Sylmar’s Murray Came, He Saw, He Conquered Carson in Final

Inside linebacker Anthony Murray of Sylmar High met Carson’s mammoth offensive line with frenzied surprise.

“I can’t see!” he yelled frantically toward his team’s sideline only moments into the City Section 4-A Division championship game last week at El Camino College. “I can’t see!”

Murray’s vision was limited not by myopia but by Carson’s tall and wide front five. Early on, Carson’s backfield formation was simply a mystery to him.

And the Colts wasted little time in exploiting Murray’s confusion. On the second play of the game, with Murray still yelling toward the Sylmar sideline, Robert Johnson took a handoff, bounced outside and raced 64 yards to Sylmar’s 29. It was Murray who finally caught Johnson and brought him down.

Murray was accustomed to linemen of more modest size, not players who stood 6-2 or 6-3 and measured three feet wide.

“What we had to do was back (Murray) up and shade him to one side or the other so he could see in the backfield,” said defensive coordinator Darryl McIntyre.

Coaches also told the 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior to play on his instincts and anticipate. On the play after Johnson’s run, Carson quarterback Jamie Sander fumbled and Murray recovered, keeping Sylmar from being victimized by a quick Carson strike.

“Anthony is a real smart player,” Coach Jeff Engilman said. “He knew in the second half when that (play) was coming. So instead of just sitting there and reading it, he was going to that hole.”

Despite those line-of-sight problems at the start, Murray played the game of his life. His seven tackles keyed the Spartans to a 17-0 victory and the first City football title in Sylmar history.

Murray, who played defensive tackle for three seasons, has flourished as a first-year linebacker.

“It’s his natural position,” McIntyre said. “He flies to the ball so well. He’s just the perfect middle linebacker--aggressive, good quickness and intensity.”

Murray is so intense, coaches are constantly trying to calm him down. For example, there is an eight-foot wide tunnel that connects the locker room to the field at El Camino College. Murray was eager to get on the field to face Carson and he was stopping for nothing. Not even his coaches.

“He was running out and I was trying to get in front of the team to stop them,” McIntyre said. “He slipped right down in front me. Right on his face.

“He was ready to play football.”

That was obvious. And it was Carson’s aggressiveness and intimidating size that helped fuel Murray’s intensity. Murray matched Carson’s aggressive lead on every play, perhaps a little too much and a little too often. Murray was slapped with two personal-foul penalties--costing Sylmar 30 yards--for pushing opponents.

“Oh, I lead my team in penalties,” said Murray, almost with pride. “Engilman doesn’t like us to get pushed around by other guys. He teaches us to stand up for ourselves.”

Ironically, it was fighting and aggression that landed Murray at Sylmar. Last spring, Murray and his stepbrother, Mike Anderson, came over from San Fernando where both had played football. The stepbrothers were involved in a fight that included several students and were forced to transfer to Sylmar, in whose attendance area they live.

Anderson, who is six months older than Murray, is Sylmar’s strong safety. The 12-year relationship between the stepbrothers is like any sibling rivalry. There are squabbles and arguments but plenty of good times and laughs.

Anderson isn’t the only family member involved in Murray’s favorite game. Each week in preparation for upcoming opponents, Murray watches about 10 hours of game film at home--with his mother, Renee Anderson.

“She’s a football fanatic,” Murray said. “She tells us who is sitting back and who’s going to do what (and) when.”

Odd? Perhaps. But Murray is not your typical linebacker when he’s not wearing pads.

“Off the field, I’m kind of a nerd,” Murray said. “I wear glasses and I had braces up until last year.”