Football: Garfield is working hard this summer
Amid the sounds of construction for a new auditorium rising up adjacent to the football field, players from Los Angeles Garfield were full of energy and focus on Thursday, going through drills under the direction of veteran Coach Lorenzo Hernandez.
Official City Section practice begins on Monday for schools with a zero-week game on Aug. 30, and that’s when Garfield opens against Ventura St. Bonaventure on the road. Before that, the Bulldogs will scrimmage against Crenshaw on Aug. 22 at Crenshaw.
Hernandez, in his 14th season, has always believed in challenging his players with tough opponents and teaching them about discipline and being good citizens. You can tell by his practices what he expects. There’s, “Yes sir.” There’s focus on little things, like getting off the ball simultaneously as a group.
Most of all, Garfield is an example of a school trying to help its players succeed on the field and off. On the field, the Bulldogs’ grass field is as good as there is in the City Section. It’s real grass, with no holes and no weeds. Someone has been mowing and taking care of the field all summer.
There’s lots of assistant coaches and ex-players coming back to help keep the program going in a positive direction. There’s people looking out for the players and giving them an opportunity this summer to get better.
No one can promise a scholarship. That’s based on ability on the field and in the classroom. But it’s good to see the dedication and commitment by so many adults and teenagers at a City Section school.
And there’s always the Garfield-Roosevelt game to get fired up about.
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