Grootegoed Brings Two Ways to Win

Whenever Matt Grootegoed was roaming the football field for Mater Dei in 1998, a warning should have been issued to all running backs and receivers.

Those who cross the line of scrimmage carrying a football enter at their risk.

Grootegoed was Mater Dei’s Sultan of Smack, leading the defense in tackles (90). And Grootegoed gave opponents no rest when they were on defense. He rushed for 1,238 yards and 20 touchdowns even though Grootegoed did not become the regular tailback until the fourth week of the season.

He was at his best Saturday in the Southern Section Division I final. Against defending champion Long Beach Poly, Grootegoed rushed for 244 yards and two touchdowns in 33 carries in Mater Dei’s 33-26 victory.

For those efforts, which were integral to Mater Dei winning its fourth title in the 1990s, Grootegoed was named The Times Orange County back of the year ahead of such other worthy candidates as Keenan Howry and Ryan Hanson of Los Alamitos, and Los Amigos’ Andrew Niumata.

“I’m just a guy that shows up to play and practice,” said Grootegoed, a 16-year-old junior. “I’m not out there for the show, but just to play. Football is not my life but part of it. It is a way to get out frustrations.”

If that’s the case, then Grootegoed must be one of the most frustrated people in prep football. And if he isn’t, the people he clobbers are.

Along with his team-high in tackles (seven for losses), Grootegoed assisted on 27 other tackles, caused six fumbles, intercepted two passes and was credited with seven “decleats,” a hit that took the ball carrier completely off his feet. Against Servite, Grootegoed had 20 tackles, the most by any Mater Dei player in one game this season.

“He is a defensive back who plays like a linebacker,” said Trabuco Hills Coach Bill Crow, after watching Grootegoed help Mater Dei beat the Mustangs, 38-21, for the South Coast League title. “You break through the line he is always there. You couldn’t throw on him either. He knows exactly where to be.

“Toward the end of game, we ran three straight plays with Al Gandall and he made the tackles each time. It was like two rams butting heads. He was one of the hardest hitters we saw by far.”

Eric Johnson, Mater Dei’s defensive coordinator the past 10 years, said he puts Grootegoed at free safety and gives him “plenty of freedom” to make plays because Grootegoed has learned to make good decisions.

“Last year he played strong safety and had to be in specific areas and still almost led the defense in tackles,” Johnson said. “Sometimes he missed tackles because he wants to hit so hard. But he has gotten smarter. He’s learned to pick his shots for the big hits.”

In the Mater Dei defensive scheme, Johnson said Grootegoed is expected to “read” developing plays the way linebackers do. “He’s 10 yards deep, and most offenses don’t put him in their blocking schemes unless they take a wide receiver to do so. So he is usually the unblocked man. It’s easier for him to get tackles because he does not have to play off a blocker.”

Johnson pauses for a moment. “Off the field he doesn’t seem to have a mean bone in his body. On the field he plays so ferocious; I don’t know where it comes from.”

Grootegoed admits to undergoing a personality change once he puts on the pads.

“It is instinctual. I don’t worry about what happens. I think of what I will do before the game and it usually happens during the game,” Grootegoed said.

“On the field I am a totally different person. I don’t worry about people’s feelings. I just want to tackle them.”

And how.

Monarchs Coach Bruce Rollinson remembers three different times this season where a signature Grootegoed tackle seemed to stop everyone in their tracks.

“Against De La Salle he hit their little back Atari Callen as hard as I’ve seen a kid hit,” Rollinson said. “[Callen] did a 360-degree flip in the air and fumbled, but the ball bounced into one of their guy’s arms.

“In the Irvine game Grootie hit a wide receiver on the flank; the player went backward five yards and the ball went forward 10 yards. And against [Sherman Oaks] Notre Dame he took a receiver apart on a slant route. They didn’t make many more aggressive moves to the football after that.”

Rollinson calls Grootegoed “a throwback to the original two-way player because he is just as good on offense as he is on defense.” In fact, he will put Rollinson and his staff in a quandary next season; do they keep him on defense, keep him at tailback, or move him to quarterback?

“I will not rule him out of the quarterback race for next year because he is a tremendous talent,” Rollinson said. “It will be a long, thought-out process, and we’ll try to find the best way to use one of the greatest weapons we’ve had here to win games.”

Grootegoed said it doesn’t matter where the Monarchs put him. “I’ll play wherever they want me to,” he said. “If they want me to sit on the bench, I’ll sit on the bench.”

And where would opponents like Grootegoed to play?

“Quite frankly,” Crow said, “I wish he’d start college early.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

The First Team

OFFENSE

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Pos. Player School Hgt. Wt. Yr. QB Ryan Hanson Los Alamitos 6-2 205 Sr. RB Dee Meza Orange Lutheran 5-9 175 Sr. RB Andrew Niumata Los Amigos 6-0 200 Sr. WR Aaron Carter Fountain Valley 6-3 185 Sr. WR Keenan Howry Los Alamitos 5-9 165 Sr. TE Bo Ashabraner Esperanza 6-7 240 Sr. OL Shawn Dickie Irvine 6-4 300 Sr. OL Joe Gonzalez Santiago 6-5 275 Sr. OL David Mancha Jr. Western 6-2 235 Sr. OL George Mares Jr. Esperanza 6-2 295 Sr. OL Lenny Vandermade Mater Dei 6-4 270 Sr. K Nate Fikse Esperanza 5-10 180 Sr.

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DEFENSE

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Pos. Player School Hgt. Wt. Yr. DL Rael Berkowitz Woodbridge 6-0 192 Sr. DL Ben Frederickson La Quinta 6-4 220 Sr. DL Nick Heinle Fountain Valley 6-1 225 Sr. DL Bernard Riley Los Alamitos 6-4 300 Sr. LB Dustin Davis Mater Dei 6-0 205 Sr. LB Tyler Kruse Fountain Valley 6-1 225 Jr. LB Dustin Pratt Trabuco Hills 5-9 190 Sr. DB Matt Grootegoed Mater Dei 6-0 190 Sr. DB Shane Harris Woodbridge 5-10 175 Jr. DB Brandon Heaney Trabuco Hills 6-0 175 Sr. DB Rich Herrera Cypress 5-9 175 Sr. P Eddie Johnson Newport Harbor 6-4 225 Sr.

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