Club pays tribute to former iconic Falcons coach
SOUTHEAST GLENDALE — The Glendale YMCA Quarterback Club, in its 68th year, meets Tuesday’s at the Elk’s Lodge. The following are odds and ends from the third meeting of the year.
MEMORIES OF WARNOCK REVEALED
For more than 40 years, former Crescenta Valley High football Coach Gordy Warnock gave out plenty of pointers on the art of teaching players how to play the sport properly. He also fielded questions from his share of players and assistant coaches who would go on to become head coaches at various levels.
The current cast of football coaches in the area shared some of their memories of Warnock, who died in his sleep at his La Crescenta home on Wednesday at 79. Warnock, a longtime club member, piloted the Falcons to a CIF Southern Section Division AAA championship in 1973.
“How many people can actually say they had a full rewarding life doing what they wanted to do right up to the last day of your life?,” said Glendale High second-year Coach Alan Eberhart, who coached at Crescenta Valley from 1993-2006. “Forty-five years is so long to coach, but he loved football, coaches and the kids.
“We [as coaches] were his kids, too. He took care of us, too. He was a master teacher and he spent his life showing us how to do it the right way. All of my varsity coaches at Glendale played or coached with Gordy.”
Crescenta Valley first-year Coach Paul Schilling, who had Warnock on board this season to serve as a linebackers coach, said Warnock was more than a coach.
“He was the father that everybody loved,” Schilling said. “He affected the lives of 120 players at CV on the varsity and junior varsity teams.
“It was a real emotional night [Friday] for our seniors. Gordy took care of us.”
FALCONS AND NITROS SET TO BATTLE
After three weeks of competing in nonleague games, the Pacific League will begin play Thursday with Burroughs facing Hoover at Glendale High’s Moyse Field.
The main area game that figures to receive plenty of attention will be Crescenta Valley battling Glendale at 7 p.m. Friday at Moyse. The Falcons come in at 2-1, while the Nitros are 0-3.
Schilling said don’t be fooled by Glendale’s record.
“They are 0-3, but they can very easily be 2-1,” Schilling said. “Coach Eberhart is trying to teach them to win, but they haven’t felt that yet.
“They are like lightning in a bottle and I hope that bottle stays plugged up for another week. Everybody is 0-0 at the start of league.”
Eberhart, a former Glendale player, said it will be hard for him to coach against the Falcons, who posted a 56-14 win against the rival Nitros last season.
“When we play CV, it’s a difficult game,” said Eberhart, who guided the Falcons to five Pacific League titles. “We are playing against people I love and it’s going to be a very emotional night.
“It’s an interesting rivalry and it’s great. It’s fun and emotional and I’m usually glad when it’s over. Hopefully, we will be on the good side of some bounces.”
VAQUEROS LOOKING TO TURN IT AROUND
A month into the season and Glendale Community College is still searching for its first victory. The Vaqueros concluded nonconference competition Saturday with a 44-28 road loss against Allan Hancock College and fell to 0-4.
“It’s the best game that we have played this season,” said Glendale college third-year Coach John Rome, whose team will kick off American Conference South Division competition at 6 p.m. Saturday against L.A. Valley College at Sartoris Field. “We improved, not enough to win, but we improved.
“Now, we start conference against teams in our league with the same type of talent. I think we will do much better this week.”
