Granada Hills Dominates San Fernando in 21-13 Victory

Game officials spotted a pair of huge holes in the San Fernando High football field a few moments before kickoff Friday night. Big ones, the size of New York potholes or a fairway sand trap.

A minute into the game, a man with a barrel of sand and a shovel was dispatched to do some quick cosmetic surgery.

San Fernando fell in anyway.

Unlike last week, when the Tigers came back from a 21-point deficit, there was no climbing out the hole they dug for themselves this time.

Granada Hills held off a late San Fernando comeback to upset the Tigers, 21-13, in a North Valley League opener.

How important do these games tend to be? In the teams’ past 24 league meetings, the winner has gone on to win or share the league championship.

Granada Hills (2-3, 2-0 in league play) controlled the line of scrimmage and took away the patented San Fernando (3-1-1, 1-1) big play to record a victory that was surprising in its ease.

“You never come in here expecting to dominate anything,” Granada Hills co-Coach Tom Harp said. “We were really able to hold ‘em down and hold our own on the line.”

The Highlander offense opened huge holes for its running backs and Tremain Foriest took full advantage. A backup tailback playing because of an injury to Raheem Kyle, Foriest rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns in 22 carries.

Not bad for Kyle’s caddie.

“Kyle may not have a job when he gets back,” Highlander co-Coach Darryl Stroh cracked.

With the score tied, 7-7, Foriest broke free on a 20-yard touchdown run up the middle with 4 minutes 28 seconds left in the third quarter. The point-after attempt was blocked.

Foriest padded the lead when he scored from one yard on a fourth-and-goal play with 6:54 left in the game. Granada Hills went for two, but a delay-of-game penalty moved the ball to the eight. Foriest nonetheless scored on a reverse to make it 21-7.

It wasn’t quite over, though. San Fernando’s Lavell Thompson returned a fumble by Highlander quarterback Jim Landress for a 52-yard score with 1:15 left, but the Tigers’ onside kick failed and Granada Hills ran out the clock.

Granada Hills rolled up 271 yards, all but 61 on the ground. San Fernando managed just 160 yards.