Chaminade trying to spread it around
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Everyone knew QB Ryan Griffin would be the standout at Chaminade this season after he passed for 3,128 yards and 31 TDs as a junior. But a few other guys made a noteworthy impact in the Eagles’ 35-27 victory over Royal.
In his first start, sophomore RB Cory Bess raised eyebrows and proved the Eagles aren’t just one-trick ponies on offense by rushing for 117 yards and two TDs. And, as usual, the passing game looked strong. WRs Ron McCrory and Tim Rowley combined for several catches (including a couple TDs) and also teamed up to grab 30 yards or more on four separate kickoff returns.
Of course, none of this really came as a shock to new coach Anthony Harris. He knew after Chaminade beat Crespi at a passing tournament at L.A. Valley College in July that his team would be a nuisance with its speed and talent. And diversifying the offense was one of his main priorities after he took over the program in May from Ben McEnroe (he left to become the football coach over at Cal Lutheran).
“This year, we want to have a balanced attack and I think we showed what we could do,” said Harris, who started the 11-man football program at Campbell Hall and coached the team from 1997-2003. “We’re not going to pass 45 times a game like this team did last year.”
As good as the offense looks, Harris believes there is even more potential on defense. Unfortunately, 12 penalties for 112 yards and other first-game mistakes hampered its effectiveness against Royal.
“I definitely think the strength of this team lies in our defense,” Harris said, “but we still have some things we need to do before we can prove how good we are.”
Nonleague games on consecutive weeks in October against Loyola and Notre Dame will definitely prove if the Eagles are ready to take another Mission League title.