Washington Leads Way as Granada Hills Prevails, 54-34

Granada Hills High co-Coach Tom Harp looked at the scoreboard, then at his watch.

Then the most incredulous look crossed his face.

“It seemed like it was never gonna end,” Harp said. “Every time we thought we put it out of reach, boom, they were right back in it.”

For Granada Hills and San Fernando, it was boom, boom, out go the lights as the Highlanders rolled to a 54-34 victory in a Northwest Valley Conference shoot-out at San Fernando.

The teams combined for 752 yards, but Granada Hills fullback Brett Washington was the difference, rushing for 198 yards in 23 carries and scoring four touchdowns. Washington also recovered two fumbles.

Still, it was barely enough.

“We have to straighten out the D,” said Washington, who also starts at linebacker. “We got some work to do.”

Trailing, 33-18, with 11 minutes 31 seconds remaining, the Tigers seemingly climbed back into the game when halfback Leonice Brown broke loose for a 63-yard scoring run. The play was nullified by an illegal-block penalty, however, and the Tiger drive stalled.

After Granada Hills regained possession at the Tiger 42-yard line, Washington scored on the first play to give the Highlanders a 40-18 lead.

The Tigers hardly rolled over, however. Three plays into San Fernando’s next possession, tight end Dwight McDuff caught a pass from quarterback Cruz Trevino in the flat, turned and tossed a 59-yard scoring pass to LaKarlos Townsend. Trevino hit McDuff on the conversion to bring the Tigers within 40-26 with 7:35 left.

Washington scored from seven yards for a 47-26 lead, but if the double-pass works once. . . . After receiving a toss from Trevino, McDuff connected with Brown on an 81-yard touchdown to pull San Fernando within 47-34 with 3:57 left.

Granada Hills tailback Derrick Stewart (49 yards, two touchdowns) scored from eight yards with 31 seconds left to complete the scoring.

Trailing, 19-0, San Fernando scored 10 points in 31 seconds to scratch its way back into the game before halftime.

The Tigers drove 69 yards in 14 plays to the Highlander six, whereupon Jose Servin nailed a 24-yard field goal to make it 19-3 with 2:30 left in the half. Those were the first points the Highlander defense had allowed in 15-plus quarters--and they earned the defense an earful from the coaching staff.

On Granada Hills’ first play from scrimmage on its ensuing possession, Martin was hammered as he threw over the middle and the ball was intercepted by linebacker Luis Perez, who returned it 14 yards to the Granada Hills 10.

On San Fernando’s first play, Townsend took a pitch and scrambled around left end for a touchdown, bringing San Fernando within 19-10 with 1:59 left in the half. It was only the second touchdown allowed by the Granada Hills defense in 4 1/2.

For the first few minutes, the game seemed destined to be a rout. Granada Hills won the coin toss and elected to kick off, and San Fernando went three plays and out. Waaaay out.

On fourth and six from the 24, Curt Hulshizer broke through the middle and blocked Servin’s punt. Stewart recovered in the end zone for a 7-0 lead with 10:39 left in the quarter.

Granada Hills stopped the Tigers on their next possession, and on the fifth play of the Highlanders’ first offensive possession, Washington rumbled 51 yards on a pitch play for a 13-0 lead with 7:08 left in the quarter.

After he recovered a Tiger fumble at the San Fernando 34, Washington gave the Highlanders a 19-0 lead with a one-yard run with 8:56 left in the half. During the drive, Martin was hit in the lower back and removed from the game.

To the surprise of no one (except perhaps the San Fernando defense), backup quarterback Edgar Vasquez handed off to Washington on first down at the Tiger 32 and the 220-pound senior cruised 27 yards to the five. Washington scored three plays later.

Martin returned after missing one play.