GARDEN GROVE LEAGUE FOOTBALL PREVIEW : Kennedy Quarterback Stays Sharp On and Off Field

Spend a few minutes watching John Guthrie throw a football and it’s easy to see why he’s a quarterback. Talk to him for a while, and you definitely know why.

Guthrie, a senior at Kennedy High School, is bright and articulate.

“He’s extremely smart,” Kennedy Coach Mitch Olson said. “He’s like a coach on the field.”

Guthrie, 6 feet 3 and 185 pounds, discusses his role on the team and his goals for the season in well-thought, smoothly delivered comments. He might occasionally fumble on the field, but not when looking for words.

With Guthrie providing leadership and experience as the team’s three-year starting quarterback, the Fighting Irish are considered strong contenders for at least a playoff spot in the Garden Grove League this season.

“The team’s confidence level is higher than it’s ever been,” Guthrie said. “There’s good chemistry on the team. We don’t have any head cases. The team is ready to go. We are having a lot more fun so far this year.”

It hasn’t been a picnic for Kennedy recently. The Fighting Irish finished fifth last season and sixth the previous year in the eight-team league.

Some of that misfortune can be attributed to the team’s lack of depth and inexperience. But the Fighting Irish, and Guthrie in particular, showed promise last year despite a 3-7 record (2-5 in league).

Guthrie, who played most of the season with a damaged knee that ultimately required surgery, led all league quarterbacks with 1,227 yards passing. He also threw for eight touchdowns.

He picked up momentum throughout the season and had his best single-game effort (21 of 37 for 224 yards and one touchdown) in a 24-13 victory over Los Amigos in the season finale. Before that, Guthrie gave eventual league-champion Garden Grove and runner-up Rancho Alamitos all they could handle.

In a 17-7 loss to Garden Grove, Guthrie completed 11 of 22 passes for 141 yards and one touchdown. In a 26-23 loss to Rancho Alamitos, he was 13 of 20 for 160 yards and one score.

This year, Guthrie says he could care less what he accomplishes in those games as long as Kennedy wins.

“My main concern is winning,” he said. “Basically, I’ll do whatever it’ll take to win. I’d rather hand off the ball every play and win than pass every play and get a lot of yards and lose. The personal numbers come and go and it’s nothing to be concerned about.”

That, Olson says, is vintage Guthrie.

“That’s the kind of guy he is,” said Olson, now in his sixth year with the team. “John has been one of our leaders. He’s as good as I’ve had here.”

Olson almost lost Guthrie to a knee injury in Kennedy’s third game.

In a 17-6 nonleague loss to Anaheim, a Colonist defender smashed into Guthrie’s left knee during a passing play. Guthrie had the knee examined and continued to play when told there wasn’t anything wrong. A second opinion after the football season, however, revealed torn cartilage. So Guthrie underwent surgery in April and is now back in action.

“I didn’t get good doctor’s advice (originally),” Guthrie said. “I didn’t have full mobility at all so I went to see a specialist.”

The operation sidelined Guthrie, a center fielder, for the baseball season. But it gave him time to recover and lend his talent and presence to the football team.

“The leadership from such people as (linebacker) Jake Iverson has really stepped the team in the right direction,” said Guthrie, who last semester carried a 3.0 grade-point average. “I try to be less vocal. I try to be the one in control and calmed and lead by example on the field. . . . I like to compete in more of a mental situation than the physical.”

1991 In Review

Team League Overall PF PA Garden Grove 7-0 10-1 256 120 Rancho Alamitos 6-1 9-2-1 386 175 Pacifica 5-2 7-4 236 129 Santiago 4-3 4-6 138 193 La Quinta 3-4 4-6 162 207 Kennedy 2-5 3-7 143 165 Los Amigos 1-6 1-9 116 214 Bolsa Grande 0-7 1-9 103 286

Offensive player of year: Jim Sebreros (Garden Grove).

Defensive players of year: James Cabral (Rancho Alamitos), Eric Stevens (Pacifica).