freshman place-kicker BRANDON BOGOTAY
turned down a scholarship offer from Nevada-Reno.
More opportunities are sure to spring up for these
two in the future.
Grossmont’s All-American tight end KYLE HIPP and
safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE are still shopping around. Muheize
had Texas State and Florida A&M on his list, while
Hipp has yet to identify who is courting him.
2008
STANDINGS
NATIONAL - Div. I
Southern Conf ALL
*Fullerton 6-0 10-2
*Saddleback 5-1 7-4
Grossmont 3-3 5-5
Palomar 3-3 8-3
Santa Ana 3-3 7-4
Long Beach 1-5 4-6
Orange Coast 0-6 4-6
Central Conf ALL
*Mt.San Antonio 5-1 12-2
*El Camino 5-1 10-2
Cerritos 4-2 7-4
Desert 3-3 6-5
Chaffey 2-4 5-5
Riverside 1-5 3-7
Citrus 1-5 2-8
AMERICAN - Div. II
Mountain Conf ALL
*San Diego Mesa 6-1 6-5
Southwestern 6-1 7-4
Golden West 5-2 6-4
Victor Valley 4-3 4-6
Compton 3-4 4-6
L.A. Harbor 2-5 3-7
Mt. San Jacinto 2-5 2-8
San Bernardino 0-7 0-10
Pacific Conf ALL
*Antelope Valley 6-1 6-5
Santa Barbara 6-1 6-4
L.A. Valley 5-2 6-4
West L.A. 3-4 4-6
Santa Monica 3-4 3-7
L.A. Pierce 2-5 2-8
L.A. Southwest 2-5 2-8
East Los Angeles 1-6 1-9
*clinched playoff berth
PLAYOFF/BOWL SCHEDULE Sat., Nov. 29
Canyons 36, El Camino 27
Mt. San Antonio 34, Fullerton 27 (2-OT) Sat., Dec. 6 Southern California Championship
Mt. San Antonio 51, Canyons 44 STATS Sat., Dec. 13 CCCAA Championship Game At Orange Coast
Butte (12-0) 17, Mt. San Antonio 9 STATS
Grossmont sophomore tight end
Kyle Hipp,
recipient of the 2008 Joe Roth Memorial Award. (Photo by Kevin Hipp)
This award is given to the San Diego County community
college football player that best exemplifies the high
academic standards, athletic excellence, humility, leadership,
character and class that the late Joe Roth exhibited
during his All-America career.
Roth, a gifted quarterback, guided the Griffins to
their only undefeated season and first state championship
in 1974. He led Cal to its only Pac-10 championship
in 1975 and was considered a potential NFL first-round
draft pick before he died of cancer in February, 1977.
Hipp, who is being recruited by several major colleges,
was a preseason All-American and a first team All-Southern
Conference this season. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound sophomore
is a quality target who has all the ingredients to find
success at the next level.
Other major award winners at the banquet included safety
ABRAHAM MUHEIZE (MVP-Defense) and running back GAREN
DEMERY (MVP-Offense).
Muheize intercepted a team-high 5 passes and ranked
second on the team in tackles. Demery was easily Grossmont’s
top offensive threat with a team-best 908 yards and
38 points on 141 carries.
Muheize and Demery were voted the defensive and offensive
captains by their teammates.
More Griffins honored were: JUAN BOLANOS (Best OL);
CHAD O’DONNELL (Best DL); JESSE SWANN (Best LB);
MICHAEL YAMAGUCHI (Best RB); MILES McPHERSON (Best WR);
LUIS VILLAVICENCIO (Best DB); kicker BRANDON BOGOTAY
(Top Specialist with 15 FGs); lineman CHARLES WILEY
(Most Improved Offense); end TERRANCE JOYNER (Most Improved
Defense); Linebacker PAT KELLY (Tackler of the Year);
and JONATHAN DARBY (Best Special Teams).
From the defensive unit, which ranked among the state's
best all season, are freshman lineman YUN TA'ALA and
sophomore free safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE. On offense, the
coaches selected tight end KYLE HIPP, who was a preseason
All-America choice of JC Grid-Wire, and running
back GAREN DEMERY, both sophomores.
Meanwhile, Grossmont took half of the first-team special
teams berths in placekicker BRANDON BOGOTAY and return
specialist XAVIER MARTIN, both freshmen. Bogotay was
one of seven unanimous honorees, ranking among the state
leaders in field goals and kick-scoring all season.
Second team picks featured: offensive tackle JUAN BALANOS
and cornerback LUIS VILLAVICENCIO.
Honorable mention honoress from Grossmont include:
center BILLY DAWSON, defensive lineman CHAD O'DONNELL,
defensive back LARRY PARKER, running back JAMAR REID,
wide receiver CHRISTOPHER SMITH, and outside linebacker
JESSE SWAN.
Southern Conference coaches deadlocked on the player
of the year award on offense, with Fullerton quarterback
Jeff Fleming and Saddleback running back Jai Morris
sharing the award. On defense, Orange Coast end Dean
DeLeon was tabbed, while Timy Byrnes of conference titlist
Fullerton was honored as coach of the year.
Grossmont linebacker Calvin
Pearce sacks the Saddleback quarterback. (Photo by Tori Mills)
Saddleback eliminates Griffins
from SCFA playoff consideration
Saddleback Gauchos at Grossmont
Griffins (Slideshow by Kevin Hipp)
Alas, not everyone makes the postseason tournament.
Saddleback College, which also faced the situation
of win and you're in or go home, jumped out to a 28-6
advantage early in the second half, eliminating Grossmont
from playoff consideration following Saturday's (Nov.
15) relatively easy 38-21 Southern Conference victory
at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field.
Saddleback Gauchos at Grossmont
Griffins (Slideshows by Tori Mills)
The Gauchos (7-3, 5-1 SC) finish in second place behind
Fullerton (9-1, 6-0), with teams both advancing into
the field of eight of the Southern California Football
Association playoffs.
Meanwhile, Grossmont (5-5, 3-3 SC) fell one position
short of extending its season, missing the postseason
for the second straight season for the first time in
more than a decade.
"We were just trying to execute as well as possible,
but it seemed like we couldn't jam the No. 2 receivers
of Saddleback," said Grossmont linebacker CALVIN
PEARCE. "They were able to run completely across
the field because we couldn't apply enough pressure on
the quarterback."
"That jam was so vital because the quarterback
got so much time, so that the No. 2 receiver was always
wide open."
Two Saddleback passers combined for 393 yards through
the air, even though Grossmont managed six sacks on
the day, including two by ELLIOT CHAPMAN. The others
were registered by CHAD O’DONNELL, EDWIN SHEPARD,
PAT KELLY and TERRANCE JOYNER.
"We struggled in the secondary, but it's not all
on them – we all struggled and couldn't get the
momentum going," said Chapman. "We can't do
anything but grow for next year."
Meanwhile, the injury-plagued offensive unit sputtered
throughout, at first finding it difficult to complete
drives in settling for a pair of first-half field goals,
then fighting just to gain first downs. The Gauchos
took advantage by gaining possession just shy of midfield
on four occasions, scoring each time to carry a lead
of 28-6 early in the second half.
Included were a pair of David Ingram touchdown passes
to Nick Hutter of 25 and 51 yards in the second period
for a 21-6 halftime lead. After Ingram was knocked around
by O’Donnell to make him retreat to the sidelines,
the Gauchos starting quarterback Brian Shrock returned
in the third quarter to toss a 40-yard TD strike to
Shane Henry.
All Grossmont could muster in the first half were a
pair of 31-yard field goals by BRIAN BOGOTAY to trail
7-6 after one period before Saddleback ran off 21 consecutive
points. Bogotay, a Patrick Henry product, finished with
15 field goals — second most by a Grossmont kicker
during the regular season.
In the contest, Saddleback held possession for nearly
40 full minutes, out-gaining Grossmont in yardage, 478-340.
"When you don’t have the ball it’s pretty
hard to score," said Grossmont head coach MIKE
JORDAN.
The Griffins were a paltry 2-of-15 on a combination
of 3rd and 4th down conversions, while Saddleback was
12-of-21.
“We weren’t efficient as an offense on 3rd
downs,” Jordan added. “We had guys open but
we just couldn’t hit them.”
Even more astounding, the Griffins defense forced four
turnovers, including interceptions by CORY BELL and
LUIS VILLAVICENCIO, plus fumble recoveries by JESSE
SWANN and CALVIN PEARCE.
Sophomore quarterback DAN LEWIS came through late with
a pair of scoring passes, but was only accurate on 15
of 34 tosses in the game. He connected with KENYON PETIS
on a 68-yard TD pass late in the third, then found PETER
ROZOK in the back of the endzone from 10 yards out in
the fourth period.
"That was the last pass I'll throw for Grossmont,
but we never quit – we never gave up," said
Lewis, who total for 261 aerial yards. "I know
I misfired on some throws and we had a lot of opportunities,
but we're happy that we continued to keep scoring. We
never hung our heads."
Final SCFA playoff berth to be decided,
Griffins host second-place Saddleback
The Griffins (5-4 overall) can conceivably earn a second
place finish in the Southern Conference with a victory
over Saddleback (6-3, 4-1) and a berth in the SCFA Southern
Conference playoffs.
The only way the Griffins could win and still be denied
a spot in the 8-team playoffs would be if Santa Ana
(6-3, 3-2) were to upset first-place Fullerton (8-1,
5-0). Santa Ana earned the tie-breaker with Grossmont
by beating the Griffins in the final minute a week ago
in Orange County.
The Grossmont-Saddleback match-up is intriguing because
it pits the 7-team conference’s top offense against
the circuit’s best defense.
Saddleback is a scoring machine. Three times the Gauchos
have scored 63 points or more and are averaging 40 points
and 483 yards per game.
“They run the old ‘single wing’ offense
and they run it well,” said Grossmont College defensive
coordinator DAVE JORDAN. “We’re going to know
we’ve been in a football game because they are
a very physical team.”
Jai Morris (102 carries, 849 yards, 9 TDs) and Micah
Abreu-Laybon (96-639, 6 TDs) give the Gauchos the conference’s
best 1-2 rushing punch. Quarterback Brian Shrock is
no slouch either, having completed 64 percent of 159
passes for 1,477 yards and 13 touchdowns. Shrock’s
favorite receiver is Jay Wisner, who is averaging more
than 20 yards for his 35 receptions.
Playing on a short field much of the season, the Griffins’
defense has still managed to allow less than 17 points
and 274 points per game.
Grossmont’s defense is led by safeties ABRAHAM
MUHIEZE (60 tackles, 5 interceptions) and LARRY PARKER
(38 tackles, 3 int.), corners AUSTIN BEDART (40 tackles,
2 int.), LUIS VILLAVICENCIO (3 int.), linebackers PAT
KELLY (65 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 in.), ELLIOT CHAPMAN (39
tackles, 2 sacks) and JESSE SWANN (40 tackles, 5 sacks)
and linemen CHAD O’DONNELL (48 tackles, 6 sacks)
and YUN TA’ALA, among others.
BRANDON FRICKE will make his third start at quarterback
for the Griffins. He will be joined in the backfield
by running back GAREN DEMERY – the team’s
leading offensive threat with 830 yards and 5 touchdowns
on 132 rushes. JAMAR REID, who has been banged up for
much of the season is also an integral part of the Griffin
offense with 333 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns in six
games.
Another threat Grossmont has going is kicker BRANDON
BOGOTAY, who ranks 2nd in Southern California with 13
field goals. He trails only Mt. San Antonio ’s
Jacob Harfman, who has 15.
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI – Former Grossmont High standout
AKONI LASCONIA is Saddleback’s third-leading tackler…
the Gauchos lead the all-time series between these two
teams 11-4-1… word is the University of Colorado
is highly interested in Grossmont’s O’Donnell
(6-2, 250)... Saddleback is rated No. 17 nationally
by J.C. Grid-Wire… the Gauchos are rated
No. 9 in the state and No. 6 in Southern California…
Grossmont is rated No. 11 in Southern California and
No. 24 in the state.
Grossmont Griffins at Santa
Ana Dons (Slideshow by Kevin Hipp)
Trailing 15-3 at the half, the Dons scored a pair of
second-half touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown
with 40 seconds remaining to stun Grossmont, 18-15,
at Santa Ana Stadium's Eddie West Field.
Matt Cardenas collected a 12-yard pass from Ray Contreras
to rally the Dons, who trailed for virtually the entire
contest. The pair also converted a 2-point conversion,
which – like the TD pass – went to the left
corner of the endzone.
Grossmont (5-4, 3-2 SC) gained excellent field position
thanks to the defense, but six short drives to reach
the red zone resulted in just a single touchdown. And
when the offense stalled out completely to go scoreless
in the second half, Santa Ana (6-3, 3-2) finally found
the ability to finish off a pair of drives for its second
victory in the closing minutes this season.
Four weeks ago, the Dons scored with 1:12 remaining
to stun Orange Coast , 28-27.
Despite the setback, Grossmont still controls its own
destiny, needing to defeat second-place Saddleback in
next Saturday's (Nov. 14) regular-season finale at Mashin-Roth
Memorial. With a victory, the Griffins can catch the
Gauchos (6-3, 4-1) for second, taking the tiebreaker
with the head-to-head triumph.
The only catch finds Santa Ana gaining a chance to
make it a 3-way tie for second place, but the Dons must
go on the road and defeat Southern Conference leader
Fullerton in the teams' annual Key To the County game.
Another stellar effort by Grossmont's defenders started
on the very first snap taken by Santa Ana . After the
Griffins failed to convert on 4th-down from the Dons-4,
defensive lineman CHAD O'DONNELL found his way into
the endzone to sack Contreras for a safety just 4:25
into the contest.
The ensuing free kick saw Grossmont gain possession
at the Santa Ana-41,with MICHAEL YAMAGUCHI capping an
8-play drive on a 1-yard dive for a 9-0 lead.
The Dons got on the board with a 24-yard field goal
by James Brillantes, but Grossmont closed the half with
field goals of 41 and 46 yards by BRANDON BOGOTAY, who
now has 13 three-pointers — third most by a Grossmont
kicker in a season.
The first Bogotay boot was set up on a 37-yard interception
runback by ABRAHAM MUHEIZE on a pass first tipped by
AUSTIN BEDART. It was Muheize’s team-leading 5th
interception.
On the next Santa Ana possession, Contreras dropped
the ball on a pump-fake for a fumble, with CORY BELL
recovering near midfield.
Through the first half, Santa Ana mounted a mere 70
yards in total offense compared to 184 by Grossmont.
Another hit in the backfield
for a loss by the G-House. (Mike Dougherty, ThePhotoExperience.com)
In the second half, Santa Ana copied the Griffins' script.
Dons cornerback Derek Hines returned an interception
53 yards, setting up a 16-yard TD rush by Michael Clemmons
midway through the third period to trim the deficit
to 15-10.
Grossmont then was unable to gain a first down over
the final 12 minutes, including a series which ended
with 3:05 left, giving Santa Ana its shot to pull out
the victory.
Yet, Grossmont had two chances in the final seconds,
maintaining possession on a two-fumble play, but Dons’
linebacker Justin Blackburn ended the contest with his
second sack of the afternoon.
ELLIOT CHAPMAN paced the Griffins with 10 tackles,
while PAT KELLY and Bedart registered 8 stops each.
JESSE SWAN recorded both of Grossmont's two sacks, including
one which forced a fumble that was recovered by QUINTON
GAYTON. LUIS VILLAVICENCIO logged his third interception
and Grossmont’s 19th as a defense.
For the Griffins (5-3, 3-1), this is a game of survival.
A victory in Orange County this weekend sets up a home
game finale against Saddleback that could earn Grossmont
a berth in the eight-team Southern California Football
Association playoffs.
Bowling over the Dons will be no simple task, although
Grossmont has won its last two road games.
Santa Ana (5-3, 2-2) used a 20-0 scoring run in the
fourth quarter to overcome a 20-15 deficit to knock
off Long Beach City College a week ago. Grossmont, which
had a bye, belted LBCC, 33-7, earlier in the season.
Look for BRANDON FRICKE to make his second start after
guiding the Griffins to a 21-13 win over Orange Coast
in the Pirates den two weeks ago. Running back JAMAR
REID, who has missed the past three games due to injury,
returns to the backfield with GAREN DEMERY.
Grossmont’s defense, led by free safety ABRAHAM
MUHIEZE, linebackers PAT KELLY and ELLIOT CHAPMAN and
end TERRANCE JOYNER, continues to be the Griffins anchor.
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI – Santa Ana holds a 6-4 edge
in the all-time series that began in 1962 – Grossmont’s
inaugural season. The Dons won that game 48-0.
Demery, a sophomore out of Valhalla High, rushed for
106 yards and a decisive 72-yard touchdown in the final
miniutes to give the Griffins a 21-13 triumph over host
Orange Coast.
Also receiving honorable mention from the conference
was linebacker ELLIOT CHAPMAN and free safety ABRAHAM
MUHEIZE.
Chapman (Marian Catholic) registered 10 tackles (3
for losses, including two on solo quarterback sacks)
to help stop the Pirates.
Muheize (El Cajon Valley) blocked one punt which led
to a touchdown, then later intercepted a pass which
led to another score. He also recorded 7 tackles.
Grossmont (5-3, 3-1 SC) have a bye this week, returning
to action in November to close the regular season with
two contests: Nov. 8 at Santa Ana,, and Nov, 15 at home
to Saddleback. Both kickoff at 1 p.m.
Other Game Stories
The Daily Pilot HERE
OCC Website HERE
Orange County Register HERE
Overcoming an early interception, Fricke took advantage
of a couple of key situations handed to him by the Griffins
defense to upend host Orange Coast, 21-13, Saturday
(Oct. 25) at LeBard Stadium.
Fricke, who completed 13-of-29 passes for 165 yards
and a touchdown, seemed reasonably comfortable in his
first collegiate start.
"There were some butterflies, but that's what
I work for – I had to perform," noted Fricke.
"I found out at the beginning of the week on Monday
or Tuesday – it wasn’t for sure, but by the
end of the week, I knew for sure that I was starting."
Meanwhile, the Grossmont defense and special teams
units again performed admirably, limiting Orange Coast
to just 278 yards in total offense, including a mere
53 rushing yards on 41 carries.
Leading the charge was ELLIOT CHAMPAN, who registered
2.5 of the Griffins' five quarterback sacks. Nine other
plays went for losses, including a long chase sequence
by TERRANCE JOYNER, who finally captured Pirates quarterback
Taylor Hughes for a key 24-yard loss in the fourth quarter.
Following a scoreless first quarter, Grossmont special
teams set-up Fricke with excellent field position. ABRAHAM
MUHEIZE broke through the line to block an OCC punt,
with KYLE BROWN recovering the ball at the Pirates-30.
Fricke followed by converting consecutive third-down
passes, hitting GREG CORDER for 17 yards, then finding
MILES McPHERSON for a 12-yard touchdown.
"On the first punt, it was a little guy (blocking),
so I ran him over," noted Muheize. "So the
second time, I swam on him and blocked it – our
whole defense came out nasty."
In the final minute of the half, LARRY PARKER recorded
the first of several key plays by the defensive back.
Parker, who was forced to switch from safety to cornerback,
broke a pair of tackles on a 15-yard punt return into
OCC territory with 21 seconds remaining. On the very
next play, Fricke found a wide open PAUL AUBIN on a
stop-and-go route, completely confusing a Pirates linebacker
for an easy 45-yard score and a 14-0 halftime lead.
"We got lucky when they blew that coverage and
Paul was wide open," added Fricke. "And on
the first score, Miles ran a quick-out and the defense
let him go."
"So now it's all up to us to finish strong to
make a playoff run."
Coast effectively beat the Grossmont defense on just
one play all evening, but it moved the Pirates back
into contention.
Running back Kevin Ah-Hi slipped into the left flat
behind a blitzing linebacker and was left undefended.
Hughes found him and Ah-Hi romped 51 yards on the first
play of the fourth quarter.
However, the conversion was blocked by Parker, who
also returned a first-half interception 48 yards and
broke up three other pass plays.
With 2 minutes to go, a final Coast drive stalled when
AUSTIN BEDART knocked the ball out of the hands of a
Pirates receiver just shy of the goal line on a fourth-down
play.
"They tried to run a corner on me, but I remember
watching that on the film on goal line situations,"
recalled Bedart. "The (OCC) receivers and I were
going back-and-forth all game, but they never ran to
the corner all game, so I was waiting for it and sure
enough he ran it."
Grossmont tried to run out the clock, when suddenly
running back GAREN DEMERY found some daylight on the
right side.
"I had a key block to spring me by 'Y-Y' (MICHAEL
YAMAUCHI-YAMATE) and I just saw an open field,"
said Demery. "And now we get a week off to heal
up and get ready to go and try to get into the playoffs."
Demery, who finished with 106 rushing yards, then burst
down the sideline on a 72-yard touchdown run for a 21-6
lead. But the celebration was quickly subdued when OCC's
Dean DeLeone returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for
a score.
However, the onsides kickoff with 1:21 remaining was
left untouched by all – OCC waited for the ball
to go the prerequisite 10 yards (it only went 7 yards);
Grossmont left it to roll out of bounds – then
the Griffins ran out the clock with a series of kneel-downs.
Grossmont (5-3, 3-1) moved into a second-place deadlock
with Saddleback (5-3, 3-1), which fell 24-21 to Southern
Conference leading Fullerton (6-2, 3-0). The Griffins
host Saddleback on the final day of the regular season
which could be a one-on-one showdown for a CCCAA playoff
berth.
Following last week's 44-15 smack down at the hands
of Fullerton , the Griffins still control their own
path to the postseason. If they can capture their last
three games, they can finish no worse than second place
in the Southern Conference. And if Fullerton should
slip down the stretch — the Hornets (5-1, 2-0) still
need to defeat Saddleback (5-2, 3-0) — another league
title would not be out of line for Grossmont.
The Griffins have been riddled with injuries in recent
weeks. So much so that coach MIKE JORDAN isn’t
sure who he’ll start at quarterback. If he does
know, he isn’t saying.
Meanwhile, Orange Coast is in a mini-freefall after
being ranked among the top 10 schools in the nation
following a 4-0 start. Once the Pirates entered conference
play, the tables turned as they fell to Fullerton ,
34-27, and then got nipped by Santa Ana, 28-27.
Orange Coast had a bye last week and realizes any chance
it has for postseason play could be dashed should Grossmont
prevail.
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI – Running back GAREN DEMERY,
linebacker PAT KELLY and free safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE
were included among the J.C. Grid-Wire national
players of the week... The Griffins have beaten the
Pirates only three times in 18 meetings with one tie.
The key Grossmont win this series came in the 1974 state
championships game 34-17 at old Aztec Bowl. The late
JOE ROTH was Grossmont’s quarterback in that title
bout... Despite its slow start in conference play, Orange
Coast is ranked No. 7 in Southern California, while
Grossmont is No. 11.
Fullerton College at Grossmont
College (Slideshow by Tori Mills)
Grossmont's Isia Falo (center)
scores after picking up a Fullerton punt attempt
which was blocked by teammate Brandon Davis. (Photo by Tori Mills)
Griffins feel the sting Drop first-place showdown
against Fullerton, 44-15
While the Griffins offense danced the cha-cha in the
first half (ah-1-2-3-punt, 1-2-3-punt), visiting Fullerton
College finally took advantage of the tiring defenders
in the second quarter, breaking open a scoreless contest
by posting 24 consecutive points, as the Hornets downed
Grossmont in a battle of Southern Conference leaders,
44-15, Saturday (Oct. 18) at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field.
Fullerton (5-1, 2-0) kept pace with Saddleback (5-2,
3-0), a 63-44 winner over Long Beach, while Grossmont
(4-3, 2-1) ) fell a game back of the leaders after its
3-game winning streak was snapped.
"All we do is come out next week on Monday –
because this game is now in the past – and do what
we normally do," said Griffins linebacker CALVIN
PEARCE. "It's all on us right now. We're young,
but need to come out fighting. If we want to be contenders,
you need to beat a man to be a man."
The precarious quarterbacking situation reached a new
low after Grossmont's opening drive stalled on a failed
fourth down at the Hornets-4, then three Grossmont signal-callers
were unable to move the football effectively the rest
of the afternoon, despite 184 rushing yards by running
back GAREN DEMERY.
"The defense, as a unit, are not pointing fingers
or making excuses. We needed to man up better and play
with more discipline," added Pearce. "(Quarterback)
JOHN SOLI and (running back) JAMAR REID are part of
the core of our team and should be back soon."
Both are hampered by injury.
Meanwhile, Fullerton quarterback Jeff Fleming passed
for 157 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another
86 yards, taking advantage of excellent field position
throughout the contest.
"We couldn't really get anything going (on offense),
but the defense can't let them score points either,"
noted cornerback LUIS VILLAVICENCIO. "We still
have got to try and win out and still make the playoffs."
The floodgates opened when Hornets defender Robert
Archuleta returned an interception 36 yards to the Grossmont-21.
Three plays later, Sam Apraku scored the first of his
two touchdowns on a 4-yard run for a 10-0 lead.
Grossmont ended the shutout on a 37-yard field goal by
BRANDON BOGOTAY midway through the third period. Demery
keyed the drive with a 50-yard rush to the Hornets-7.
“We knew we could run the ball on them, but that’s
hard to do when you are playing catch-up the whole game,”
Grossmont coach MIKE JORDAN said. “Not much went
our way today.”
The Hornets extended their lead to 44-3 before the
Griffins finally reached the endzone twice in a 1:46
span.
CEDRIC JEFFCOAT capped a 60-yard drive with a 1-yard
plunge. Fullerton then was forced to punt on a 3-and-out,
but the boot was rejected by BRANDON DAVIS, with ISIA
FALO collecting the blocked football and romping 14
yards for the score.
"We can regroup and come and get it," stated
defensive back LARRY PARKER. "We're motivated and
still could play Fullerton again in the playoffs."
Fullerton's victory avenges a loss in its last appearance
at Grossmont, when the Griffins registered a 47-30 victory
in the 2003 Southern California championship playoff
contest.
Fullerton College at Grossmont
College (Slideshow by Monica Munguia)
Fullerton visits the G-House
in battle for conference lead
Both ballclubs are undefeated in the new Southern Conference.
The Griffins (4-2 overall) are tied for first place
with Saddleback at 2-0 after Grossmont overwhelmed Long
Beach City last weekend, 33-7. Fullerton, which is ranked
20th nationally by J.C. Grid-Wire, had a bye
and remains 1-0 in conference play while owning the
top overall record among "Super 7" programs
at 4-1.
Grossmont, which has won three in a row, is ranked
No. 22 in the same national poll.
The Hornets seek revenge from an ugly loss in 2003,
the last time the school visited Mashin-Roth Memorial
Stadium, as Grossmont mounted a 47-17 lead through three
quarters in cruising to a 47-30 triumph. A week later,
the Griffins fell in the final 33 seconds of the state
championship game 38-35 to City College of San Francisco
in Fresno.
Against Long Beach, the Griffins were on the path to
another slow start after the Vikings took the opening
kickoff then marched 77 yards for a touchdown. But the
defense yielded just 97 yards over the balance of the
contest, as the team tallied 33 unanswered points to
gain an easy triumph at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The second half shutout means that the Grossmont defense
has allowed just a single touchdown in the fourth quarter
all season, that coming in Week 2 at College of the
Desert just 31 seconds into the final stanza.
Against Long Beach, the defense registered nine quarterback
sacks – including a pair each by linebackers JESSE
SWAN and PAT KELLY – and intercepted three passes,
featuring one for a 17-yard touchdown by ABRAHAM MUHEIZE.
All three were finalists for Southern Conference and
Pacific Coast Conference player of the week honors.
Meanwhile, the Griffins' special teams units partially
blocked two punts. Kicker BRANDON BOGOTAY booted four
field goals (and narrowly missed a 59-yard effort),
while XAVIER MARTIN posted a 52-yard kickoff return.
Running back Devon McCullough (6-1, 191) leads the
Hornets in rushing, while Jeff Fleming is the primary
quarterback. Jeremy LaFrance is the top receiver and
kick return specialist.
GRIFFIN GRAFITTI — These teams go way back.
In fact, Grossmont’s second game ever – 1962
– was televised live from Fullerton by KCOP Channel
13. The Hornets blanked the Griffins, 22-0, that night.
In 1969, the Hornets defeated Grossmont, 49-19, in a
state playoff game before a crowd of 4,000 at Balboa
Stadium... The latest rematch in this series will be
broadcast live on the Internet, at KBCsports.com...
Fullerton leads the all-time series, 12-4.
Grossmont defense drowns Long Beach
READ THE GAME
STORY FROM
LONG BEACH PRESS TELEGRAM
Long Beach City College's Darren
Tubbs tries to get past Grossmont
safety Abraham Muheize (7),
while Tila Case pulls him down. (Jeff Gritchen/Staff Photographer;
Courtesy, Press Telegram)
READ THE GAME
STORY FROM
LB POST SPORTS.com Includes Video (below) & Photos
Video of the "very excitable"
Grossmont Griffins.. lol
"That was embarrassing," admitted Griffins free
safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE. "So we started to put some
pressure on their quarterback – we let him know we
were around after we started to man up."
Nine sacks and three interceptions later – including
a 17-yard touchdown runback on a theft by Muheize –
Grossmont ran off 33 unanswered points to roll over
the Vikings, 33-7, at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The triumph leaves the Griffins and Saddleback –
a 24-21 winner over Palomar – on top of the "Super
7" conference. Idle Fullerton, which visits Grossmont
next Saturday (Oct. 18) at 1 p.m., is also unbeaten
in conference play at 1-0.
Muheize was tagged by a Long Beach blocker on a punt
play. So when the Vikings punted again, he noticed something
different.
"Earlier, I got lit up a little bit on a punt
return," Muheize recalled. "Then I noticed
that guy wasn't in on the next punt – it was a
little guy and that got me to think. So when I rushed,
no one blocked me. And he threw the ball right to me."
The fake saw the Vikings punter try to pass the ball
to the player who replaced the man that sent Muheize
flying to the turf earlier. However, the Griffins sophomore
was now in front of the intended receiver, collecting
the football and racing untouched into the endzone.
The "pick 6" wasn't the only big play by
the Griffins. The unit partially blocked a pair of punts
on penetration by ARTHUR HOBBS and BRANDON DAVIS.
In addition, the field goal unit saw kicker BRANDON
BOGOTAY connect on field goals of 44, 25, 31 and 30
yards, while a 59-yard effort was dead-center on target,
but fell just short after hitting the post which connects
the crossbar to the ground.
And on kickoff returns, XAVIER MARTIN took the second
half kick 52 yards into Vikings territory.
"The special teams have been going crazy -- we've
been preaching on how we haven't done anything for five
weeks," added Muheize. "But we went at it
today."
Following Long Beach's initial drive, the Vikings were
left bumbling the rest of the night, collecting a mere
97 yards in additional offense, The sacks resulted in
40 yards of losses, featuring two putdowns of Powell
by Grossmont's JESSE SWAN, CHAD O'DONNELL and PAT KELLY.
The Vikings (3-2, 0-1) were rationed to a net 5 yards
rushing (on 32 attempts) – the 7th lowest total
allowed by a Grossmont defense in 46 years.
"We just wanted to pick up the intensity and rush
the quarterback," said Swan, an inside linebacker
who paced the Griffins with nine tackles. "We got
big pressure from the D-line -- TERRANCE (JOYNER), YUN
(TA'ALA), Big MIKE (MIKAELE VAIMASANU) and Ja'RODD (WATSON)."
Joining Muheize with interceptions were LARRY PARKER
and ELLIOT CHAPMAN, as LBCC completed 16-of-32 passes
for just 169 yards.
How intense was the pressure? One of Powell's passes
was batted right back to the quarterback for a reception,
resulting in a 5-yard loss.
Meanwhile, Grossmont quarterback DAN LEWIS threw for
147 yards in his return as starting quarterback with
JOHN SOLI out of uniform with an injury. The ground
game saw GAREN DEMERY rush for 71 yards and a pair of
second-period touchdowns (22 and 4 yards) to give the
Griffins a 17-3 advantage.
Following a slow start to the season, the young group
of offensive linemen is gaining synchronicity.
"We did good -- we did our jobs by being aggressive
and playing hard on the line," said freshman right
guard ROBERT TOLEAFOA. "It was 50-50 between running
and passing plays, and a win is a win."
Unsung fullback LEVI UELI led the charge for Demery
and the ground game, then was rewarded for his strong
play by getting the game's final carry (gaining 3 yards).
"The blockers all did a good job," noted
Ueli. "We just need the tailbacks to read the blocks
better and know when to cut inside or to cut outside.
But they did a much better job and got through the holes
real well."
The biggest hit of the night came in a deadball situation.
And it was a complete accident.
Following a big pass rush on the Long Beach quarterback,
the referee charged toward the pile to make sure no
pushing match ensued. One Griffins defender, down on
his stomach, quickly popped up without realizing the
referee was above him. His helmet caught the official
in, shall we say, an awkward place.
Since the contest was down to the final two minutes
and the outcome decided, no one bothered to stop the
running clock, as about 50 seconds ran off without objection.
Griffins seek first road victory
utilizing defense at Long Beach
“I think we’ll match up with them pretty
well,” said Grossmont coach MIKE JORDAN. “In
many ways, they are a lot like Chaffey.”
The Griffins (3-2, 1-0) rank No. 8 among the state’s
top offenses, 36.2 points and 446 yards per game. They
stand 12th in the state on defense (18.8 ppg, 259.2
ypg).
Quarterback Josh Powell, 6-foot-4, 215-pound sophomore
from Spokane , Wash. is the Long Beach City College
ringleader. Powell has completed 78 of 145 passes for
1,059 yards and six TDs for the Vikings (3-1), ranked
No. 12 in the state – one rung ahead of the Griffins.
LBCC’s top receivers are Brandon Joseph (21-271,
2TDs) and Stephen Burton 17-302, 4 TDs).
Fortunately, for the Griffins the secondary –
led by ABRAHAM MUHEIZE and LUIS VILLAVICENCIO –
is their strong suit. Linemen TERRANCE JOYNER and CHAD
O’DONNELL and linebackers PAT KELLY and JESSE SWAN
have also been Grossmont standouts.
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI – Grossmont is 3-0 at
home, but 0-2 on the road... Grossmont has outscored
its last two foes by a composite 100-19. Both of those
were home games... The Vikings lead this series 7-4
over the Griffins, Grossmont having won the last meeting
20-10 in 2004. In 2003, Grossmont rolled over the Vikings
60-7. It won’t be anything like that this time
around.
READ THE GAME
STORY FROM
THE NORTH COUNTY TIMES Includes Photo Slideshow
Griffins blossom when it counts,
rattle Palomar with ease, 49-3
When the new Southern California Football Association
was recently formed, it was only natural to place these
geographic rivals -- finally -- in the same conference.
On Saturday (Oct. 4), the schools met in a conference
game for the first time since the mid-1970s. And it
was the inaugural contest in the new Southern Conference
to boot.
So it must've come as a surprise when the San Marcos
based Comets, who draw from 16 SDCIF Division I and
II high schools, came calling to Mashin-Roth Memorial
Field to meet the Griffins, who draw from only 11 public
high schools of which just one competes at the SDCIF
Division I classification.
Of course, the setup is obvious.
David dominated Goliath after Grossmont scored touchdowns
over four consecutive possessions to mount a 26-0 first-half
advantage, as the Griffins made the previously undefeated
and 15th nationally ranked Comets look "Foothill-ish"
in a 49-3 victory.
"It was almost a perfect game except for that
one field goal," noted linebacker CALVIN PEARCE.
"Our front seven is stepping up major for us --
TERRANCE JOYNER, PAT KELLY – all of them."
"Palomar has been running the ball up the gut
all season, but we made adjustments and were plugging
the holes all day."
Early on, Grossmont, after winning a 1974 state championship,
was placed in the powerful South Coast Conference. Meanwhile,
Palomar, then a small school, was in the original Mission
Conference.
A decade later, Palomar joined the big boys in a realigned
Mission , while the Griffins were perceived as the big
fish in a small pond known as the Foothill Conference,
capturing the championships on a regular basis.
However, another state title for Grossmont in 2005
probably hinted to that state officials consider altering
conference affiliations. Little did they know that the
Grossmont, one of the smallest of the 21 schools in
the SCFA's top division of competition, could dominate
a ballclub such as Palomar with ease – at least
on this particular afternoon.
"People don't realize that our D-line is young,
but now it’s the fifth game and they came out aggressive
and are making it happen for us," explained Griffins
free safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE. "They came out screaming,
ready to play."
The defensive line of the Griffins, powered by Joyner
and CHAD O'DONNELL in the middle, held the Comets ground
game to just 129 yards (including 41 yards in losses).
Then the pressure by the line allowed the secondary
to register five interceptions, part of seven total
turnovers forced by Grossmont.
"I could just feel it slipping away," said
Comets head coach Joe Early. "Everything we did
went wrong -- Grossmont took it to us."
Included were a pair of interceptions by ELLIOT CHAPMAN.
AUSTIN BEDART, LUIS VILLAVICENCIO and LARRY PARKER also
garnered picks against three Palomar quarterbacks. Bedart
also registered a fumble recovery.
Setting the trend early was Muheize, who forced a fumble
just four minutes into the contest, then stood up from
the pile with the loose football held high right in
front of the Comets bench without argument.
Moments later, JAMAR REID rushed 3 yards for the first
of his three touchdowns. He added a 50-yard scoring
burst to close the first quarter with a 20-0 lead, then
posted a 2-yard TD early in the fourth period.
"It was a good day -- credit the offensive line
once again. They were beasts up front," noted Reid
on his second straight 3-TD performance. "We watched
film of them all week and they barely beat College of
the Desert, and we could've beat Desert if it wasn't
for turnovers."
"When we play the way we're supposed to play,
like today, we feel nobody can beat us."
Meanwhile, Grossmont quarterback JOHN SOLI looked poised
and comfortable in the pocket, completing 12-of-20 passes
for 141 yards. And when he was pressured, he escaped
several times to rush for first downs, including a 21-yard
scamper, plus two short bursts for scores.
Soli also connected with tight end KYLE HIPP for a
key first-period scoring pass, a 29-yarder which seemed
to deflate the Comets after they left the preseason
All-America selection completely uncovered for an uncontested
touchdown.
"Their defense thought we would wedge it up the
middle, either on a QB wedge or a fullback dive,"
noted Hipp, who led the team with four receptions. "So
I was wide open and Soli threw the ball right to me.
I didn't have to do much after that except run the ball
into the endzone."
"We're really coming together as a team in all
aspects. They came in here as an undefeated team and
we went out there and played our game."
GAREN DEMERY (9-125 yards) pushed the lead to 39-3
with a 73-yard TD run late in the third period, allowing
both sides to flood the field with substitutions.
Grossmont handed Palomar its biggest setback since
falling 61-12 to City College of San Francisco in the
2001 state title game.
Grossmont even capitalized on special teams.
While Griffins kicker BRANDON BOGOTAY was booting kickoffs
consistently through the endzone for touchbacks -- along
with connecting on a 52-yard field goal to cap the scoring
-- Palomar kickers scrambled all contest. Included was
a snap which sailed over the punter's head, leading
to kick from the endzone which resulted in a net-loss
of 8 yards, while another punt was shanked and traveled
just 11 yards.
Grossmont defenders took pride in keeping Palomar out
of the endzone.
"I went with the coaches to scout the Palomar-Desert
game last week, and I knew our defense could handle
them," added Pearce. "They were a big team,
so I didn't want to underestimate them, but everyone
on our team was hungry."
Grossmont rests in a 3-way tie for first with Fullerton
and Saddleback, the two teams predicted to dominate
the Southern Conference in preseason polls. The Griffins
next meet Long Beach City at Veterans Memorial Stadium
in Long Beach, starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday (Oct.
11). The Vikings were idle this week, but probably had
scouts watching this blow out.
Although the season is less than half over, both teams
have suffered some key injuries, but so far have been
able to patch up the holes.
Palomar moved up to No. 15 in the J.C. Grid-Wire
national rankings after Saturday night's 47-41, four-overtime
victory over College of the Desert -- when the Comets
(4-0) handed the Roadrunners their first regular-season
loss since the 2006 season. JCGridiron.com has the Comets
ranked No. 16.
That win over the Roadrunners was a home game for the
Comets, while Grossmont spotted COD a 40-14 advantage
in Palm Desert and then fought back only to fall short
47-40.
Another common foe is Southwestern. The Griffins killed
themselves with penalties and wound up losing to the
Jaguars 14-10. Palomar edged the Jags at home 21-19,
although Southwestern had the ball within field goal
range when time expired.
Quarterbacks Steve Carroll (13-for-17 passing, 184
yards, four touchdowns) and Matt Christian, who threw
the game-winning 1-yard touchdown pass and also ran
for a TD, had a hand of six of Palomar's seven touchdowns
in the win over COD. The two signal-callers are expected
to each draw playing time against Grossmont, which throttled
Chaffey 51-16 a week ago.
Running backs GAREN DEMERY (48-247, TD) and JAMAR REID
(505 all-purpose yards, 5 TDs) and quarterback JOHN
SOLI seem to have Grossmont clicking. The Griffins led
Chaffey 44-7 after one half.
Safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE, corner LUIS VILLVICENCIO and
linebacker PAT KELLY anchor the Grossmont defense.
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI – The Comets lead this all-time
series 14-9... Palomar won a 56-42 scoringfest a year
ago at Grossmont... The Comets have not lost to a San
Diego County team in 29 games... Grossmont, which is
ranked No. 17 in SoCal, last beat the Comets 21-16 in
1987.
With his name listed as "Reed" throughout the
opening weeks, Reid burst from the shadows Saturday (Sept.
27), proving that there is indeed an 'I" in team.
Reid, a sophomore out of New Berlin, N.Y. , registered
three touchdowns, including a back-breaking 80-yard kickoff
for a score moments after visiting Chaffey finally got
on the scoreboard, lifting the Griffins to an easy 51-16
win over the previously undefeated Panthers in non-conference
action at Mashin-Roth Memorial Stadium.
"I got my 'I' back -- it feels a lot better,"
said Reid. "We came back home and worked hard all
week as a whole team (after losing to Southwestern) and
finally got a win out of it."
Over the past decade, either Grossmont and Chaffey has
captured the Foothill Conference championship. But due
to realignment, this might be the final meeting between
the schools for several years in a hard-fought rivalry.
And just like the majority of those Foothill encounters,
the Griffins (2-2) held the advantage for the first time
all season by striking early to put away Chaffey (3-1),
exploding to a 21-0 lead just 6 1/2 minutes into the contest.
"It's so much easier playing with the lead and not
playing catch-up," added Reid. "The O-line was
a beast -- I love my big uglies up front. I’m running
harder and try to keep my pad level low.”
0A
Quarterback JOHN SOLI, who was sacked just once all afternoon,
started the streak after the Griffins defense forced a
pair of early turnovers. The sophomore sneaked the ball
in from the Panthers-1 for a touchdown, then connected
with MOHAMED FOFANA on a 7-year pass just 1:43 later following
another Chaffey turnover. It was the first time Grossmont
scored first in four starts this season.
“The offensive line gave me a lot of time so it made
it pretty easy,” said Soli, who collected 323 yards
total offense. “Overall, our whole teams was a lot
more focused this week.”
GAREN DEMERY then hauled in a 48-yard scoring pass from
Soli (18-37-0, 264 yards in less than th ree quarters).
"John just checked down on me on the back side and
I was open from there -- I just got an opportunity and
scored," noted Demery. "The offense showed what
we're capable of, with the O-line coming together really
well."
Grossmont finished with 450 yards in total offense, including
345 in the first half to secure a 44-7 advantage by intermission.
"We played really hard and got to work our feet --
it showed what we can do when we keep the ball,"
said right guard MIKE McGRATH, a sophomore out of El Capitan
. "Every day we improve and work hard."
Following minimal yardage on the ground in the first three
ballgames, Grossmont's O-line busted some big holes for
the backs to run through.
"We really clicked together after making lots of
mistakes the last couple of games -- penalties have been
killing us," added right tackle JUAN BOLANOS, a freshman
from Mount Miguel . "We practiced real hard this
past week. Hopefully, this will carry over when we play
Palomar next week."
The second quarter featured three consecutive field goals
by BRANDON BOGOTAY (25, 43 and 33 yards), then Reid capped
a 73-yard drive with a score from the 6 for a 37-0 bulge
.
Chaffey took advantage of a botched Grossmont punt to
score on a 28-yard drive to get its sideline fired up.
But the moment was fleeting when Reid grabbed a short
kickoff at the Grossmont-20, racing through the right
side to reach the endzone to silence the visitors.
Meanwhile, the Grossmont defense was solid throughout,
forcing six turnovers and surrendering a mere 242 yards
to the Panthers.
Linebacker HOMER MAUGA started the parade of picks with
the first of four interceptions by the Griffins. The others
were garnered by DEXTER THOMPSON, LUIS VILLAVICENCIO and
ABRAHAM MUHEIZE, who raced 50 yards with the return to
set-up Reid's final score.
"I just read the quarterback's 3-step drop and just
jumped it and caught it," said Villavicencio . "Our
turnover margin wasn't that good coming in, but today
a D-lineman had one (interception) and a linebacker had
another."
"We expected a hard game with Chaffey, because they
beat Southwestern, who beat us. But we came to play finally."
The Griffins got to Chaffey quarterbacks on three occasions;
the Panthers completed just 13 of 37 passes, gaining less
than 4 yards per attempt.
"CHAD O'DONNELL was able to put on a lot of pressure,
then I was able to stick my hand out and I got him,"
recalled defensive end TERRANCE JOYNER on his sack. "The
whole defense picked it up because we're all still playing
for spots in the line-up."
Even when Chaffey made a good play, something bad would
happen. After a blocked Grossmont field goal, the Panthers
grabbed the ball and raced 78 yards down the sideline,
only to get pushed out of bounds by the Griffins kicker,
who caught the opponent at the 2.
Grossmont opens its inaugural Southern Conference campaign
next Saturday, hosting Palomar at 1 p.m. Already dubbed
the "Super 7" conference, each of the seven
schools have captured at least one national championship.
Griffins seek A New Beginning
Early turnovers have pushed the Griffins (1-2) on their
heels the past two weeks – three in the first quarter
of losses at College of the Desert and Southwestern.
All three Grossmont foes have scored first, including
San Diego Mesa – a team Grossmont came back to
beat. COD led 23-0 after one period. Southwestern and
Mesa each opened up with a 7-0 edge.
Overall, the Griffins have committed 14 turnovers.
Their opponents have made only eight. That equation
does not add up to a winning season.
Grossmont will attempt to get its act together Saturday
(Sept. 27) when it welcomes former Foothill Conference
rival and No. 19 state-ranked Chaffey (3-0) to Mashin-Roth
Memorial Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
Despite their nearly five miscues per game, the Griffins
have been able to move the ball. They are averaging
27 points and 446 yards per game. GAREN DEMERY (40-24,
TD) and JAMAR REID (23-171, 2 TD) lead Grossmont’s
ground forces.
On the defensive side, Grossmont is surrendering just
276 yards and 25 points.
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI — Grossmont owns an all-time
14-9 edge in this series, including six straight wins.
. . The Panthers last won, 43-35, in triple-overtime
during the 2002 season. . . One comparison this year
is Chaffey edged Southwestern, 28-24, with a late touchdown,
while the Griffins played catch-up most of the night.
Grossmont College running back
Jamar Reid (Photo by Russell Scoffin, SWC Media Relations)
The Jaguars' victory was their first over Grossmont in
nearly a decade, snapping an 8-game losing streak dating
back to 1999.
"It's frustrating, but were still coming together"
said linebacker PAT KELLY, who registered an interception
and a sack. "It's no one's fault and we can't blame
the offense -- we win as a team and lose as a team, and
that's all that matters at Grossmont."
Similar to a loss at College of the Desert, Grossmont's
offense dropped the ball to the tune of three fumbles
(two lost) in the opening eight minutes. The miscues allowed
the Jaguars (1-2) to grab an early 7-0 lead on a 10-yard
scoring pass from Ryan Nelson to receiver George Bell.
Southwestern would keep the advantage throughout, making
a winner of Jaguars coach ED CARBERRY, a former Griffins
assistant.
Leading the pack was former Helix running back KENSLOW
SMITH, who paced the Jags attack with 174 yards on 38
carries.
“Once we find an inch we keep scratching it,”
Carberry said. “And tonight I think we found it.”
The Jaguars continually handed the ball off to Smith,
who ran primarily between the tackles.
Grossmont collected 287 yards in total offense in the
first half, but managed just a field goal to trail 7-3
at the intermission. Smith then played a game of keep-away,
taking huge chunks off the game clock with 22 rushes in
the second half, including a third-quarter touchdown for
a 14-3 lead just 3:10 into the third quarter.
Grossmont countered on a 10-play, 63-yard drive, capped
on a 1-yard dive by JAMAR REID. The back finished with
81 yards on 12 carries, second to team leader GAREN DEMERY
(14-94).
"At halftime, we told coach we wanted to pound and
pound the ball, but coach said we have to throw the ball
because they were keying on me and Demery," said
Reid, "Every time I came in, they were saying, '32,
32, he's getting the ball.'"
Grossmont collected an impressive 194 rushing yards in
only 37 carries (5.2 yards per attempt) with two healthy
runners for the first time this season.
"It was the first game where we both were on pace
and had a good game -- we both were on the same page,"
Reid added.
Down the stretch, the visitors had one final chance to
pull out a last-second victory, but quarterback DAN LEWIS
fumbled while being sacked by Southwestern linebacker
David Ferris. The sophomore from Bonita Vista also registered
an interception.
"We had plenty of opportunities to go down and score,
we had plenty20of chances in the red zone, and an opportunity
at the end," noted Lewis, who completed 16-of-30
passes for 163 yards. "Finishing is the story --
which is something we need to focus on."
For the second straight week, safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE led
the team in tackles with 8, followed by LUIS VILLAVICENCIO
with 7, and Kelly with 6.
AUSTIN BEDART, HOMER MAUGA, CHAD O’DONNELL and BYRON
BARMER also contributed 5 tackles apiece for the Griffins.
Triple-figure totals in penalty yards also limited Grossmont,
flagged 14 times for 123 yards.
The Griffins return home for their final non-conference
contest, hosting former Foothill Conference rival Chaffey
next Saturday (Sept. 27). A week later, the debut of the
Southern Conference (i.e., the "Super 7" conference)
finds Grossmont hosting Palomar. Both kickoff at 1 p.m.
Griffins take on familiar foe
Both teams are coming off frustrating losses. Southwestern
(0-2), in fact, has suffered two setbacks in games in
the final minutes – 21-19 at No. 14 Palomar and
28-24 at Chaffey against the No. 23 Panthers.
The Griffins (1-1) had little difficulty disposing
of San Diego Mesa 31-14 and nearly overcame a 40-14
deficit against No. 16 College of the Desert before
falling 47-40 in Palm Desert.
Slow starts have racked the Griffins this season. They
fell behind Mesa two series into the opener and then
fumbled three times to trail 23-0 after one period in
the desert. They might not get away with that against
Southwestern, which arguably has played a tougher schedule
than the Griffins.
Grossmont’s offense has not been the explosive
unit it has been in the past, although the Griffins
have shown some signs of flash, to the tune of 35.5
points and 451 yards per game. Singling out one or two
offensive stars is not easy with this group since so
many players have contributed. GAREN DEMERY (Valhalla)
has established himself as the top running back, averaging
5 yards per carry on 26 chances.
Quarterbacks JOHN SOLI (142.5 ypg, 3 TDs) and DAN LEWIS
(132.5 yds, 3 TDs) have each had major moments for Grossmont.
Tight end KYLE HIPP (8-175, 2 TDs), a preseason JC
Grid-Wire All-American, is among 14 receivers having
caught a pass in the first two games.
Safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE (El Cajon Valley), corner LUIS
VILLAVICENCIO (Chula Vista), linebacker PAT KELLY (Christian),
linebacker HOMER MAUGA (Helix), linebacker ELLIOTT CHAPMAN
and tackle CHAD O’DONNELL (Christian) are among
the Griffins’ defensive leaders.
Southwestern’s defense is led by middle linebacker
ALEX MORALES (Helix), who recorded 10 tackles against
Chaffey. TAELOR WORRELL (El Capitan) and DERRICK PERRAULT
(Helix) are veterans in the secondary.
The Jags also have an excellent quarterback in Ryan
Nelson (34-62, 383 yards. 5 TDs) with a talented trio
of receivers Joshua Sipho (11-109, 2 TDs), George Bell
(10-83, TD) and Sheldon Galoway (9-202, 2 TDs). KENSLOW
SMITH (Helix) is the leading rusher averaging 84 yards
per game.
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI — The Griffins have won the last
eight meetings from the Jaguars, including 34-14 last
year. Grossmont leads the all-time series 23-12-1...
Last time Southwestern beat the Griffs was 34-27 in
1999 – GC turned the ball over nine times that
night in Chula Vista.
Game Story from COD's perspective
in The Desert SunHERE
Paced by the return of DAN LEWIS, the sophomore threw
for 265 yards in the second half, including three touchdowns
over the final 7:46 of the fourth period. But when the
Roadrunners covered an onsides kickoff with 1:10 remaining,
they released a long sigh of relief after holding on to
Saturday's (Sept. 13) tight 47-40 non-conference triumph
at Boone Field.
"If we gave up on the field, a lot of guys in
the locker room would be feeling down and things just
wouldn't be right," said Lewis. "But this
lets our guys know we can still play football -- we've
got a good team and we're coming together."
A year ago, Lewis was knocked out of the Desert contest
following just two plays with an ankle injury. This
year, he continued to sit while JOHN SOLI operated the
offense after winning the job in the season opener.
But with the offense sputtering and the blockers finding
difficulty handling the Roadrunners' blitz, a more mobile
Lewis was called upon while trailing 40-14 midway through
the third quarter.
Lewis, initially, wanted to simply salvage team unity.
Little did he know such a mammoth comeback was in the
offing.
"We had a rough first quarter, so I wanted them
to take something home to keep their pride at least,"
added Lewis. "I feel really good about our guys."
With COD pass-rushers unable to reach Lewis due to
a variety of rollouts to either side, Lewis capped one
drive with a 1-yard TD run late in the third period.
He then completely shined in the final period, completing
11-of-14 passes for 209 yards, as Grossmont out-gained
Desert, 472-to-300, in total offense,.
Included was a touchdown pass of 20 yards to tight
end KYLE HIPP, then a pair of scoring strikes of 29
and 8 yards to XAVIER MARTIN, with 3:51 and 1:12 remaining,
respectively. Hipp was the game's leading receiver with
four receptions for 80 yards, while Martin caught four
for 50 yards.
However, COD's Trey Mays fell onto the football on
the squib kick to defuse the comeback effort and avoid
giving Grossmont an opportunity to force the contest
into overtime.
"We had a chance to win it, but if we don't make
a couple of mistakes here or there… we're right
in it," added Lewis.
In the first quarter, Desert took advantage of a muffed
punt to get the ball at the Griffins-26, settling for
a field goal and a 3-0 lead. Over the next pair of Grossmont
possessions, the team ran just three plays, losing the
ball twice on fumbles which led to a pair of short COD
scores and a 17-0 lead.
And when a short punt again gave Desert possession
on the Griffins' side of the 50, COD needed just one
play to go 42 yards when quarterback Thomas DeMarco
(9-for-22, 129 yards) connected with Deon Lee for a
24-0 lead with 2:48 left in the opening period.
No one blamed the defense, which faced tough field-position
situations throughout the early going. Sophomore safety
ABRAHAM MUHEIZE led the way with 11 tackles and five
assists, and freshman linebacker PAT KELLY made 9 stops.
"We showed that we're really men -- we showed
heart," explained Kelly. "If we see these
guys again, we going to beat them handily,"
The Griffins also registered five sacks of DeMarco,
including solo stops by Kelly, JAVI LOGOAI, EDWIN SHEPARD
and CALVIN PEARCE, while JESSE SWANN and ELLIOT CHAPMAN
shared a takedown. However, the ballclub fell just short
of digging a huge, early hole.
With Lewis controlling the passing game, the ground
attack flourished behind running back GAREN DEMERY (14
rushes, 83 yards).
For Desert, running back Leonard Mason broke loose
for a 64-yard burst to open the fourth quarter to set-up
his own 2-yard score on the next snap, finishing with
126 yards on 18 carries.
Grossmont limited its attempt to rally with a rash
of penalties, flagged 19 times for an incredible 190
yards (three others were declined),
"We had some rough times with the refs and the
turnovers," added Kelly. "It isn't one person's
fault, it was all of us making mistakes -- we can play
a lot better."
The final onsides kickoff was delayed 10 minutes when
Grossmont receiver CHRISTOPHER SMITH was taken by ambulance
to a local hospital. He collapsed on the sidelines following
a hit some 20 minutes earlier. Smith was conscious and
moving all of his extremities.
The result ended Grossmont's 7-game winning streak over
the Roadrunners dating back to a 1999 setback when the
Griffins -- who lead the all-time series, 13-6-3 -- missed
a field goal at the gun.
Desert went on to share the Foothill crown with Antelope
Valley a year ago, leading to a host of reasons Grossmont
seeks revenge when the teams meet Saturday (Sept. 13)
at COD's Boone Field.
Game time in the low desert is a state-mandated 6 p.m.
(instead of the usual 7 p.m. start time), despite predictions
of temperatures at 100 degrees or hotter.
According to Grossmont athletic director JIM SPILLERS,
the time change was instituted by the new Southern California
Football Alliance. Teams without lights must kickoff at
1 p.m. Those capable of playing night games must start
at 6. PERIOD!
Both ballclubs opened with impressive victories. While
the Griffins (1-0) registered 31 consecutive points to
again embarrass San Diego Mesa, 31-14, Desert (1-0) raced
to a 27-0 halftime advantage in clipping visiting San
Bernardino Valley, 34-17.
A year ago, Desert went through the air to post five touchdowns
on Grossmont. However, the Roadrunners had a 180-degree
turnabout in the offseason by now going with the ground
game.
Last week against the Wolverines, four of their five TDs
came on rushes. Included were three scores by Leonard
Mason, who rushed 18 times for 99 yards, while Larry Williams
carried 12 times for 70 yards.
In 2007, Grossmont quarterback DAN LEWIS strained an ankle
on the second play of the contest, as the Griffins eventually
reached to a 4th-string signal-caller to run the offense.
Lewis would like another shot at Desert, but right now,
JOHN SOLI will get the starting nod after beating out
the sophomore after the pair rotated running the offense
in the first half against Mesa. Soli accounted for 218
yards and a touchdown completing 18 of 28 passes.
However, the difference should be on defense. Both sides
forced three turnovers in Week One and yielded less than
250 yards in offense to their opponent.
Desert is ranked No. 17 in the state and No. 9 in Southern
California by the California Community College Football
Coaches Association. The Griffins are rated No. 10 in
SoCal and No. 18 in the state.
G-House runs over the Olympians Grossmont registers 31 straight points in rout
Head coach MIKE JORDAN was pleased to note that this
was the first time in his 3-year tenure that the Griffins
had won their opening game. MORE BELOW
Phi
Mesa Face-a
Austin Bedart returns this interception
34 yards, helping the defense toss a shutout after
allowing
an early score to pace Grossmont over Mesa. (Photo by Tori Mills)
San Diego Mesa College at Grossmont
College (Slideshow by Tori Mills)
“That was a good feeling,” Jordan said. “We
made the usual first-game mistakes and all that, but
we probably played between 80 and 90 guys. The guys
that didn’t get in shouldn’t think that we’re
discounting them. Some of them aren’t quite familiar
with the offense, others have minor injuries, but even
in practice when reps are so important, it’s difficult
to operate with a squad this large.”
At present Grossmont’s roster features 115 players.
“Normally we wouldn’t carry this many,”
Jordan said. “But we have a lot of good players
and we need to evaluate them all.”
Grossmont is the only team in the state that did not
conduct a scrimmage against an outside opponent.
Meanwhile, against Mesa, sophomore quarterback JOHN
SOLI clearly established himself as the starter. Having
sat out all of last season due to injury, Soli had signs
of rust.But it’s hard to argue with his success
as he completed 18 of 28 passes for 194 yards. That
included a 44-yard touchdown strike to tight end KYLE
HIPP.
“I think we did a pretty good job of throwing
the ball,” said Hipp, who registered team highs
of 4 receptions for 95 yards in abbreviated action.
His scoring connection with Soli was a thing of beauty,
though, as it tied the game 7-7 with 4:36 left in the
first quarter. “It was a hash-4 vertical designed
to stretch the field,” Hipp said of his TD grab.
“When their safety broke outside, it left the middle
wide open. All I had to do was catch-and-run.”
A fumble recovery by the Griffins’ ELLIOT CHAPMAN
early in the 2nd quarter at the Mesa 13-yard line set
up a 4-play scoring drive that concluded with GAREN
DEMERY’s 1-yard scoring dash into the endzone.
After Mesa shanked a punt Soli took the Griffins on
an 8-play, 63-yard scoring march. Soli took the ball
into the endzone himself from two yards out to put the
Griffins up by 21-7.
Due to the wholesale substitutions by Jordan, no one
was in position to set many records.
“We wanted to see as many good players as we could,”
Jordan said.
Among the standouts was sophomore running back JAMAR
REID, who rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown in 10
carries. Demery finished with 56 yards on 16 chances.
Recent
Scores
Year
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
31
66
58
64
70
24
48
14
17
0
3
7
17
28
Pts
362
86
Avg
51.7
12.3
On the defensive side for Grossmont, sophomore safety
ABRAHAM MUHEIZE set the pace with 8 tackles and an interception.
“I haven’t seen the films yet, but all in
all, we accomplished what we wanted to do,” Jordan
said.
West Hills grad PHILIP STABACK completed 11 of 28 passes
for 80 yards and rushed for 13 more to pace Mesa.
Notes — Since 2002, Grossmont has out-scored
Mesa, 362-86, over seven consecutive victories.
Special to East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (9-5-08) — With a solid mix of young talent
and veteran leadership, Grossmont College coach MIKE
JORDAN feels good at gaining a shot at redemption from
last season's 5-5 campaign heading into Saturday's (Sept.
6) season opener against county rival San Diego Mesa.
Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field.
“Right now we are just ready to play a 'real'
football game and quit hitting each other,” Jordan
said.
Grossmont was the lone school among 37 in Southern
California not to scrimmage another opponent, but with
140 players on the preseason roster, split squads of
70 per unit proved to be equally effective.
“We’ve had so much competition at every single
position that I can’t wait to see my team play
on Saturday and find out what I have to work with for
the rest of 2008," added Jordan. "Our coaching
staff worked so hard this off-season in recruiting and
it paid off."
Jordan is looking for strong leadership from his sophomores
on offense like quarterback JOHN SOLI, tight end KYLE
HIPP, running back ELIJAH BROWN, running back GAREN
DEMERY, and wide receiver CHRIS SMITH. Hipp was a preseason
All-America selection by J.C. Grid-Wire.
Defensively, Jordan appointed his father DAVE JORDAN,
the legendary and former head football coach of the
Griffins, to coordinate the defense once again.
With Division I prospects all over the Griffins defense,
the staff expects middle linebacker PAT KELLY, outside
linebacker HOMER MAUGA and the experienced secondary
which includes free safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE, strong safety
AUSTIN BEDART, cornerback LARRY PARKER and cornerback
LUIS VILLAVICENCIO to be leaders on this team.
“I expect this defense to do their individual
jobs and to play hard and fast at all times,” said
Dave Jordan.
With the new additions and realignment of his coaching
staff, the Griffins believe they will be serious contenders
in the new and highly competitive National Conference's
Southern Division.
Hipp, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end, caught 10 passes
for 194 yards and 4 touchdowns as a freshman. He is
a graduate of Cathedral Catholic High School and a much
sought after four-year college prospect.
Griffins rated longshot to claim
title in new 'Super 7' conference
Grossmont College, winners of four of the last five
championships in the now defunct Foothill Conference,
have been tabbed to finish in a distant fifth in a seven-team
circuit which have combined for 18 mythical national
community college championships — the most of any
conference/division in the country — with all seven
schools capturing at least one national title each.
'SUPER
7'
PRESEASON MEDIA/SID
PREDICTIONS
1. Saddleback (9), 56 points
2. Palomar (2), 46
3. Fullerton (1), 43
4. Santa Ana (1), 38 5. Grossmont (1), 33
6. Orange Coast, 21
7. Long Beach, 15 First-place votes in parenthesis
Saddleback captured four of nine first-place votes
and totaled 56 points to earn the top spot. Ten points
behind in preseason voting in second place is Palomar,
which totaled 46 points and received two first-place
votes. Following closely in third is Fullerton with
43 points, also receiving the one first-place nod, as
did Santa Ana and the Griffins.
Santa Ana was tabbed fourth, Orange Coast sixth and
Long Beach City College seventh.
Member schools in the new National Conference Southern
Division may be in the toughest alignment in history.
Long Beach tops the list with four national championships
followed by three each by Palomar, Fullerton and Santa
Ana. Saddleback and Orange Coast were national titlists
twice each, while Grossmont recently captured the 2005
crown along with on-field state championships that season
and in 1974.
The Griffins went 5-5 a year ago, and will be challenged
as they attempt to rebuild.
Team standouts include sophomore safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE,
speedy RB GAREN DEMERY and swift WR ELIJAH BROWN.
San Diego State transfer offensive tackle JUAN BOLANOS
(6-7, 310), blue chip tight end KLYLE HIPP, WR CHRIS
SMITH, Grossmont South League Defensive Player of the
Year HOMER MAUGA and Christian High linebacker PAT KELLY
are a few of the Griffins aces onboard this season.
CCSF tabbed to repeat Griffins tops honorable mention list
Courtesy, J.C. Athletic Bureau
SAN MATEO (8-20-08) -- Defending state champion City
College of San Francisco gets the nod ahead of Bakersfield
and Mt. San Antonio in the official California Community
College Football Coaches Association 2008 preseason
state poll, compiled by J.C. Athletic Bureau.
CCSF has finished atop the final ratings seven times
over the last 14 years. The Rams defeated Mt. San Antonio,
31-28, in the 2007 state championship game to win their
fifth official state championship since the California
Community College Athletic Association resumed playoffs
in 1997.
Also expected to give chase in 2008 are College of
the Canyons, 2006 state champion El Camino, Foothill,
and Sierra. Grossmont College, the 2005 state titlist,
heads the list of honorable mention ballclubs.
The 2008 California community Colleges championship
game will be played at Orange Coast College in Costa
Mesa on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 13.
2008
PRESEASIN POLLS
(State Coaches Association Rankings)
Southern
Calif.
Northern
Calif.
1. Bakersfield
2. Mt. San Antonio
3. Canyons
4. El Camino
5. Moorpark
6. Saddleback
7. Fullerton
8. Palomar
9. Ventura
10. Desert
11. Antelope Valley
12. Pasadena
13. Citrus
14. Cerritos 15. Grossmont
16. Glendale
17. Riverside
18. Allan Hancock
19. Orange Coast
20. Santa Ana
1. San Francisco
2. Foothill
3. Sierra
4. Reidley
5. San Mateo
6. Laney
7. Butte
8. Fresno
9. Santa Rosa
10. San Joaquin Delta
11. Modesto
12. Mendocino
13. Cabrillo
14. Sequoias
15. Feather River
16. Siskiyous
17. American River
18. Yuba
19. Merced
20. Monterey Peninsula
State
Rankings
1. San Francisco
(12)
2. Bakersfield (2)
3. Mt. San Antonio (1)
4. Canyons (2)
5. El Camino (1)
6. Foothill
7. Sierra
8. Moorpark
9. Saddleback
10. Reidley
11. San Mateo
12. Laney
13. Fullerton
14. Butte
15. Palomar
16. Fresno
17.
Ventura
18. Santa Rosa
19. Coll. of the Desert
20. Antelope Valley
21. Pasadena
22. Citrus
23. San Joaquin Delta
24. Cerritos
25. Modesto Honorable Mention -- Grossmont, Riverside,
Allan Hancock, Orange Coast, Santa Ana, Chaffey,
L.A. Harbor, Cabrillo, Golden West, Sequoias,
Feather River, Siskiyous.
*
Old faces in new places Grossmont '08 schedule disclosed
Included is the proposed 10-game slate for Grossmont College,
which is leaving the Foothill Conference after 7 championships
over the past 10 seasons to join a new conference which
has ties to the Griffins' past.
GROSSMONT
COLLEGE 2008 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Date
Opponent
Sept. 6
Sept. 13
Sept. 20
Sept. 27
San Diego Mesa
at Coll. of the Desert
at Southwestern
Chaffey
Oct. 4
Oct. 11
Oct. 18
Oct. 25
*Palomar
*at Long Beach
*Fullerton
*at Orange Coast
Nov. 1
Nov. 8
Nov. 15
bye
*at Santa Ana
*Saddleback
*Conference
game
Grossmont will compete in one of three 7-team conferences
in Division I comprised of elite ballclubs from Southern
California, which will be eligible to place two schools
each into the state championship playoffs. The Griffins
are featured in a group which includes Palomar, Saddleback
and Long Beach, plus three schools from the old South
Coast Conference in Fullerton, Orange Coast and Santa
Ana.
The Griffins will open the season on Sept. 6 by hosting
San Diego Mesa at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field, then 2
weeks later, travel to play Southwestern at Devore Stadium
on Sept. 20.
Mesa and Southwestern are in Division II among one of
two 8-team conferences. However, only the two conference
champions in Division II make the playoffs, while the
top two teams from the three Division I conferences
advance to the postseason field.
The other pair of non-conference contests for Grossmont
feature a pair of Foothill rivals in College of the
Desert (Sept. 13, in Palm Desert), then hosting Chaffey
(Sept. 27), the only school to beat Grossmont at home
since the installation of an artificial surface prior
to last season.
SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL ALLIANCE
2008 CONFERENCE ALIGNMENT
NATIONAL DIVISION (Top 2 teams from each conference advance to
state playoffs)
Southern Conference
Central Conference
Northern Conference
Grossmont
Palomar
Saddleback
Orange Coast
Santa Ana
Fullerton
Long Beach
Chaffey
Citrus
College of the Desert
El Camino
Mt. San Antonio
Riverside
Victor Valley
Allan Hancock
Bakersfield
College of the Canyons
Compton
Glendale
L.A. Harbor
Moorpark
AMERICAN DIVISION (Conference champions only advance to state
playoffs)
Pacific Conference
Mountain Conference
Antelope Valley
East L.A.
L.A. Pierce
L.A. Southwest
L.A. Valley
Santa Barbara
Ventura
West L.A
Cerritos
Golden West
Pasadena
Mt. San Jacinto
San Bernardino Valley
San Diego Mesa
Santa Monica
Southwestern
*SCFA National Division/Southern Conf. contest
SCFA Website HERE
2008 STANDINGS
SCFA Southern
Conf.
"The Super 7"
Conf
All
PF
PA
Fullerton
6-0
10-1
380
186
Saddleback
5-1
7-4
427
275
Grossmont
3-3
5-5
286
214
Palomar
3-3
8-3
305
254
Santa Ana
3-3
7-4
289
311
Long Beach
1-5
4-6
270
367
Orange Coast
0-6
4-6
270
269
WEEK FOURTEEN Sat., Dec. 6 Southland Playoffs - Championship
Mt. San Antonio 51, Canyons 44 STATS
WEEK THIRTEEN
Sat., Nov. 29 Southland Playoffs - Semifinals
Canyons 36, El Camino 27
Mt. San Antonio 34, Fullerton 27 (2-OT)
WEEK TWELVE
Southland Playoffs - Quarterfinals So. California Playoffs
Western State Bowl at Canyons #1 Canyons 41, #8 Antelope Valley 17 National Bowl at CSU Fullerton
#2 Fullerton 26, #7 San Diego Mesa 0 Southern California Bowl at Mt. San Antonio
#3 Mt. San Antonio 52, #6 Allan Hancock 14 American Bowl at El Camino
#4 El Camino 31, #5 Saddleback 28
So. California Bowls Golden Empire Bowl at Bakersfield
#7 Palomar 38, #8 Cerritos 33 Orange County Bowl at Orange Coast
#9 Santa Ana 31, #10 Desert 28 STORY Trembley Financial Services Bowl at Santa Barbara
#12 Pasadena 45, #11 Southwestern 14
Sat., Nov. 15
DIVISION I
Southern "Super 7" Conference Saddleback 38, Grossmont 21
Fullerton 35, Santa Ana 7
Long Beach 50, Orange Coast 46 Central Conference
El Camino 35, Cerritos 32
Mt. San Antonio 34, Chaffey 17
Riverside 43, Citrus 21 Northern Conference
Canyons 22, Bakersfield 8
Pasadena 31, Glendale 24
Ventura 35, Moorpark 13 DIVISION II
Mountain Conference
San Diego Mesa 38, Compton 17
Southwestern 29, Golden West 23
Victor Valley 56, Mt. San Jacinto 30
L.A. Harbor 55, San Bernardino Valley 42 Pacific Conference
L.A. Valley 37, Antelope Valley 30
L.A. Southwest 42, West L.A. 40
Santa Barbara 45, East L.A. 14
Santa Monica at L.A. Pierce, moved to Monday, 7 p.m.,
at Santa Monica, due to wildfires
Mon., Nov. 17 Pacific Conference
Santa Monica 28, L.A. Pierce 25
END REGULAR SEASON
WEEK TEN
Sat., Nov. 8
DIVISION I
Southern "Super 7" Conference Santa Ana 18, Grossmont 15 Palomar 41, Orange Coast 14
Fullerton 43, Long Beach 7
Central Conference Desert 27, Chaffey14 El Camino 33, Citrus 14
Cerritos 44, Mt. San Antonio 38 (3-OT) Northern Conference Allan Hancock30, Ventura 12 Moorpark 51, Glendale 44 (2-OT)
Canyons 42, Pasadena 41 (OT)... Lancers went
for 2-PAT... MISS! DIVISION II
Mountain Conference San Diego Mesa 35, Southwestern 32
Golden West 42, San Bernardino Valley 20
Mt. San Jacinto 55, L.A. Harbor 48 Victor Valley 39, Compton 13 Pacific Conference Antelope Valley 54, L.A. Pierce 7
West L.A. 58, East L.A. 41
Santa Barbara 55, L.A. Valley 52
Santa Monica 7, L.A. Southwest 6
WEEK NINE
Sat., Nov. 1
DIVISION I
Southern "Super 7" Conference Fullerton 36, Palomar 23
Saddleback 48, Orange Coast 38
Santa Ana 35, Long Beach 20 BYE - Grossmont Central Conference
Mt. San Antonio 26, El Camino 21
Cerritos 35, Desert 13
Chaffey 45, Riverside 23 Northern Conference
Allan Hancock 57, Glendale 55 (3-OT)
Ventura 31, Bakersfield 17
Pasadena 24, Moorpark 7 DIVISION II
Mountain Conference
San Diego Mesa 48, Victor Valley 34
Southwestern 52, San Bernardino Valley 14
Golden West 30, Mt. San Jacinto 0
Compton 49, L.A. Harbor 45 Pacific Conference
Antelope Valley 14, L.A. Southwest 3
East L.A. 42, Santa Monica 37
Santa Barbara 28, West L.A. 21
L.A. Valley 50, L.A. Pierce 13
WEEK EIGHT
Sat., Oct. 25
DIVISION I
Southern "Super 7" Conference
Grossmont 21, Orange Coast 13
Palomar 20, Long Beach 7
Fullerton 24, Saddleback 21
BYE - Santa Ana Central Conference
Cerritos 32, Riverside 24
Mt. San Antonio 50, Desert 34
Citrus 27, Chaffey 20 Northern Conference
Canyons 52, Ventura 29
Bakersfield 45, Glendale 21
Allan Hancock 40, Moorpark 22 DIVISION II
Mountain Conference
San Diego Mesa 31, L.A. Harbor 27
Southwestern 41, Victor Valley 19
Mt. San Jacinto 34, San Bernardino Valley 28
Golden West 45, Compton 20 Pacific Conference
Antelope Valley 47, East L.A. 14
L.A. Valley 33, L.A. Southwest 17
Santa Barbara 38, L.A. Pierce 30
West L.A. 45, Santa Monica 34
WEEK SEVEN
Sat., Oct. 18
DIVISION I
Southern "Super 7" Conference Fullerton 44, Grossmont 15
Saddleback 63, Long Beach 44
Palomar 38, Santa Ana 14
BYE - Orange Coast Northern Conference
Bakersfield 30, Moorpark 0
Canyons 43, Glendale 23
Allan Hancock 45, Pasadena 42 Centeal Conference
Mt. San Antonio 57, Riverside 7
El Camino 41, Desert 13
Cerritos 42, Citrus 17 DIVISION II
Mountain Conference
Southwestern 24, Mt. San Jacinto 12
Golden West 36, San Diego Mesa 34
Compton 28, San Bernardino Valley 10
L.A. Harbor 40, Victor Valley 30 Pacific Conference
L.A. Valley 41, East L.A. 20
Antelope Valley 36, West L.A. 35
Santa Barbara 17, Santa Monica 15
L.A. Pierce 25, L.A. Southwest 21
WEEK SIX
Sat., Oct. 11
DIVISION I Southern "Super 7" Conference
Grossmont 33, Long Beach 7
Saddleback 24, Palomar 21
Santa Ana 28, Orange Coast 27
BYE - Fullerton Northern Conference
Pasadena 38, Ventura 21
Canyons 48, Moorpark 3
Bakersfield 34, Allan Hancock 17 Central Conference
El Camino 30, Chaffey 15
Mt. San Antonio 54, Citrus 14
College of the Desert 13, Riverside 7
DIVISION II Mountain Conference
West L.A. 50, L.A. Pierce 37 Only game scheduled
WEEK FIVE
Sat., Oct. 4
DIVISION I
Southern "Super 7" Conference Grossmont 49, Palomar 3
Fullerton 34, Orange Coast 27
Saddleback 63, Santa Ana 28
BYE - Long Beach Northern Conference
Pasadena 31, Bakersfield 28
Canyons 42, Allan Hancock 21
Glendale 17, Ventura 14 Central Conference
El Camino 27, Riverside 24 (OT)
Desert 28, Citrus 7
Chaffey 16, Cerritos 9 (OT) DIVISION II Mountain Conference
Compton 29, Mt. San Jacinto 26
Victor Valley 34, Golden West 31 (OT)
Southwestern 43, L.A. Harbor 35
San Diego Mesa 42, San Bernardino Valley 17 Pacific Conference
Antelope Valley 28, Santa Monica 6
Santa Barbara 10, L.A. Southwest 7
L.A. Valley 35, West L.A. 10
L.A. Pierce 28, East L.A. 9
WEEK FOUR
Sat., Sept. 27
Grossmont 51, Chaffey 16
Palomar 47, Desert 41 (4 OT)
Mt. San Antonio 23, Saddleback 20 (OT)
Canyons 34, Fullerton 28
Long Beach 42, West L.A. 28
Orange Coast 31, Glendale 24 Moorpark 26, Santa Ana 20 Other Scores
Pasadena 32, Riverside 15
Southwestern 52, Compton 40
San Diego Mesa 42, Mt. San Jacinto 33
El Camino 32, Bakersfield 29
Golden West 21, L.A. Harbor 8
Allan Hancock 48, Citrus 38
Victor Valley 52, San Bernardino Valley 33
Antelope Valley 28, Santa Barbara 14
Santa Monica 38, L.A. Valley 24
Cerritos 18, Ventura 13
Pasadena 32, Riverside 15
L.A. Southwest 49, East L.A. 13
WEEK THREE
Sat., Sept 20 Southwestern 14, Grossmont 10
Palomar 37, San Diego Mesa 17
Orange Coast 16, Golden West 13
Saddleback 69, San Bernardino Valley 14
Long Beach 28, Cerritos 24
Santa Ana 43, L.A. Harbor 36
Fullerton 16, Moorpark 13
WEEK TWO
Fri., Sept. 12
Santa Ana 37, San Diego Mesa 3 Sat., Sept. 13 College of the Desert 47, Grossmont 40
Palomar 16, Victor Valley 0
Fullerton 59, L.A. Pierce 20
El Camino 41, Long Beach 21
Saddleback 41, Mt. San Jacinto 15
Orange Coast 31, L.A. Southwest 7
WEEK ONE
Fri., Sept. 5
Santa Ana 28, Citrus 20
Golden West 16, Saddleback 11 Sat., Sept. 6
Grossmont 31, San Diego Mesa 14
Fullerton 35, Compton 19
Palomar 21, Southwestern 19
Long Beach 44, L.A. Harbor 34
Orange Coast 27, Santa Monica 3
EL CAJON (2-2-06)
-- Derrell Hutsona is pictured after accepting
his J.C. Grid-Wire National Co-Offensive
Player of the Year Award at a special on-campus
celebration Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 1). Also
presented to the Grossmont College football team
were: its third straight Foothill Conference title
trophy, a second straight Southern California
Bowl plaque, the trophy for its second Southern
California Playoffs Title in three years, plus
the public display of the COA State Champioship
Trophy. Of course, the J.C. Grid-Wire National
Title Trophy (pictured below) was re-presented
and placed on public display, while the all-conference,
all-state and all-America winners were honored,
along with players who received scholarships from
four-year college and universities. In addition,
head coach Dave Jordan (below,right) accepted
his state and national Coach of the Year awards. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)
The father-son
coaching combination of Mike (son, left) and Dave
Jordan pose with the J.C. Grid-Wire National Championship Trophy,
awarded to the school at ceremonies on the Fletcher
Hills campus Wednesday (Feb. 1). (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)
