THE HIGH SCHOOLS : Stepbrothers Cirillo and Grant Produce Big Numbers at Small School

There are some very ugly words in the English language. Globule, for instance. But Jeff Cirillo and Adam Grant, stepbrothers and key players on the Providence High baseball team, are pretty much in agreement that the two ugliest words are “small schools.”

Providence competes in the Southern Section Small Schools Division, but the term is more than a designation to the Providence players, it’s a curse. No matter what they accomplish, their baseball achievements carry an asterisk, reminding them of their lowly status in the high school hierarchy.

Cirillo and Grant, both seniors, have drawn interest all season from college scouts, with as many as 12 in attendance at some games. But along with the praise, the players hear the same words over and over, “Yeah, you’ve got good stats, boys, but why do you play for such a small school?”

“I’ve been hearing that question in my sleep,” Cirillo said Saturday, exasperation in his voice. “There are some bad things about playing for a small school, but it’s not as bad as people think.”

Grant rises to the defense, too, saying, “People get it in their heads that Small Schools is where guys can’t catch the ball. They think everyone throws like a girl with limp wrists.”

Said Cirillo: “We can be competitive with any school. I don’t know if we’d beat them, but no one would blow us out.”

Still, the question persists. Cirillo (6-1, 175) and Grant (5-11, 160) have the size and credentials to play on any team in the Valley. In winter ball, they play with the best high school players in the Valley, and they were members of the Encino Colt All-Star team that reached the final of the Colt World Series last summer.

On a team that included Rex McMackin and Joel Wolfe of Chatsworth, Notre Dame’s Jeff Antoon, Poly’s Luis Porres and Montclair Prep’s Jeff Light, Cirillo pitched and batted cleanup, and Grant started at second base and batted ninth.

So why play at Providence?

“That’s a question that has haunted me for three years.” Grant said.

Both are four-year starters at Providence, but after leading the team to the Southern Section Small Schools title last year, they nearly pulled up stakes and moved to the Santa Clarita Valley to play for Saugus.

Their parents, Ron and Carol Grant, were ready to make the move and let the decision rest with the boys. In the end, they chose Providence, largely because of Coach Marc Saraceno.

“He knows the game and I’m impressed with him as a person and a coach,” Grant said.

Said Cirillo: “In a game, when emotions can flare for the players, he’s a calming influence and he’s a good manager in the dugout.”

So they returned to the their small school and put up big numbers. Grant, who plays shortstop, started the year in the No. 2 slot and struggled. After Saraceno moved him to cleanup behind Cirillo, he’s batted .500 in 10 Delphic League games. Overall, he’s batting .367 with 33 runs batted in and 21 stolen bases.

Cirillo’s statistics make it look like he played in a slow-pitch softball league. He’s batting .591 with 8 home runs, 12 doubles and 5 triples for a slugging percentage of 1.086. He also has 54 RBIs in 26 games and is chasing Redondo’s Scott Davison, who has 58 and who broke the Southern Section record of 56 set in 1984 by Chris Donnels of South Torrance.

Providence (18-7-1), which tied Crossroads for the Delphic League title at 8-2, begins the playoffs Friday and may play as many as five more games, which is plenty of time for Cirillo to catch Davison.

“I want the record,” said Cirillo, who added with a laugh, “I hope we play a lousy team in the playoffs so I can add to my stats.”

By season’s end the Providence seniors may claim an unofficial Southern Section record. They need 13 RBIs between them to become the only twosome from the same household to combine for 100 RBIs.

Cirillo, last year’s Small Schools Player of the Year, also interests scouts as a pitcher. He was 12-2 with a 1.60 earned-run average last year and this season is 9-2 with a 1.88 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 74 innings.

USC assistant Frank Sanchez invited Cirillo and Grant to a recent USC-UCLA baseball game, and Pepperdine, Loyola, UCLA, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Northridge have shown interest.

The stepbrothers have accepted the fact they may attend different schools next year. It won’t be the first time. All through grade school they attended separate elementary schools but were never separated on the baseball field.

They are opposite personalities. Cirillo is looser but disorganized and can never find his shoes or car keys. Grant is fastidious and orderly. He invariably tells Cirillo where to find the shoes and car keys.

“We’re close but different. We’ve always been aware that we aren’t blood brothers,” Grant said.

The common link is sports and competition. Through Little League, the two have been teammates and spirited competitors. When other players called it quits after practice, Cirillo and Grant continued the competition at home. The whiffle ball games in the front yard are legendary around the Grant household.

“We’ve always been competitive in everything, school, grades, girls,” Cirillo said. “Being so competitive makes you better. You don’t want the other one to get a step ahead of you. The competition pushes you and has made us excel. It has kept us a step ahead.”