HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL : Granada Hills Rallies in Final Quarter, 30-14

The Granada Hills Highlanders must have thought they were in for a tough game Friday night at Cleveland when Cavalier running back Sean Burwell gained 102 yards in the first quarter.

The last time these teams met, Granada Hills won, 55-6. But this is a new season, and the Highlanders needed 3 fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull out a 30-14 victory in a Northwest Valley Conference opener.

“We hung in there the first half and then played really well in the second half,” Granada Hills Coach Darryl Stroh said. “I’m proud of the character this team showed.”

Brett Washington (129 yards in 14 carries and 1 touchdown) and Marrio Walker (57 yards in 8 carries and 1 touchdown) showcased a strong ground game for Granada Hills.

But the key play came from Highlander quarterback Chris Gadomski, who completed his only pass of the night for a crucial first down early in the fourth quarter with his team trailing, 14-10.

Burwell finished with 13 carries for 121 yards. Cavalier quarterback Lee Gatewood passed for 2 touchdowns but had 2 passes intercepted.

Burwell wasted little time getting started. On the second play of the game, he ducked through the center of the line, swerved right and sprinted for 60 yards.

Four plays later, Gatewood hit Pat Bryant for a 7-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

The second quarter, though, was a cavalcade of comedy for both teams. Cleveland fumbled, and Granada Hills soon punted to relinquish possession. The Cavaliers subsequently came up short on fourth down, then the Highlanders fumbled. No matter, Cleveland returned the favor with its second fumble of the period.

Granada Hills salvaged a field goal with 48 seconds left and cut the lead to 7-3 at halftime.