GRANADA HILLS SOPHOMORES IN TUNE : Three-Part Harmony : Contributions of Washington, Hayward and Stewart Help Place Highlanders 1 Game From Another League Title

Three months ago, Granada Hills Coach Darryl Stroh was asked to assess the talent of a particularly promising trio of sophomores who had made the varsity after showing up during preseason drills.

The talent, he said, is there. The group had speed, he said, to burn. Size, he said, that was exceptional for 15-year-olds.

At the time, he admitted sheepishly, name recognition was nonexistent.

“Uh, I’m pretty bad with names,” Stroh said. “All I remember are their uniform numbers. Better call Tom Harp.”

Harp, Granada Hills’ offensive coordinator, had to dig up a team roster to jog his memory.

“Hang on,” Harp said. “I have it laying around here somewhere.”

Nine weeks into the season, reference material is no longer needed--memory now serves both coaches quite well, thank you.

Defensive backs Robert Haywood and Derrick Stewart have survived gun battles with some of the area’s best City Section quarterbacks. Brett Washington has played 4 different positions and is a two-way starter.

These 10th-graders wear 10-gallon hats.

“Everybody has taken a shot at them,” Stroh said. “But they’ve held their ground, and they’ve given us much, much more than we ever expected.”

And expectations were not running at a fever pitch. Granada Hills won the City Section 4-A Division title last year but “lost everybody but a few of our linebackers” to graduation, Stroh said.

To fill those holes, Stroh thought he might need an earthmover--in his 4 seasons as coach he had never used 3 sophomores in the starting lineup. Instead, Granada Hills (8-1, 6-0 in league play) has been consistently shoveling dirt on opponent after opponent. In a game at San Fernando at 8 tonight, the Highlanders will seek their third consecutive league title.

When the trio of sophomores arrived for conditioning drills over the summer--all 3 are bused to Granada Hills from Los Angeles--they found that many players had been participating in summer passing league competition, which put them at a big disadvantage. But not for long.

“I thought I was going to be a bench-warmer, really,” Washington said.

Washington has been anything but. In fact, his posterior has hardly touched pine all season. Washington (5-10, 210) has played fullback, tailback, linebacker and on the defensive line. Washington, who is bused from the Crenshaw district, has made a big impact because of his versatility. He has rushed for 584 yards in 107 carries (5.45) and has scored a team-high 10 touchdowns.

His biggest touchdown, however, came while playing defense. In the third quarter of a game against Taft 4 weeks ago, Washington scooped up a fumble and raced 90 yards for the score--a probable 14-point swing--in Granada Hills’ 20-7 win over Taft.

Haywood (6-0, 180) had his heyday in Granada Hills’ lone setback of the season, a 21-14 loss to Franklin in the second week of the season. Haywood, whose full name is Robert Haywood III, matched his Roman numerals by intercepting a school-record 3 passes. He leads the team with 4 interceptions, and Granada Hills, despite its inexperienced secondary, has 16 interceptions, most among Valley City teams.

Historically, Granada Hills has been known as an offensive juggernaut. Its defense, while steady, has never been considered spectacular.

Perhaps an infusion of youth was what the team needed. In 9 games, the Highlanders have reeled off statistics worthy of a senior-dominated team. Granada Hills has:

Yielded an average of 192.1 yards a game, fourth-best among area City teams and second only to San Fernando (168.3) among 4-A teams.

Allowed only 49 points--less than 6 a game--lowest among all teams in the Valley area.

Recorded 5 shutouts and held opponents to a touchdown or less in 7 of its 9 games.

“It seems like we give up a ton of yards, but we don’t give up a lot of points,” Stroh said. “We haven’t really come apart at the seams.”

Especially, it seems, in the secondary, which is stitched together with 4 new starters. Granada Hills has allowed only 768 rushing yards (85.3 average), and Stroh said that has put added pressure on Stewart and Haywood.

“It’s been difficult to run against us, so teams throw more,” Stroh said.

Stewart says he expects similar treatment from San Fernando quarterback Michael Wynn, who leads Valley City Section passers with 1,132 yards and 16 touchdowns.

“They all try to throw deep, it’s no secret,” Stewart said. “We’re always on the edge, or I know I’m on the edge.”

San Fernando Coach Tom Hernandez said senior Sean Williams, who leads Valley receivers with 33 receptions for 554 yards and 7 touchdowns, will give the green Granada Hills’ secondary all it can handle.

On edge? En garde .

“We know who they are,” said Hernandez of Stewart and Haywood. “They can’t hide them. We’re going right at them. Sean is going to have a big, big game. They can’t stop him.”

Stewart, whom Stroh described as the fastest player on the team, said that double coverage will keep Williams from scoring in double figures. Williams may be the hottest gun in town, but Stewart welcomes the showdown.

“He’s good,” Stewart conceded. “I’ve heard about him, and we know they’re a good team like we are. We just want to play well and not give up anything big.”

Stroh said it takes more than big talk to get the threesome in a lather. “They’re not intimidated,” he said. “They’re not shy. They can lay the leather on you.”

Stewart said that it will take a group effort to stop San Fernando’s big-play offense. “We’ve gotta be a team,” he said, “We’ve got to think ‘Unity.’ ”