Granada Hills, Still Unbeaten, Upends Gardena

Earlier this week, Granada Hills football Coach Darryl Stroh had said his team could not become too dependant on Greg Fowble.

In the season’s first three games, Fowble, an All-City wide receiver, had seven of the Highlanders’ nine touchdown receptions.

Fowble had only two receptions Friday night against Gardena on the Mohicans’ home field.

But he made them ever so valuable, as the Highlanders upset the Mohicans, 7-6.

Midway through the second quarter, Granada Hills’ quarterback Brent Spurlin had misfired on six passes, throwing one interception.

Spurlin had not even thrown a pass Fowble’s way.

That changed with 7:04 left in the half. From the Gardena 48-yard line, Fowble took a step back, hauled in Spurlin’s pass, faked out Gardena’s Sang Pak, and raced down the sideline for the score.

His extra point gave the Highlanders (4-0) a 7-0 lead.

Pak had played Fowble tight on the line of scrimmage and paid for it.

“He was playing about five yards off me,” Fowble said, “and when I caught it, I think he slipped.”

Fowble finished with two catches for 55 yards.

Gardena (2-2) played the game without running back Brian Brown. The Mohicans also hurt themselves with penalties, being flagged 12 times for 111 yards.

Despite all that, Gardena nearly pulled the victory out.

Twice in the last four minutes, the Mohicans threatened to take the lead.

With 3:25 left in the game, Gardena quarterback John Matamoros was stopped four yards short of a first down at the Highlander 16 on a fourth-down play.

The Mohicans ended the game at the Granada 36, as Matamoros’ pass toward the end zone fell incomplete.

Gardena’s only score came on a 46-yard fumble recovery by Fred White with 1:12 remaining in the third quarter.

On a second-and-22 play from the Mohican 36, Mario Mottley ran up the middle for 18 yards before losing the ball.

White alertly scooped it up and ran for the score. But PeeWee Smith’s kick for a tying score went wide to the right.

The Mohicans had entered the game ranked No. 2 in the City, while Granada Hills was No. 3.

Stroh had said this game would be a big test for his undefeated team. That being the case, the Highlanders passed with flying colors.

The victory helped ease a disappointing loss to Gardena in the opening round of last season’s 4-A playoffs.

The Highlanders had come into that game as the Valley 4-A League champions, only to lose, 37-21, to Gardena, a fourth-place finisher in the Pacific League.