Howell Is Bold as Brass for Hart
On Friday nights for the past two football seasons, Keith Howell of Hart High played in the school band, but he’s trading his trumpet for pads, and what an impact he could make as a wide receiver.
“Boy, is he fast,” offensive coordinator Dean Herrington said. “He’s such a good athlete.”
In Hart’s first passing tournament of the summer, Howell showed off his athleticism and potential, helping the Indians defeat Granada Hills, 14-7, Saturday in the championship game of the 16-team seven-on-seven tournament at Hart.
Jake Norton and Evan Allen caught touchdown passes from quarterback Kyle Matter. Linebackers Pete Dubsky and Kyle Hollis, and free safety Matt Moore performed well on defense.
But all eyes this summer will be on Howell, a 5-foot-11, 157-pound junior who’s never played football. He possesses speed that can greatly enhance Hart’s passing attack. He was the Foothill League champion in the long jump and has a grade-point average above 4.0. He has worked himself into the starting lineup after a little more than a month.
“He’s been a big surprise,” Matter said. “You should see the improvement. The first practice, he couldn’t catch a thing. It would be great to have him as a deep threat.”
Howell said he didn’t go out for football as a freshman or sophomore because his father thought he was too small. Friends kept urging him to play.
He won’t be able to prove whether he can take a hit until the fall, but he’s already making acrobatic catches.
Howell’s former band members promise to become his biggest fans, right behind Matter, who has committed to Stanford but must work with a group of new Hart receivers this fall.
The only returning receiver is Norton, who caught 19 passes, but Hart’s new pass catchers certainly looked capable in victories over the Highlanders, Valencia, Chatsworth, Chaminade and Mira Costa.
Allen, a 6-4 senior who had 16 pass deflections at defensive end, is an All-American tight end in the making. Norton is sure-handed, and one of the most improved receivers is senior Kevin Donoho.
“They dropped a few but made some great catches,” Matter said. “By the end of the summer, they’ll be terrific.”
For Hollis to be on the field playing linebacker after severely dislocating his ankle last month was an achievement. He injured his ankle jumping off a stage during a punk rock concert. He has learned a lesson.
“I’m scared to jump off things now,” he said.
Granada Hills continues to search for a quarterback to replace Jason Winn. The Highlanders tried three, but defense was more crucial to reaching the final. They upset Westlake, 14-6, in an earlier game.
Leading the Highlanders were defensive backs Aaron Moore and Bryan Wilson, and linebackers Kris Govea, Guillermo Garcia and Josh Rivas.
Among players who made an impression:
*Tight end-linebacker Josh Martin of Sylmar. He’s 6-2, 220 pounds with muscles of a body builder. Sylmar lost to Granada Hills in the semifinals. Martin was effective catching passes from quarterback John Valdez.
*Receiver Will Broadous of Valencia. He’s a 6-3 basketball player trying football for the first time. His athleticism is what the Vikings need to help overcome the graduation of running back Manuel White.
*Quarterback Richard Irvin of Harvard-Westlake. He’s a 6-1 sophomore with size 13 shoes and tremendous poise. The Wolverines are switching to the West Coast offense, and Irvin is going to be a standout once he grows into his body.
