This Trick Was a Treat

El Camino Real High had a few extra players for warmups against unbeaten Granada Hills.

Coach Rick Hayashida and assistants Terry Fischer and Brandon Fuchs dressed in full uniform and participated in contact pregame drills.

“We might win and we might lose,” Fischer said. “But nobody is going to accuse of us of not doing everything we can.”

Hayashida said the coaching staff’s actions were intended as a motivational ploy--not as a Halloween spoof.

Unfortunately for El Camino Real, it didn’t work.

Granada Hills won, 28-21.

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Missing: Conspicuously absent among Friday night’s statistical leaders were Newbury Park players such as quarterback Nick Czernek, running back Ryan Shipton and receiver Cause Hanna, who normally rack up gaudy numbers.

The Panthers had a bye, the first George Hurley can remember in his 26 years as either head coach or an assistant.

The revamped Marmonte League has seven teams, and only Newbury Park was luckless in finding a nonleague opponent for its bye week.

Maybe a week off for Czernek to rest his arm was a good thing anyway: He threw 298 passes through seven games, far more than any other quarterback in the region.

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Technical difficulties: Palmdale purchased new sets of sideline headphones after experiencing problems in its previous two games.

Against Lancaster last Friday, assistant coach Carl Bledsoe yelled plays down to the sideline from a tower.

“We almost had to go back to the string and the can,” Coach Jeff Williams said.

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Hart attack: Hart’s ability to strike quickly on offense was never more evident than Thursday night in a 38-14 victory over Valencia.

Twice within the last 2:19 of the first half the Indians scored to take a 24-7 lead, then drove 65 yards in four plays in the third quarter for a touchdown and a 31-14 lead.

What drew the most attention was a bruising 15-play, 90-yard drive that ate up 9:34 of the fourth quarter and featured 13 running plays in a row--unusual for the run-and-shoot Hart offense.

“We’re tired of being known as a finesse team,” Coach Mike Herrington quipped.

Billy Brecht carried eight times for 66 yards on the drive.