Leach Accepts New Mexico Offer

Granada Hills High quarterback Jeremy Leach, who led the Highlanders to the City Section 4-A Division championship and also led the division in passing, has signed a letter of intent with New Mexico.

Leach made a recruiting visit to New Mexico over the weekend and will be playing under the pass-oriented tutelage of Coach Mike Sheppard, who formerly coached at Cal State Long Beach and played at Cal Lutheran.

Leach (6-2, 215) passed for 2,666 yards and 35 touchdowns last season and was named 4-A player of the year.

“They had offered me a scholarship before I even went out there,” Leach said. “But I wasn’t going to take it just because they were interested. Then I got there and I was surprised at how much I really liked it.”

Leach completed 208 of 342 passes (61%) this season. In two years at Granada Hills, Leach passed for 3,991 yards and 49 touchdowns and threw only 12 interceptions in 540 attempts.

After leading the Highlanders (9-3) to the Valley League title, Leach piloted the team to a 27-14 win over heavily favored Carson, then ranked No. 2 nationally.

Leach said New Mexico, which competes in the Western Athletic Conference and finished 0-11 in Sheppard’s first season in 1987, also has shown interest in Highlander receiver Kyle Jan, who caught 65 passes for 950 yards and a school-record 15 touchdowns.