Granzow and Faith Baptist Were Cold but Not Cold-Hearted

The mercy rule took on new meaning for the Faith Baptist High football team in last week’s 52-0 victory at Lone Pine. The eight-man game was called at halftime because of the 45-point mercy rule, thus putting the winning team out of its misery.

The temperature in Lone Pine, with the wind chill, was 14 below zero. Coach Greg Weiss said winds were gusting at 30 miles per hour. His quarterback, Judd Granzow, came to the bench begging to go home early after Faith Baptist built a 30-0 lead in the first quarter.

“Granzow said, ‘Let’s score two touchdowns and get outta here,’ ” Weiss said. “We rented three portable heaters and we couldn’t use any of them because the generator wouldn’t work.”

Weiss said he would have played his second string, but none of them wanted to take off their coats.

“You should have seen the look in their eyes,” Weiss said.

Granzow had three touchdown runs and threw two scoring passes, no doubt trying to stay warm.

Not up to snuff: Smokeless tobacco use during games has been banned by the NCAA for some time, but you’d never know it by tracking the brown trail of dugout drool left by many college ballplayers.

Next spring, that will change at Cal State Northridge: Baseball Coach Bill Kernen has outlawed the use of snuff. Kernen, known to put an occasional pinch between cheek and gum himself, also has gone cold turkey.

“I quit seven months ago and haven’t tried it since,” he said. “I’m not sure how (players are) handling it, but I know they’re not doing it.”

Bar chords: Buena High football Coach Rick Scott, whose team lost to Diamond Bar in the first round last week, had some interesting advice for Westlake Coach Jim Benkert on what to look for during the Warriors’ quarterfinal against the Brahmas on Friday.

“Diamond Bar’s band is worth a touchdown,” Scott said. “They are out there playing while you’re calling your signals. You can’t hear a thing.”

With that in mind, Benkert toyed with the idea of bringing loudspeakers to practice in preparation for Diamond Bar’s 450-member band, but there is no power supply on the Warrior practice field.

Diamond Bar Coach Terry Roche said he doesn’t give the band any instructions (Play louder when the other team has the ball?), but it is an advantage for the Brahmas.

“We’ve got a great band,” he said. “The best band in the world. They just get involved.”

And there’s the rib: The Burroughs High boys’ basketball team held a scrimmage Friday. Final score: white team 1,256, red team 1,202.

The marathon fund-raiser for the program tipped off at 7:30 p.m. and ended at 5 a.m. Star of the night was junior center-forward Danny Court.

“He was pressing people full court and throwing down dunks at 4:30,” Coach Art Sullivan said.

Court likely lost a few pounds in the process, although at 6-feet-4, 160 pounds, he needs all the weight he can get. The event claimed only one casualty. Sullivan, who played most of the night, suffered a broken rib when he was elbowed by a player.

Quotebook

Newbury Park High football Coach George Hurley, whose team lost its first-round Southern Section playoff game because he opted to go for the victory with a two-point conversion rather than kick an extra point to force overtime, on the Panthers’ decision-making policies: “My coaching staff is a democracy. The three assistants all have one vote . . . and I have four.”

Stats

When Amy Skieresz of Agoura High won the Division II girls’ race in the Southern Section cross-country championships, she became one of only seven runners to have won three consecutive Southern Section titles during their careers.

Vicki Cook of Alemany, the 2-A Division champion from 1978-80, and Melissa Sutton of Newbury Park, the 4-A champion from 1984-86, are the others from the area to have accomplished the feat.

Honors

Cal State Northridge senior quarterback J.J. O’Laughlin, a preseason All-American, and kicker Matt Ornelaz were selected the American West Conference offensive and special-teams players of the week, respectively.

O’Laughlin passed for 278 yards in last week’s 23-22 loss to Cal State Sacramento. Ornelaz, a sophomore, kicked three field goals.

Oscar Wilson, a defensive lineman, recorded six tackles and finished his career ranked second on the school’s sack list with 15.

He was selected the team’s defensive player of the week. Freshman defensive lineman Jeff Bodholt was named the Matadors’ special-teams player of the week and O’Laughlin earned offensive honors.

Things to Do

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Ventura College gym: Antelope Valley College, Moorpark and Ventura in Ventura men’s basketball tournament. First-round games Friday include Antelope Valley vs. Hancock, 2 p.m.; Moorpark vs. Kings River, 6 p.m.; and Compton vs. Ventura, 8 p.m. Semifinals on Saturday at 6 and 8 p.m. Championship on Sunday at 7 p.m.

Compiled by Steve Elling. Contributing: Fernando Dominguez, Steve Elling, Jeff Fletcher, Dana Haddad and John Ortega.