Hart, Valencia Laying It On Thick

With the Southern Section Division III final on Saturday, coaches are scrambling to find bulletin-board material to motivate their players.

Coaches Mike Herrington of Hart and Brian Stiman of Valencia are waging a dirty battle of exchanging compliments.

“This week Brian Stiman is telling all the newspapers--and they’re listening--that Hart is one of the top teams in the state and that they might even be the best team in the state,” Herrington said.

“Then we hear through the grapevine that he’s telling his kids, ‘This is the best opportunity to beat [Hart]’.

“They can cry all they want about playing the greatest team, but the truth is they are very talented, maybe in more positions than us.”

That’s telling ‘em, Mike.

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Harry Welch, Valencia’s offensive coordinator, doesn’t only appear more relaxed than when he was the head coach at Canyon, he acknowledges his change in attitude.

“When I was a head coach, I lived it, the program was as important to me as a child,” he said. “I used to worry about the grass growing, shoelaces breaking and [whether] the managers [were] going to be there 15 minutes early.

“Those are not my concerns right now.”

Figuring out a way to crack Hart’s stingy defense is Welch’s chief concern this week.