Granada Hills Tries to Play Catch Up in the Passing Lane

Granada Hills High football is not what it used to be. Not by a long shot.

But Coach Brad Ratcliff--despite two abysmal seasons--hasn’t given up in his quest to bring the Highlanders back to prominence.

With 12 starters returning--including quarterback Ricky Mathiesen and receiver Leon Pimky--year three just might be a charm for Ratcliff.

In preparation for the upcoming season, the Highlanders’ goal is to play often and get into as many seven-on-seven games as possible this summer.

One week into summer break, the Highlanders have already played more than a dozen games.

They were 4-2 and advanced to the quarterfinals of a University of Arizona tournament on June 7. In the Watts Summer Games last weekend, Granada Hills, the only area team entered, defeated Serra, 19-17, and Culver City, 21-7, before losing to Hawthorne, 21-7, in the quarterfinals.

“We had our chances against Hawthorne,” said Ratcliff, whose Highlanders led, 7-0, at halftime.

Ratcliff, who has a 2-18 record in two seasons at Granada Hills, has entered his team in tournaments at Beverly Hills High, Cal State Northridge, South Torrance High and San Diego in an effort to help his offense gain confidence and experience.

Granada Hills opens against Hart again next season and Ratcliff wants to avoid another 45-14 pounding.

“[Hart] plays 60 games in a summer and we’re trying to do the same thing,” Ratcliff said. “Now that we’ve played them once I’m more comfortable, the kids are more comfortable. It won’t be as ominous.”

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Three boys’ soccer teams remain in the Watts Summer Games from a field of 18 local teams.

Royal, defending Southern Section Division I champion, has picked up where it left off. After a first-round bye, the Highlanders defeated Riverside Notre Dame, Trabuco Hills and Hoover. Royal will face Capistrano Valley in quarterfinal action Sunday at 9 a.m. at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

At the same place and time, Buena, which advanced to the Division II semifinals last season, will face Birmingham.

The girls’ tournament begins today, featuring seven area teams.

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Ventura and Highland recorded first-round victories in the Watts baseball tournament, but only Ventura remains after two rounds.

Ventura edged San Francisco Arlington, 9-6, and beat Tustin, 12-2, to advance to today’s quarterfinal against Westchester at Carson High at noon.

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Area boys’ basketball teams take note: El Camino Real has done something 19 others couldn’t.

Of the region’s 20 teams entered in the Watts Summer Games, only El Camino Real advanced to this weekend’s final rounds.

After receiving a first-round bye, El Camino Real defeated Foshay Learning Center, 68-28, and Franklin, 69-53.

The Conquistadores face Compton today at Washington High at 11.

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In girls’ basketball, all nine area teams entered were eliminated before the third round.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the first-round loss of Crescenta Valley. The Falcons, who were 29-4 last season and advanced to the Southern Section Division I-A title game, were undone by Long Beach Wilson, 40-31.

Coach Damian Scribner, 23, coaching his first varsity game, had to be consoled by star Michelle Greco after the loss.

“[She said], ‘Scrib, don’t worry. We’ve got so many young girls. We’ll be fine,’ ” Scribner said.

Losing certainly isn’t familiar to Scribner, who replaced Marc Ward in April. Scribner was 90-7 as a junior varsity coach and was undefeated the past two seasons.

“It was a nice way to find out where we were,” he said.

Considering Greco’s 25-point average last season, it is surprising that the Falcons could muster only 31 against Wilson.

Three days later, Greco, The Times’ Valley player of the year and a highly touted college recruit, was unavailable for a summer league game against Gahr.

Without Greco, the Falcons won, 43-29.

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* WATTS SCHEDULE: C14