THE HIGH SCHOOLS : Highlanders Encourage Martin to Be More Audible

Listen to me, says Bryan Martin, addressing the Granada Hills offensive huddle.

Then he adds, “Ready, break,” and the offense trots up to the line of scrimmage.

Martin, a senior quarterback, crouches under center, and only then does he call the play. And you can bet his teammates are listening.

“The play I call depends on the defense,” Martin said. “On a run, I find a weakness depending on where the nose guard and linebackers are. On a pass, I see if the corners are playing man, are up close.”

Stop. Look. Listen. Rather than call a play in the huddle based on guessing the defensive set, Granada Hills often takes a look at the defense before calling a play.

This system is common at the professional level and is occasionally seen in college, but it is rare for a high school. A coach must have supreme confidence in his quarterback’s judgment.

“I’m comfortable with it,” Martin said. “I have to be in the game and make the right read. It’s exciting because I have to have my head into it to make the audible.”

Audible? This offense produces the power of a stereo cranked to 10, leading area City Section teams with an average of 323 yards a game. Granada Hills (6-1) outscored San Fernando, 54-34, Friday night.

Martin is the leading City passer with 902 yards and fullback Brett Washington is the third-leading rusher with 928 yards.

Will defenses learn to tune in to Martin’s messages?

“I think it’s hard to pick up; the signals use the same cadence and sound the same,” he said. “It’s tough to figure out. I think they’d be guessing too much.”

Loaded Dice: Alemany’s aerial attack is not much more than a Dice game, but there is little chance involved. The Indians just pass the ball to Richard Dice and watch him shake, rattle and roll.

Dice, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior tight end, leads area players with 44 receptions for 709 yards and has caught 57% of the team’s 77 pass completions this season.

“No one can stay with him one-on-one,” Coach Pat Blackburn said. “He has exceptional vertical leap, 4.5 speed and great hands, I mean great hands.”

Getting the ball into those hands often enough was Blackburn’s quandary entering the season. As a sophomore, Dice averaged 25 yards a catch on 24 receptions. But the quarterback was strong-armed senior Joey Rosselli.

Junior Adam Romandi calls the signals this year. He has learned quickly that when not handing off to tailback Terry Barnum, his best bet is with Dice.

“Definitely he’s the go-to guy,” Romandi said.

A jammed right thumb, a hairline fracture on his left index finger and a twisted neck all suffered the past two weeks have not slowed Dice. He made 10 receptions for 116 yards Friday night in a 21-10 loss to Crespi.

Despite his receiving prowess, Dice equally enjoys running interference for Barnum.

“Most of the time two guys cover me, plus the defensive tackle usually gives me a shove,” he said. “That’s why I love blocking. I can pay back a little bit.”

Twin twins: Some psychologists claim that the experiences of one twin are acutely felt by the other.

If so, Matt Buchanan and David Watts know the euphoria of scoring touchdowns, although neither has set foot in the end zone with a ball this season. And Greg Buchanan and Jeff Watts know the thrill of making a devastating tackle, although neither plays much on defense.

The Buchanan and Watts twins are key players at Thousand Oaks. Matt, a linebacker and center, and David, a defensive back, were the first players this year to be awarded green helmets, which symbolize defensive excellence. Greg, the fullback, and Jeff, a wide receiver, have combined for 10 touchdowns and 832 total yards.

The twins’ individuality has not been lost in their duality. They look alike but contribute in distinctly different ways.

“Matt kids me about getting my name in the paper and scoring touchdowns,” said Greg Buchanan, who at 5-8, 165, is one inch shorter and 10 pounds lighter than his identical twin.

The Watts brothers are fraternal twins but are more difficult to tell apart than the Buchanans.

“(David and Jeff) look exactly alike,” Matt Buchanan said. “My weight difference makes it easier to tell me and Greg apart.”

Thousand Oaks coaches kiddingly ask the twins to wear their uniform numbers to school for quick identification.

There is no confusion on the field: Matt and Dave make the tackles; Greg and Jeff make the touchdowns.

Title time: As daylight diminishes and the regular season winds down, the number of football teams contending for league championships is whittled each week. Some spring forward, others fall back this time of year.

With two weeks remaining before the Southern Section playoffs, here’s a look at the most interesting league races:

* Golden: Quartz Hill (3-0 in league play) would clinch the title Friday with a win over traditional rival Palmdale (2-1). Canyon (2-1), which has defeated Palmdale but lost to Quartz Hill, can move into a three-way tie should Palmdale win.

* Marmonte: Westlake (5-0), the No. 1-ranked team in the region, meets Thousand Oaks (4-0-1), last season’s No. 1-ranked team, Friday. Westlake becomes outright champion with a win; Thousand Oaks must also beat Agoura the following week to win the title.

* Royal (3-1-1) kicked away nearly any chance at the title by opting for a field goal and a tie in the waning moments Friday against Thousand Oaks. The Highlanders’ only hope for a co-championship is to beat Simi Valley and Westlake the next two weeks and for Thousand Oaks to beat Westlake and lose to Agoura.

* Pacific: The coast is clear for Glendale (3-0) after the Dynamiters defeated Muir (2-1) on Friday for the first time in 25 years. Glendale need only beat Crescenta Valley and Hoover, the league’s weakest teams, to finish with a 10-0 regular-season record.

* Channel: Ventura (4-0-1) appears headed for the title. Santa Barbara (3-1-1), which tied the Cougars, is in second place.

* Foothill: The championship hopes of Hart (2-1) were dashed Friday when Schurr’s Jun Akiike did some dashing of his own, racing 97 yards with a reception to give Schurr (3-0) a 42-35 victory. Both teams will close out their schedule with games they should easily win.

* Mission: Crespi (4-0) holds a half-game lead over St. Paul and Notre Dame, its opponents the next two weeks. Although Notre Dame is Crespi’s traditional rival, the Celts must avoid looking past St. Paul.

* Frontier: Santa Paula’s stunning victory over Santa Clara on Friday sets up a championship game in two weeks between the Cardinals (3-0) and Fillmore (2- 0). This will be the 77th meeting between the east Ventura County rivals.

Although three weeks remain on the City Section schedule, spirited races have developed in two leagues:

* West Valley: Granada Hills and El Camino Real, both 4-0 in league play, will meet Nov. 9. Taft (3-1) can crash the party by beating Granada Hills next week and setting up a potential three-way tie for the championship.

* East Valley: North Hollywood (3-1) will try to blemish Sylmar’s 4-0 record next week. Poly (3-1) wants a crack as well.