Thanks to his leadership, Garfield has become a competitive City Section Division I team even with its 44-14 loss to Woodland Hills Taft on Thursday. He's the one who chose to put his team in Division I, asking everyone to raise expectations, and slowly the Bulldogs are getting there.

Their lineup was full of juniors, and they just couldn't handle Taft's superior speed. But behind the scenes is what's so impressive.

I sat in the stands next to the Taft press box much of the game, and to see former players and freshman-sophomore players coming up to the assistant coaches, respectfully shaking their hands, and the lack of profanity coming from the fans, was so refreshing.

I can only conclude that Hernandez and his assistants are teaching lessons to last far beyond the football field, and that's someone Garfield needs to keep for years to come.

-- Eric Sondheimer

-- Ben Bolch

The win-loss records aren’t much different for first-round opponents Garfield and Taft high schools.

No. 13 seed Garfield enters the City Section Division I playoffs with a 5-5 mark, as opposed to No. 4 Taft’s 6-4. The teams collide at 7 p.m. Thursday at Taft.

That’s where the similarities end, according to Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez.

Pointing to such Toreador talents as USC-bound tailback D.J. Morgan and quarterback Antuan Goodall, as well as a huge offensive line, Hernandez said his Bulldogs will have their hands full against the West Valley League team.

“D.J. Morgan is a special kid,” he said. “We’re not going to stop him, we just hope to corral him and minimize the damage he does.”

Morgan has rushed for 1,284 yards and Goodall has passed for 1,1,49 yards while operating behind a line that includes a 6-7, 335-pounder and a 6-3, 325-pounder.

“They have a lot of talent and a lot of size,” Hernandez said. “I always talk about us playing the best, so I think this is a good test for us. We always seem to play to the level of our competition.”

Taft’s record is a bit deceiving in that three of the losses have been at the hands of Notre Dame, Alemany and Serra, which are a combined 26-4. The Toreadors also lost a West Valley League game to 3-7 Birmingham, 44-32. Birmingham drew top-seeded Crenshaw as its first-round opponent.

Where Garfield might be able to exploit Taft is in the depth department. Hernandez notes, as talented as the Toreadors are, many go both ways.

“We’ll try to outscheme them and try to wear them down,” he said. “We’ve got to play fundamental football and not make the mistakes we’ve been making all year.”

Garfield, which closed the regular season with a 48-7 rout of South Gate, is a run-oriented team.

Tailback Jonathan Lopez has rushed for 958 yards and eight touchdowns to lead the offense.

Leonardo Vaal, who became the starting quarterback midway through the season, has thrown for 642 yards and five TDs. He was 11 of 16 for 217 yards and three scores against South Gate.

Bobby Vargas, with 15 catches for 272 yards, is the top receiver, as well as being one of the leaders in the secondary.

While Roosevelt garnered the top seeding in Division II and will be favored to win the title, Garfield received only a No. 13 seeding and will be a heavy underdog in its first-round game against fourth-seeded Taft.

Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said the decision whether to "play up" in Division I ultimately rests with the coach.

"Do you move up to satisfy the critics or do you stay down because you understand the caliber of athletes you have?" he asked. "I did it because everyone thought we should be playing up.

"It's a hard decision as a coach because you can't satisfy everyone. If you win the lower division, people are going to expect you to move up. [But] after how many years do you realize you don't have a D.J. Morgan, a Trajuan Briggs, you don't have the big guys that Carson and these guys do?"

Hernandez said he likes playing in Division I because it brings out the best in him and his players.

"It's just a different atmosphere, everything from knowing that you're playing against Division I-caliber kids that are going to be moving on [to college] to coaching-wise," he said. "I appreciate the fact that you can play against the guys who go play against the Long Beach Polys and [Gardena] Serras.

"We'll stick around here as long as we can."

--Ben Bolch

Story Published: Nov 3, 2009 at 6:32 PM PST

Garfield (4-4, 2-2) rode a strong ground game against South East (3-5, 2-2).

Jonathan Lopez carried 16 times for 87 yards and a TD and Paul Alvarado had 17 carries for 97 yards as the Bulldogs piled up 203 yards on the ground. Leonardo Vaal added a scoring pass to Justin Esquivel.

Miguel Montes (10 tackles) and Rolando Sandoval (nine) were solid on defense for South East.

A lengthy losing streak would have given the Garfield High School football team something to stew over the next couple of weeks.

But thanks to a 38-3 victory over Huntington Park, the Bulldogs can concern themselves with how to build on a bit of success heading into their bye week.

Garfield, which had dropped its previous three games, is 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the Eastern League. The Bulldogs return to action Oct. 30 at South East (3-3, 2-0), one of the co-leaders in the league.

“We didn’t really want to go into our bye week on a four-game losing streak,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “We did a lot of things positive and cut down on the penalties on the offensive side.”

Tailback Jonathan Lopez had the best game of his career with 223 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries in a little more than a half against the Spartans (2-5, 0-3). After scoring his third TD three minutes into the second half, Lopez and the rest of the starters were given the night off.

“I haven’t seen the kid run like that since his freshman year,” Hernandez said of the sophomore. “He was phenomenal.”

Leonardo Vaal was 5 of 12 for 138 yards passing, while Danny Vargas and Giovanni Leon ran for TDs for the Bulldogs.

Defensively, Jonathan Valles had eight solo tackles and three assists and Hector Cazales was in on 10 tackles, six of them solo. Moses Saucedo had two sacks.

Looking ahead to South East, Hernandez knows what his team has to do to succeed — contain the Jaguars talented sophomore running back Robert Lewis.

“He’s a game-changer,” Hernandez said. “If we can neutralize him, we’ve got a shot.”

Garfield High School’s attention will be squarely affixed on the No. 1.

That’s the number on the jersey of Jordan standout Deshawn Beck, who will be the target of the Bulldogs in Friday’s 3 p.m. Eastern League football opener at Jordan.

It had better be if Garfield (2-2) wants to get off to a good start in league.

“Mr. Beck is a phenomenal athlete,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “I compare him to a Reggie Bush-type athlete. He’s going to be tough to corral.”

Nobody has so far.

The returning All-City player, who depending on the play, lines up at quarterback, running back or receiver on offense. Mater Dei didn’t do such a good job last Friday of corralling Beck, who rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 116 in a 23-20 Monarch victory.

Jordan’s 1-3 record is deceiving because the losses have come to Esperanza, St. Bonaventure (the state’s third-ranked team) and Mater Dei.

There are other Jordan standouts, including All-City linebacker Patrick Wooten, who led the City with 150 tackles last year and 16 solos against Mater Dei last week, and Rudolph Drayton, who had 13 solos last week.

But, it’s Beck who Garfield really has to concern itself with.

“We’re going to have to play sound football if we’re going to contain him,”

Hernandez said. “I know he’s going to get his yards. We’ll try and tire him out, although he didn’t too tired against Mater Dei.”

Garfield is coming off a hard-luck 8-7 loss at Paso Robles.

The Bulldogs drove to the Bearcat five-yard line in the closing seconds, but misfired on a 20-yard field goal with six seconds left that would have won the game.

The running of Jonathan Lopez, who carried 25 times for 102 yards, was a bright spot for Garfield. Quarterback Jonathan Lazo was 7-of-20 for 135 yards passing and scored the touchdown on a run. Bobby Vargas had three catches for 83 yards.

Defensively, Hector Cazales (seven solo tackles, five assists), Moses Saucedo (six solos, five assists) and Jonathan Valles (six solos, five assists) led the way for the Bulldogs. William Fonseca had an interception.

“I thought it was good for us to go up there and play somebody out of that section,” Hernandez said. “It was a great small-town atmosphere. The fans packed the place. They weren lined around the field.”

Jesse Felgenhauer scored on a 1-yard run against the Bulldogs to put Paso Robles in position to tie or win it. A successful two-point conversion allowed the Bearcats to slip ahead for the victory.

Paso Robles, despite graduating 11 starters off last year’s defense, held a team under 28 points for the first time this season.

My hat goes off to the defense,” Bearcats coach Rich Schimke said. “We had too many turnovers. They really kept us in the game.”

Following a disappointing loss last week to St. Joseph, 28-13, the Paso Robles High School varsity football team will host Garfield High School from Los Angeles tonight.

In last week’s game against the Knights, Bearcat quarterback Thomas Bernal went 14-for-22 for 138 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. For the season thus far, Bernal is 36-for-64 for 430 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Knights limited the Bearcats’ leading rusher, Robbie Burbank, to just 135 yards on 32 carries. Overall, Burbank has 94 carries for 718 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

Elias Stokes had six catches for 62 yards and one touchdown, and Brandon Todd had two catches for 44 yards and one touchdown. For the season so far, Stokes has 14 receptions for 241 yards and two touchdowns.

On defense, linebacker Jeremy Schwieger, middle line backer, Hunter Gay, corner Devin Upson, and defensive end Brandon Todd will shore up the line.

The Garfield Bulldogs come into the game against the Bearcats with a 2-1 record, the most recent a win on Sept. 18 against Wilson of Los Angeles, 35-11. Garfield tied for first in the Eastern League last season, and the Bulldogs won the Los Angles City Section Division Championship in 2007.

Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said the school has a long and established history within the community, having graduated the likes of comedian Carlos Mencia and boxer Oscar De La Hoya. It was also the site of the movie “Stand and Deliver,” which is based on a true story about Garfield High School.

In the game against Wilson, Bulldog quarterback Jonathan Lazo went [6-for-9 for 102 yards, and one interception].

Leading rusher Julio Silva had 12 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns, Jonathan Lopez had 15 carries for 96 yards and Paul Alvarado had 10 for 71 and one touchdown. Hector Cazales and Bobby Vargas added the other two touchdowns in the win.

The first road game of the season will do at least one thing for Garfield High School’s football team.

If nothing else, the approximately 250-mile trip north to face Paso Robles Friday should foster plenty of togetherness.

Eliminating the usual distractions is just fine with coach Lorenzo Hernandez.

“I think it’s going to be good to get away,” he said. “Because of the trip, they’ll be able to focus. They won’t have to deal with friends, girl friends, etc. Like one of our coaches said, they’ll be by themselves. They’ll have eight hours together with their teammates.”

The 7 p.m. nonleague game, held at Flamson Middle School in Paso Robles, should be quite a test for the 2-1 Bulldogs, particularly their defense.

The Bears are 1-2, but it hasn’t been for a lack of offense.

Paso Robles is averaging 31.3 points, while giving up 39.3 per contest.

“They’re 1-2, but they played some good schools (Westlake, Santa Maria St. Joseph and Central Fresno),” Hernandez said. “They’re physical and score a lot of points. Their running back (Robbie Burbank) is very fast and they have a good corps of receivers.”

Burbank, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound senior, has rushed for 718 yards and nine touchdowns. He ran for 395 yards and six TDs on 32 carries in a 55-42 win over Central Fresno.

Quarterback Thomas Bernal has complemented the running attack by throwing for 430 yards and three scores. Elias Stokes is the leading receiver with 14 catches for 241 yards and two TDs.

Garfield, which opens Eastern League play Oct. 2 at Jordan, is coming off a 35-11 victory over Wilson (0-2).

Though the Bulldogs had their bright spots, Hernandez saw room for improvement.

“We did some dumb things that we can’t do in league,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s experience, or what, but we are a young team. Hopefully, we learn from experience.”

The running game flourished against Wilson as Julio Silva carried 12 times for 112 yards and two TDs, Jonathan Lopez ran for 96 yards on 15 carries and Paul Alvarado added 71 yards and a TD on 10 attempts. Jonathan Lazo added another 102 yards passing.

“We established our running game early,” the coach said. “Jonathan Lopez and Julio Silva both did a great job. I thought our offensive line did well.”

Defensively, Bobby Vargas and Hector Cazales returned interceptions for touchdowns. Cazales had seven solo tackles and three assists.

Jonathan Valles had eight solos, five assists and a sack. Moses Saucedo had six solos, two assists and a sack.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Sep 16, 2009 at 1:59 PM PDT

Coach Lorenzo Hernandez could sum up his Garfield High School football team’s 22-7 loss to St. Paul this way: It was a team effort.

As he noted, the Bulldogs were deficient in just about every imaginable in falling to 1-1 on the season.

“Everything that could go wrong did go wrong,” Hernandez said.

“Our line didn’t do its best job, special teams didn’t do a good job and our secondary got caught up in play-action. We were even horrible when it came to penalties. We must have had 100 yards of them. I don’t think I called a good game, so we even got out-coached. We usually have one bad game a year and hopefully, we’ve got it out of our way.”

Considering Garfield (1-1) hosts a Wilson team that defeated the Bulldogs last year, Hernandez is really hoping his players learned their lessons.

“Wilson always plays us tough,” he said. “They’ve got that spread offensive set, which we’ve always struggled against. Their defense always causes us problems, too.”

Garfield was tied, 7-7 at halftime, but St. Paul scored two touchdowns after intermission.

Offensively, the Bulldogs never got much going.

Jonathan Lazo was only 4-of-15 for 50 yards with an interception. Tailback Jonathan Lopez rushed for a team-best 40 yards on nine carries.

Defensively, Jonathan Valles had 11 solo tackles and eight assists, Moses Saucedo had eight solo, four assists and two sacks, and William Fonseca returned an interception 30 yards for their only score and had eight solos and four assists. Hector Cazales had nine solos and five assists.

“This was a good learning experience,” Hernandez said. “What we learned, is if we make mistakes against a team like St. Paul, we are going to pay for it.”

This beating Birmingham High School in openers is becoming a habit for Garfield.

For the second year in a row, the Bulldogs have opened the football season with a close victory over Birmingham, perennially one of the City Section’s upper-division powers.

They did it last Friday when Christian Hoyos kicked a 20-yard field goal with seven seconds left to edge the Barons, 25-24. Birmingham had taken a 24-22 lead 63 seconds earlier on a 34-yard field goal by Brian Gutierrez.

The game did not start well for Garfield, which found itself trailing, 15-0 after one quarter.

But behind quarterback Jonathan Lazo (14-of-23 for 195 yards, two touchdowns), the Bulldogs rallied.

Lazo’s 20-yard scoring pass to Bobby Vargas in the second quarter was their one score in the first half.

After Birmingham answered with a third TD for a 21-7 lead, Garfield got a little closer on a two-yard run by Jonathan Lopez (18 carries, 112 yards).

A five-yard scoring pass from Lazo to Vargas (five catches, 67 yards) with 2:48 left gave the Bulldogs a brief, 22-21 lead.

Defensively, William Fonseca and Jonathan Valles were each involved in six tackles for Garfield. Moses Saucedo and Alfonso Valdez each had sacks.

Birmingham quarterback Max Smith tested the Bulldog secondary all night by completing 17 of 25 passes for 310 yards, including touchdown strikes to Davontae Perry-Brooks of 82 and 31 yards. Perry-Brooks had seven receptions for 179 yards.

Perry-Brooks gave the Barons an early lead when he returned a fumble 24 yards for a score just 23 seconds into the contest.

Garfield hosts St. Paul Friday.

Last week, Lopez finally showed what he can do, rushing for 112 yards in 18 carries in the Bulldogs' 25-24 victory over Lake Balboa Birmingham.

"He's a special player," Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said.

Next up for Garfield is Santa Fe Springs St. Paul.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Garfield High School quarterback Jonathan Lazo hands off to a running back during preseason drills. The Bulldogs open the season Friday against Birmingham. (Photo by Gary McCarthy)

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Sep 2, 2009 at 2:00 PM PDT

Though coach Lorenzo Hernandez characterizes his Garfield High School football team as young, he is quick to point out, the kids will be all right in time.

First, the Bulldogs must survive a rugged preleague schedule that begins Friday with City Division I power Birmingham and its standout tailback Trajuan Briggs (USC commit). St. Paul, L.A. Wilson and a road trip to Paso Robles follow.

Then comes the competitive Eastern League, which includes the likes of Jordan and Roosevelt. Garfield shared the title with those two and finished 6-5 a year ago.

“We are young, but we should gradually get better as we get experience,” Hernandez said. “By the time league comes around, we should be able to compete for a league title.”

In Garfield’s favor is that many of the players saw extensive action a year ago as backups.

Among the key newcomers is senior quarterback Jonathan Lazo, who did not play football last year. Still, Hernandez likes who he has taking snaps.

“He has a rocket for an arm,” he said.

Lazo has some pretty good receivers around in wideouts Bobby Vargas and Andrew Rodriguez, as well as tight end Andrew Salas (6-4, 205).

Hernandez is excited about new tailback Jonathan Lopez (5-9, 180). Garfield has had a series of 1,000-yard rushers in recent years and Lopez may eventually rank with any of them, according to the coach.

“He could be as good as any we’ve had in the past,” he said. “He is capable of putting a team on his back.”

The offensive line is a bit on the young side, although senior tackle Santiago Sanchez (6-1, 240) is a returning starter. The anchor though is junior center Richard Torres (5-8, 230), up from the frosh-soph team.

As young as they are, Hernandez feels they will grow into a solid unit.

Defense is where Hernandez has fewer concerns.

“I’d say our strength is defense, especially the defensive line,” he said. “We’re pretty big on the D-line.”

Jose Victoria (6-1, 270) and Alfonso Valdez (5-10, 205) are returnees among the down linemen. Moses Saucedo (5-10, 180) is a returning starter at end.

Hector Cazales, a returning starter, headlines the linebacking corps.

Hernandez is high on sophomore linebacker Jonathan Valles (5-10, 190), a talented player and scholar-athlete (he was a 4.0 student last year).

“He’s an impressive kid who is very talented,” Hernandez said.

The Bulldogs scrambled this week and found an opponent. They will travel to Paso Robles on Sept. 25 for a nonleague game.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Talented, accomplished players who don't fit the physical mold colleges are looking for often fall through the cracks on letter-of-intent signing day. Case in point: Garfield's Lanny Delgado. Eric Sondheimer
5:50 PM PST, February 8, 2009

On letter-of-intent day, there were slick news conferences, big celebrations and lots of picture taking to capture the moment of teenagers' officially accepting college football scholarships.

For Lanny Delgado, a two-time All-City defensive back at Los Angeles Garfield High, Wednesday started with trying to fix the family computer, followed by a trip to the laundromat to wash a uniform, then an appearance in a soccer match, where he scored a goal in a 3-2 loss.

"I didn't even know today was letter-of-intent day," he said.

He didn't have any reason to pay attention, because no coaches offered him a scholarship.

"He didn't know, because no recruiters have talked to him and no one has shown any interest," Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said.

They didn't notice or didn't care that he more than held his own covering USC-bound De'Von Flournoy in two games last season.

"He's a good player," Flournoy said. "He plays with a lot of heart. He didn't back down, which I respected the most."

At 5 feet 11, 150 pounds, with 40-yard speed of about 4.6 seconds and grades that saw him receive an A in AP calculus and an A in trigonometry, Delgado would seem a good candidate to help a college football program.

"I'm still puzzled," Hernandez said. "This is a guy with a 3.6 GPA and played solid defense."

Unfortunately, there are lots of successful high school players who go unnoticed or unappreciated by college recruiters. Another is Josh Brannon, a running back at Garden Grove Pacifica who rushed for 2,175 yards and scored 22 touchdowns but had no takers at the next level.

People can place blame on lack of exposure or failure to impress at camps or combines, but the bottom line is football recruiters know what they want, and if you don't fit into their mold, it will create obstacles to reaching the next level.

"I'm dedicated and convinced I can take on a higher level," Delgado said. "I'm fast enough, I'm quick enough and I'm strong enough."

Hernandez keeps making phone calls and sending out tapes, hoping someone will see something special in Delgado, a three-year varsity standout.

Perhaps Delgado, Brannon and others who didn't sign letters last week will get a chance to play after enrolling at a college as a walk-on or making it through the junior-college ranks.

It's frustrating, but opportunities come to those who don't give up.

The Bulldogs will open with a zero week game against Birmingham at Garfield, play St. Paul, L.A. Wilson and Hart at College of the Canyons.

"It's exciting," Hernandez said. "It's good motivation."

Hernandez is an example of a coach who keeps raising his program by playing tough teams and getting his players to raise their level too.

Hart is playing another City Section school, Woodland Hills El Camino Real, in its opener.

-- Eric Sondheimer

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 27.NOV.08

There would be no repeat performance for Garfield.

The rematch of the season opener went in the direction of Birmingham, which used a strong second-half performance to beat the Bulldogs, 27-15 in a first-round game of the City Division playoffs.

Birmingham (6-5), which earned a quarterfinal game at No. 1 Narbonne (10-1), had four interceptions in the second half to win the game going away. Sergio Perez ran back one of the picks 72 yards for a score.

Trajuan Briggs had 120 of his 184 rushing yards in the second half and scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter for the Patriots.

Garfield (6-5) fell behind on the first play when De’Von Flournoy went 64 yards with a shovel pass.

But Sergio Macedo kicked field goals of 32, 41 and 37 yards to give the Bulldogs a 9-6 lead by halftime.

Patriots say they didn't take the Bulldogs seriously in the season opener and lost. The teams meet tonight in first round of City Section playoffs.

By Ben Bolch
November 20, 2008

Los Angeles Garfield High's football team spent last summer focusing on its first opponent, Lake Balboa Birmingham.

Birmingham had spent much of its preseason practice preparing for the powerful team it would play second, Encino Crespi.

So perhaps it should have come as no surprise when Garfield upset the two-time defending City Section champion Patriots, 29-28.

"We took them for granted," Birmingham Coach Ed Croson said on the eve of the teams' rematch tonight in a City Section Championship Division first-round playoff game at Garfield. "We were working on our Crespi game plan and there was stuff we weren't going to use for Garfield."

Things will be different tonight, at least with personnel.

In the teams' first meeting, the Patriots were without defensive lineman Ariel Ford because of a hand injury and free safety Donte Gilmer because of ineligibility.

Standout receiver De'Von Flournoy, limited because of a sprained ankle, did not return kicks or play cornerback because he could not backpedal or cut. Birmingham's secondary was further depleted during the game when cornerbacks Kenny Pool and Davontae Perry were lost to injuries.

And still, Birmingham had a chance to win until backup quarterback Steven Zamora was stopped on a late two-point conversion attempt. The play was controversial because the ball appeared to cross the goal line before falling out of Zamora's hands.

The Patriots (5-5), seeded No. 9 in the Championship Division, are expected to be at full strength tonight against the No. 8 Bulldogs (6-4).

Garfield will hope for a repeat performance from 5-foot-3 quarterback Patrick Vargas, who passed for 144 yards and three touchdowns in the teams' first meeting. Sergio Macedo rushed for 108 yards.

Said Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez: "We know they feel this game is an opportunity to prove 'We can beat those guys.' "

Bolch is a Times staff writer.

“I guess we’ll see if that was a fluke or not,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “Our kids are going to be fired up about it. I know they’ll step up their game.”

By Austin Knoblauch
November 15, 2008

Quarterback Patrick Vargas completed 17 of 28 passes for 220 yards, throwing for two touchdowns, as Garfield rallied from a first-quarter deficit to defeat rival Roosevelt, 26-7, in front of more than 25,000 fans at the 74th annual East Los Angeles Classic at East Los Angeles College on Friday night.

Garfield (6-4, 5-1) took the lead for good early in the third quarter when Vargas connected on a 23-yard touchdown pass to receiver Lanny Delgado.

The longtime friends are both team captains and top students awarded $500 academic scholarships this week by State Farm. They are also both three-year varsity players who will lead their respective teams into the 74th annual East Los Angeles Classic on Friday night at East Los Angeles College.

"We would say we're brothers from other mothers jokingly, but in reality we are in a way because I consider him my brother," said Franky Diaz, who spent much of Wednesday's pregame media conference at East L.A. College hamming it up with Jesse Diaz and posing for photos together. "Sometimes I wish he would be on our team."

The Diazes played on the same flag football team at Stephenson Middle School before realizing they wouldn't play together in high school because they live on opposite sides of Indiana Street, which is the borderline for high school enrollment.

"I've always wanted to have a chance to play with Franky," Jesse Diaz said. "Playing against him is one thing but playing with him would be a whole different experience and I've always wanted that."

Both players are also bound for college, and Jesse Diaz will probably play at that level. He is being pursued by Idaho State and UC Davis. Franky Diaz said he has applied to Loyola Marymount and USC, where he hopes to major in business.

Eric Sondheimer
November 14, 2008

It's a startling sight, seeing Los Angeles Garfield football players line up after a game to exchange handshakes with their opponents and watching the reaction when 5-foot-3 quarterback Patrick Vargas finally greets his pursuers.

"I shake hands, they look down at me, and it's shocking to them," he said.

Their stunned response: "Are you the quarterback?"

Patrick Vargas will be the starting quarterback when Garfield plays Roosevelt High School on Friday.

The fact Vargas is playing, let alone completing passes and usually leading his team to victory in a sport that typically favors the physically imposing indicates how special his story is.

Tonight, he'll become the smallest quarterback to start in the 74-year history of the East Los Angeles Classic, a neighborhood game matching Garfield and Roosevelt at East L.A. College that's expected to attract a crowd of close to 25,000.

Vargas, a 150-pound senior, is an A student who uses intelligence, cunning and instincts to succeed.

His father, Ray, who coaches the quarterbacks at Garfield, said, "As a parent, I fear for him. As a coach, I root for him."

Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid, a former Garfield assistant, watched Vargas growing up, remembering him as a tiny 9-year-old running around the field and preparing for the day he'd get to put on a Bulldogs uniform.

"If he would be 6-3, he'd still be great," Cid said. "The fact he's his size is even more amazing."

Vargas welcomes those who underestimate him.

"I've been playing Pop Warner football since I was 7," he said. "I was the smallest out there and just adjusted. Now I'm in high school, I had to adjust again. I'm not afraid. This is just a passion I love to do."

To see how Vargas operates on a field where he comes up to the chin of many players is a sight to behold. He has a simple strategy in trying to release his passes.

"I place it like it's a window," he said. "When the receivers are running their routes, there are little areas where the linebacker shows weakness, so I hit them in that area."

Many of his passes are timing patterns. At the line of scrimmage, he examines the defense and picks out a target. He retreats on the snap and fires the ball long before anyone can reach him and usually before his receiver has made a final cut. If all goes well, the ball will arrive at the same time the receiver reaches his spot, leaving the defensive back helpless.

"It's just a lot of practice," Vargas said. "They have me practice sometimes with my eyes closed."

It's a family affair for Vargas, whose younger brothers, Bobby and Danny, start at receiver and fullback.

"Our mom is laughing, yelling and screaming her heart out," Vargas said.

His line is determined to protect him, and teammates don't take kindly to comments some defensive players like to make.

"They call him midget," center Edgar Rosales said. "They call him all kinds of names. It gets me motivated because I know he's capable of doing anything."

The student body at Garfield found out how big a heart Vargas has when he helped the Bulldogs upset two-time defending City Section champion Birmingham, 29-28, in the season opener. Vargas completed 13 of 17 passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns. With that victory, football players became celebrities on campus.

"It was better than winning the City Invitational championship," Vargas said.

"The whole off-season, our goal was to shock the world and shock the City. We knew beating Birmingham would do it. You could see the joy in everyone's eyes and faces."

And now Vargas gets to start in a game that will probably draw the largest high school crowd of the season in Southern California. It doesn't matter that Roosevelt is 8-1 and Garfield is 5-4. Records mean nothing in this rivalry game. It's homecoming for both schools, with alumni coming from around the nation.

His counterpart at quarterback, Jesse Diaz, is equally impressive, with a 3.8 grade-point average, more than 1,700 yards passing and just one interception for Roosevelt.

Diaz is 6-2, a giant compared to Vargas, but both are examples of how high school sports can bring out the best in individuals. Vargas has dreamed of this moment.

"It's something I wanted to do all my life," he said.

Sondheimer is a Times staff writer.

Christian Orozco Highlights

The final stop of the regular season on the 5 Days 2 Friday Nike Road Tour takes place at East Los Angeles College when Roosevelt and Garfield compete for the Eastern League title in the East LA Classic.

The rivalry between the two East Los Angeles schools is one of the better match-ups each year in the L.A. City Section. The two teams have battled for over 70 years with Roosevelt leading the all-time series 39-26-7. The game annually draws nearly 20,000 fans, many of whom have friends and family aligned with both teams on the field.

Garfield is the defending Los Angeles City Section Invitational Tournament champion, knocking off University in the finals 28-23. The Bulldogs lost to Roosevelt in the East LA Classic, 23-15, but came back to beat the Rough Riders 31-13 in the first round of the playoffs.

This year, Roosevelt is on a roll, winning its last eight games after opening the season with a 41-0 loss to Torrey Pines. Eastern League play has seen some wild games for the Rough Riders, who have played three straight high-scoring affairs against South East (36-29), Jordan (33-21) and Huntington Park (39-29).

Jesse Diaz, an All-LA City Section pick last year, leads the Rough Riders at quarterback. After throwing for 2,461 yards last year, Diaz has had a similar senior season except for one category – interceptions. While he has thrown for 1,727 yards this year along with 18 touchdowns (the same number of TDs he threw as a junior), Diaz has thrown just one interception in 2008 compared to 11 as a junior.

“He’s a much better quarterback,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid told the Los Angeles Times.

Manny Ayon has been the main target for Diaz, catching 32 passes for 542 yards and three scores. However Diaz has spread the ball around, completing passes to 12 different receivers – 10 of whom have scored at least one touchdown.

Cid also spreads the wealth when rushing the ball. Four different Rough Riders have carried the ball at least 40 times, led by Jonathan Alatriste with 62 carries for 347 yards.

Garfield is 5-4 on the season, but the Bulldogs knocked off defending LA City Section champion Birmingham 29-28 in the season opener and they won their first four league game before falling to Jordan last week 48-29.

The Bulldogs have a more balanced offensive attack with quarterback Patrick Vargas throwing for 1,193 yards and 12 touchdowns and Sergio Macedo leading the rushing attack with 760 yards and 12 scores.

Bulldog coach Lorenzo Hernandez was the Invitational All-City Coach of the Year last season and returning players Frankie Diaz and Roy Fonseca also earned All-City first team honors. Diaz has rushed for 326 yards on 76 carries while Fonseca has 41 tackles and two interceptions at defensive back. Macedo and defensive back Lanny Delgado were both second team picks. Delgado leads the team with three interceptions this year.

Unlike seasons past, the two teams won’t have the chance to meet again in the playoffs. Garfield has chosen to move up to the Championship Division this year while Roosevelt will compete in the Invitational Division.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 13.NOV.08 It isn’t enough neighborhood pride will be at stake in the 74th edition of the East L.A. Classic.

An Eastern League title and positioning for the upcoming City Section football playoffs will also be on the line when Roosevelt and Garfield high schools meet in front of crowd expected to exceed 20,000 at East L.A. College in the regular-season finale Friday. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Roosevelt, which leads the all-time series, 39-27-7, takes records of 8-1 overall and 5-0 in league into the contest. Garfield, tied for second with Jordan, is 5-4 and 4-1.

“That the league title is on the line makes it even more special,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “I was actually rooting for Garfield to beat Jordan last week (Jordan won, 48-29), so both of us would be 5-0 going into the game.

“If we win, we win the title outright, which Roosevelt hasn’t done since 2002.”

“We really want to get a share of the title,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said.

To do that, the Bulldogs will have to do a better job of pass defense than last week when Jordan amassed 441 yards and seven touchdowns (five by quarterback James Boyd) through the air.

Roosevelt, which is led by senior quarterback Jesse Diaz, runs a spread offense similar to Jordan, but Hernandez adds, “I don’t think they have quite the speed Jordan has.

“There have been times we’ve struggled against good passing teams. Hopefully, we can put some pressure on Diaz. We got to Boyd a few times, although he was pretty hard to bring down.”

Diaz, wide receiver Manny Ayon and a running back-by-committee approach that is led by Jonathan Alatriste, gets most of the attention for Roosevelt.

But Hernandez isn’t overlooking the Rough Rider defense.

“Their defense is really good, especially their middle linebacker (Rafael Ortega),” he said. “He’s really quick to the ball.”

Garfield attempts to counter Roosevelt’s quick-striking offense with a power-oriented ground attack that is built around Sergio Macedo (760 yards, 12 touchdowns) and Franky Diaz (326 yards, one TD). Fullback Omar Hernandez is a short-yardage threat.

Senior quarterback Patrick Vargas, who has thrown for 1,173 yards and 12 touchdowns, has given the Bulldogs a little more balance than it has had in the past.

Defensively, backs Dominic Lam and Lanny Delgado are among the best in the City when it comes to pass coverage.

Rising to the occasion is no concern for Hernandez when it comes to Garfield.

“Our guys always play to the level of the competition,” he said.

The Bulldogs host Jordan (4-4, 3-1) at 7 p.m. Friday. Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez has a game plan similar to the one Roosevelt had when it knocked off Jordan, 33-21.

“We want to go right at them and control the ball,” Hernandez said. “We want to give them the long field and not give up the big play.”

There will be a lot of pressure on defensive backs such as Lanny Delgado and Dominic Lam to stay with Jordan’s talented receivers, DeShawn Beck, Delvon Purvis and Brandon Caldwell.

USC-bound quarterback James Boyd is another major challenge for Garfield. He has thrown for 2,735 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Last week in a 53-14 Eastern League rout of South East, Boyd accounted for seven touchdowns, including one on a reception. He was 26-for-36 for 368 yards and four TDs through the air and rushed eight times for 50 yards and two scores.

“Defensively, we need Lanny and Lam to shut their receivers down and have our defensive ends put enough pressure on Boyd to force him into quick decisions.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 06.NOV.08 If it worked for Roosevelt High School, why can’t it work for archrival Garfield?

The issue in question: Putting the breaks to Jordan’s explosive spread offense.

Roosevelt had the answer a couple of weeks ago by completely taking the air out of the football (by throwing only one pass) in a 33-21 victory over the Bulldogs.

Garfield, which hosts Jordan at 7 p.m. Friday in a pivotal Eastern League game, is planning on taking a similar approach.

“We want to go right at them and try to control the ball,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “Our whole goal is to be patient, give them the long field and not give up the big play and be in the game in the fourth quarter.”

Since Garfield (5-3, 4-0) is tied for first place with Roosevelt (7-1, 4-0), a win is imperative against Jordan (4-4, 3-1) with next week’s East L.A. Classic looming.

That means finding a way to control USC-bound quarterback James Boyd and a group of talented receivers, headed by the likes of DeShawn Beck, Delvon Purvis, Brandon Caldwell and Robert Lewis.

Boyd, a 6-foot-5, 225-pounder who also plays defensive end, has passed for 2,735 yards and 27 touchdowns. He accounted for seven TDs in last week’s 53-14 thrashing of South East.

In addition to throwing for 368 yards and four scores and running for a pair of touchdowns, Boyd caught a scoring pass.

Purvis (eight catches for 103 yards), Caldwell (five for 108, two TDs) and Lewis (six for 73, TD) did their share of damage against South East.

“Defensively, we’re going to rely on (backs) Lanny Delgado and Dominic Lam to shut those guys down,” Hernandez said. “Our defensive ends are super fast, so hopefully, they’ll force Boyd to make some quick decisions.”

Garfield is coming off a 22-7 win over Huntington Park (4-3, 2-2).

Tailback Sergio Macedo (17 carries for 78 yards) and fullback Omar Hernandez (five for 32) ran for touchdowns and quarterback Patrick Vargas (11-for-17 for 122 yards) passed for one to tight end Aaron Salas to pace the Bulldogs.

“I thought our defense did a great job,” Hernandez said. “We forced two or three turnovers.”

Huntington Park, which is at Roosevelt Friday, got a solid performance from Hector De La Rosa, who carried 14 times for 108 yards and a TD against Garfield.

South East (2-7, 1-4) hosts South Gate (1-7, 0-4).

Bell (4-4, 1-4) knocked off South Gate, 24-7 last Friday in the other league game. Julian Leon ran for 68 yards on 19 carries, while Juan Lucero and Antonio Williams had scoring runs for the Eagles. Francisco Rodriguez had a touchdown pass to Jaime Villa.

Felipe Valdez rushed for 36 yards and caught a pass for 17 yards for South Gate.

The Bulldogs, 4-3 overall and 3-0 in league, travel to Huntington Park Thursday to face the 4-2, 2-1 Spartans in a pivotal contest.

Jordan (3-4, 2-1) and Roosevelt (7-1, 4-0) close out the schedule the final two weeks for Garfield, a 43-6 winner over South Gate (1-6, 0-3) last week.

“This week will be an indicator of how good we are,” Bulldog coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “Huntington Park is a good, well-disciplined team.

“Hopefully, we’ll come with our ‘A’ game because Leroy Wilson teams are well coached.”

The Bulldogs didn’t get much of a test against a rebuilding South Gate team.

They were up, 35-0 by halftime and coasted the rest of the way.

Sergio Macedo ran for more than 150 yards and a touchdown, while Damian Guzman and Marcos Villasenor ran effectively for the Bulldogs.

Quarterback Patrick Vargas added a pair of scoring passes.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 16.OCT.08 Garfield High School put together three solid quarters of football last Friday, good enough for a win but not good enough to satisfy the coach.

Though the 28-14 decision over South East sends the Bulldogs into their bye week at 3-3 overall and 2-0 in the Eastern League, there will be things to work on in preparation for the remainder of the schedule that resumes Oct. 24.

“I thought we played really well until the last quarter,” Bulldog coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “We started off well and were ahead, 21-0 at the half.

“Then, maybe we got in a comfort zone. Patrick (Vargas) was throwing well until the final quarter, then he threw three interceptions. We kind of gave them opportunities to score. Their touchdown drives were only 20, 30 yards. It wasn’t like they had to drive the length of the field.”

There were bright spots for Garfield.

Sergio Macedo ran for two touchdowns and Franky Diaz scored one on the ground. Marcos Villasenor took a middle screen 30 yards for another touchdown.

The defense did a solid job of holding down South East’s high-powered offense.

Tailback Senen Carson, the league’s top back, was limited to 47 yards on 16 carries, though he did score once. Jonathan Reyes was limited to seven completions in 23 attempts for 103 yards. Garfield defensive back Lanny Delgado did a good job of shutting down Fernando Magana, the Jaguars’ top receiver.

Hernandez credit defensive coordinator Sergio Martinez for the job on Carson.

“He understands how to stop the run, how to make adjustments,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez welcomes the bye week.

“It’s an opportunity to go back to basics, to let the bodies refuel and get ready for the rest of league,” he said.

As much as the power programs on the preleague portion of the schedule meant, the more meaningful games are the ones ahead for the Garfield High School football team.

A steady diet of Birmingham, St. Paul, Wilson and San Pedro contributed to an uneven start and 1-3 record for the Bulldogs, who were at least battle tested from the experience.

While not every team in the Eastern League rises to the level of their early-season opponents, the Bulldogs need to treat them as if they were. Based on opening night, they are taking the second half of the regular season seriously.

They got it together last Friday in their Eastern League opener and rolled to a 35-0 victory over previously undefeated Bell.

Dominating in every aspect, Garfield rolled to a 21-0 halftime lead and never looked back.

The Bulldogs host South East (1-4, 0-1), a 28-23 loser to Huntington Park last week, at 7 p.m. Friday.

“The kids came out to play,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “They’re playing at a faster level. League has started and that’s where playoff berths are won, and the kids realize it.”

Patrick Vargas (5-for-9 for 91 yards) threw touchdown passes to Bobby Vargas and Dominic Lam, while Sergio Macedo (18 carries for 109 yards) and Franky Diaz (nine for 33) ran for touchdowns to key the offense.

Special teams produced the other touchdown when Wences Rivas returned a blocked punt 18 yards in the first half.

The defense completely shut down the Eagles, who fell to 3-1. Other than Julian Leon rushing for 75 yards on 19 carries and Antonio Williams adding 44 on 10, Bell did little when it had the ball.

Some of Bell’s problems could be attributed to the loss of its starting quarterback to injury. Once he went out, the Eagles pretty much had to shelve the passing game.

“I think we’re going to have a better contest with South East,” Hernandez said.

The Jaguars feature the league’s top tailback in Senen Carson, who rushed for 189 yards and two touchdowns against Huntington Park. Their passing combination of quarterback Jonathan Reyes and wide receiver Fernando Magana has also been effective. Reyes was 17 of 23 for 239 yards, with Magana catching 11 for 182 yards last week.

“Carson is always a threat and Magana is really good,” Hernandez said. “I really like their rover, Danny Cu.”

Hernandez feels he’ll have a better handle on how the league teams stack up after Friday. The matchups include Jordan at Huntington Park and Bell at Roosevelt.

“After this week, we’ll have a sign of where everybody is at,” he said.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 02.OCT.08 Now is the time the Garfield High School football team finds out if its rugged preleague schedule pays off.

After going 1-3 during a run that included Birmingham, St. Paul, L.A. Wilson and San Pedro, the Bulldogs face a test that really matters when they open Eastern League play at Bell Friday.

Bell (3-0), under co-coaches Frank Medina and Ramon Ochoa, is the league’s only team to get through preleague unbeaten.

Though, the Eagles didn’t face the same level of competition as Garfield, Bulldog coach Lorenzo Hernandez is wary of his opponent.

“I don’t care who they’ve played,” he said. “They are 3-0, they’ve got an awesome running back (sophomore Julian Leon) and are very big. Their line averages 5-11, 6-0 and 250 pounds. Their tight end is a monster. They run that power-I and will be tough.”

In last week’s 28-6 win over Eagle Rock, Leon ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Francisco Rodriguez provided just enough passing to keep the defenses honest by throwing for 43 yards and a score (to Andrew Ruiz).

Garfield, on the other hand, is trying to end a three-game losing streak.

Since the 29-28 upset of defending City Division champion Birmingham in the opener, the Bulldogs have been on the short end of scores the last three weeks. The 24-3 loss to San Pedro, though, didn’t reflect the competitive nature of the contest.

It was 3-3 until late in the third quarter when San Pedro scored two quick touchdowns. One was on an interception return and before the Bulldogs knew it, the game was out of reach.

“I thought we played hard,” Hernandez said. “It was even looking decent for us when it was 10-3. Then the pick went the other way.”

Quarterback Patrick Vargas completed 14 of 27 for 133 yards and Sergio Macedo paced the ground game with 41 yards on 16 carries. Lanny Delgado had five receptions for 54 yards.

The only points were provided by Julio Silva on a 26-yard field goal that tied the score, 3-3 in the third quarter.

Gabriel Soto (seven solo tackles, two assists) and Moses Saucedo (two sacks, four solos) paced the defense.

Even though this is the first time this year Garfield High School’s football team won’t be playing someone who won a championship last year, it still can’t afford a letdown.

After opening with a 29-28 victory over defending City upper-division champion Birmingham, the Bulldogs dropped a 31-22 decision to St. Paul, the defending Southern Section Western Division titlist.

Friday, they visit Wilson, which gave Roosevelt all it could handle before losing, 21-20 in its opener. Wilson has been a perennial qualifier for the City Invitational (lower division) playoffs.

“If we don’t come with our ‘A’ game, we’ll struggle,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “Coach (Eddie) Martinez always has them ready. They’re big, their linebackers are fast and their quarterback is not bad. They have a great wide receiver (Anthony Denham).”

Hernandez said the Bulldogs certainly didn’t bring their ‘A’ game to St. Paul.

“We were there physically, but not mentally,” he said. “We didn’t execute at times, our defense didn’t perform well and we made a ton of mistakes.

“I think St. Paul just wanted it more.”

St. Paul led 17-6 at the half and soon increased the advantage to 24-6 in the third quarter when a blocked punt set up a 35-yard scoring pass from Paul Lopez to Willie Duff.

A bright spot for Garfield was quarterback Patrick Vargas, who completed 13 of 28 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Bobby Vargas and Dominic Lam caught the scoring passes.

The running attack was led by Sergio Macedo, who had 61 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

Defensively, Hector Cazales had six tackles, two assists and a sack and Willie Fonseca had five tackles and two assists.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 12.SEP.08
Big wins for Garfield High School’s football program are usually defined by defeating Roosevelt in the East L.A. Classic or taking the City’s lower-division Invitational title, which it did last year.

The Bulldogs, simply put, are not supposed to beat the big boys.

That’s why Garfield’s stunning 29-28 upset of defending City upper-division champion Birmingham in the Sept. 4 opener set off such a wild post-game celebration.

Birmingham, after all, carried a 13-game winning streak into the game and featured its usual complement of top-tier college prospects, number one being USC-bound wide receiver De’Von Flournoy.

As Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez put it, “We were underdogs, no doubt about it. Our kids were not supposed to be here, but they showed a lot of heart. That has to play a part in it.”

His reaction to the win?

“It’s a dream-come-true,” he said.

In a best-case scenario for Hernandez, Garfield would keep it close going into the final quarter.

Devontae Brooks returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to give the Patriots a quick lead, giving Garfield the kind of early jolt its psyche didn’t need.

They would add a second score on reserve quarterback Steven Zamora’s one-yard run midway through the second period for a 14-0 advantage.

The tide began to turn when Garfield put together a scoring drive of its own that ended with Patrick Vargas throwing scoring pass to Aaron Salas with five seconds left in the half. That set off a run of 29 unanswered points for the Bulldogs, who built an improbable 15-point lead, then held on for dear life as Birmingham scored twice in the final 3:24 to cut the margin to a point. The Bulldogs stuffed a two-point conversion try following the second score to preserve the lead, then gained possession when Birmingham’s onside kick failed to travel the required 10 yards.

Hernandez promised a more wide-open offense than the one-dimensional attack that has marked the program in the past. Promise kept.

Vargas, his 5-foot-4 quarterback, completed 13 of 19 passes for 146 yards and three touchdowns.

“Patrick has been playing quarterback his whole life and understands the game,” Hernandez said. “He did a great job.”

That complemented a still-potent running attack that produced another 178 yards. The one-two tailback punch of Sergio Macedo (19 carries for 89 yards) and Franky Diaz (nine for 53) produced the bulk of it, but fullback Omar Hernandez contributed a tough 35 yards on 11 carries, converting several first downs on third-and-short along the way.

Cornerback Lanny Delgado was a standout on both sides of the ball.

His goal-line interception in the first half killed a Birmingham scoring threat and he batted away several other passes intended for Flournoy.

From his wide receiver spot, Delgado caught three for 59 yards, including a 33-yard scoring strike from Vargas with 4:56 left in the third quarter that gave the Bulldogs their first lead.

Eric Saucedo’s 32-yard interception return for a touchdown with 4:42 remaining in the game gave them their biggest lead at 29-14.

“I knew our kids would battle,” the coach said. “I just told them beforehand, I want to be in a position to win at the end.”

LaDainian Tomlinson will help us announce and congratulate the 710 ESPN High School Football Player of the Week on Mason & Ireland each Tuesday.

This week's winner is Quarterback Patrick Vargas from Garfield.

The 5'5" QB was 13-of-18 for 144 yards and three Touchdowns.
Garfield beat Birmingham 29-28 in one of the biggest upsets in recent memory. Birmingham was the back to back defending city champs and won 13 in a row."

But Garfield deserved to win. The players outhustled, outfought and outsmarted the Patriots all night. It was amazing to watch the skill, toughness and determination of 5-foot-5 quarterback Patrick Vargas, who threw three touchdown passes while being the smallest player on the field.

I never would have thought Garfield could beat Birmingham, a team that should have represented Southern California last season in the Division I state CIF championship bowl game. But this isn't the same Birmingham team, and Garfield deserves credit for stepping up and taking a shot at the City's best.

See, sometimes dreams and upsets happen when coaches and players take a chance. Other teamsin the City who continue to just settle for playing in the City Invitational division might learn something from Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez. It was his dream night that came true.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Garfield High football fans are among the most loyal and dedicated in the Southland, and they especially enjoy victories over their arch rival, Roosevelt.

But on Thursday night, the Bulldog nation was rejoicing after perhaps the most improbable victory in school history, a 29-28 triumph over two-time defending City Section Championship Division champion Lake Balboa Birmingham behind a 5-foot-5 senior quarterback named Patrick Vargas, who threw three touchdown passes.

"It's like a dream come true," Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. "It's surreal. I'm like, 'Are we really supposed to be here?' "

It was Hernandez who decided to move Garfield, last year's City Invitational champion, into the City Championship Division this season and try to take on the big boys. And no one is bigger than Birmingham, which had a 13-game win streak snapped.

Garfield scored 29 consecutive points after falling behind, 14-0. Then Birmingham almost pulled off a miracle comeback.

Trailing, 29-14, the Patriots got a 10-yard touchdown run from Kimbrick Collier with 3:24 left, then a two-point conversion run from Collier to close to 29-22.

Garfield only needed to run out the clock, but the Bulldogs lost the ball on a fumble recovered by Victor Garcia with 2:37 remaining.

Quarterback Morey Croson completed passes of 15 and 38 yards to De'Von Flournoy. Trajuan Briggs scored on a three-yard touchdown run with 1:33 left, making it 29-28.

Birmingham Coach Ed Croson decided to go for the victory and seek a two-point conversion. Backup quarterback Steven Zamora took the handoff, briefly lost the ball, then darted toward the end zone. The ball appeared to cross into the end zone, then fell out of his hands back toward the five-yard line. The officials ruled he did not score.

Garfield then ran out the clock as its fans celebrated at Birmingham.

There were many standouts for Garfield, which controlled the clock throughout with an effective running game, but no one was more valuable than Vargas, who was 5-0 as a starting quarterback last season. He threw touchdown passes of 14 yards to Aaron Salas, 10 yards to Franky Diaz and 33 yards to Lanny Delgado.

At one point in the second half, Vargas completed seven consecutive passes. He finished 13 of 18 for 144 yards.

"He's been playing football all his life and understands how to take charge on the field," Hernandez said.

Morey Croson was intercepted twice, with Eric Saucedo of Garfield returning one interception 30 yards for a touchdown. Delgado was outstanding playing cornerback and covering the USC-bound Flournoy, who struggled with an injured ankle.

Sergio Macedo rushed for 108 yards in 20 carries for Garfield. Croson passed for 231 yards.

Birmingham junior receiver Davontae Brooks started the game with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Later, he had a 44-yard pass reception to set up a one-yard touchdown by Zamora.

But weaknesses by Birmingham were exposed all night by Garfield, and the Patriots didn't help matters by committing 14 penalties for 102 yards.

Two-time defending City Section champion Birmingham of Lake Balboa had its season turned upside down Thursday in a shocking 29-28 nonleague season opening loss to Garfield of Los Angeles.

After falling behind 29-14 with 4:42 left, Birmingham's stagnant offense finally broke out, as the Patriots scored touchdowns in a 3:29 span.

Kimbrick Collier rushed for a 10-yard score and, after Birmingham recovered a Garfield fumble, Trajuan Briggs (12 carries, 48 yards) found the end zone from 3 yards out, pulling the Patriots -- ranked No. 14 in the state by Cal-Hi sports -- to within one point with 1:13 remaining.

Coach Ed Croson decided to go for the victory with a two-point conversion attempt, but Steven Zamora was stopped short right at the goal line.

"We scored on that conversion, the TV (replay) shows it," Croson said. "It's a human game, though. The officials aren't perfect, and neither am I."

The Patriots, who had their 13-game winning streak snapped, got off to a good start when Davontae Brooks returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to take a 6-0 lead, and Birmingham led 14-0 in the second quarter, but Garfield used a punishing running game to control the clock, and pulled to within 14-7 at halftime as Patrick Vargas threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Salas with 5.8 seconds left in the second quarter.

It was more of the same in the second half for the Bulldogs. Vargas (12 of 17, 146 yards) connected with Franky Diaz on an 11-yard touchdown pass on the first drive of the second half to cap a 13-play, 65-yard drive that ate up over six minutes.

"No excuses but we lost 11 starters on defense and we lost five coaches," Croson said.

After stopping Birmingham on its next drive, Garfield responded with another Vargas touchdown pass. Lanny Delgado caught a 33-yard strike and the Bulldogs led 21-14.

Birmingham quarterback Morey Croson then threw an interception that was returned 30 yards for a touchdown by Eric Saucedo as Garfield took a 29-14 lead.

USC-bound receiver De'Von Flournoy finished with six receptions for 113 yards for Birmingham, but only had two catches going into the fourth quarter.

Croson completed 12 of 22 passes for 236 yards.

Garfield's Sergio Macedo (19 carries, 116 yards), Diaz (nine carries, 56 yards) and Omar Hernadez (12 carries, 36 yards) were instrumental in controlling the clock and keeping the Patriots' offense off the field.

Birmingham also didn't help itself with 14 penalties for 102 yards.

"Garfield came in believing they could win and we didn't think they could do that," Croson said. "This was just a high school football game. We teach children how to become men. Our sole purpose is not to win games or make state championship games or get college scholarships. We are teaching kids to negotiate life, keep trying when you don't want to try anymore."

- Jacob Pollon

Lorenzo Hernandez clearly doesn’t believe in scheduling a bunch of cream puffs to get ready for league.

The coach of defending City Invitational Division football champion Garfield High School opens a challenging pre-Eastern League schedule Thursday at Birmingham, the defending City (upper) Division champion. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

In the coming weeks, the Bulldogs will be facing St. Paul, Wilson and San Pedro.

“We want to play the better teams so we can put our kids in the position to compete at the highest level,” Hernandez said. “It also gives our kids a lot of exposure.”

Birmingham’s speed and size will be a challenge, admits Hernandez.

“We just want to give ourselves a chance to be in the game and compete,” he said. “We want to see how we do against the upper-echelon teams.”

Under Hernandez, Garfield has built its reputation for a run-oriented, smash-mouth style of football.

That the defending City Section Invitational Division champions return two All-City tailbacks in Franky Diaz (230 carries for 1,361 yards, 18 touchdowns) and Sergio Macedo (173 for 1,155 yards and 13 TDs), it wouldn’t be a stretch to think the 2008 season is going to be more of the same.

Additionally they return a fullback in Omar Hernandez, who ran for 463 yards, and add a speedster from the frosh-soph team in Damian Guzman to the backfield.

“We are deep at running back,” Hernandez admits. “We have a nice blend of speed, shiftiness and power.”

The coach plans on being more diversified offensively. Patrick Vargas, who stands 5-foot-4, provides enough of a passing threat to keep defenses honest, according to the coach. He’s also a running threat. His big value, though, is leadership.

“Patrick is a smart kid who is like an extra coach on the field,” Hernandez said. “Plus he can get the ball where it needs to go, too.”

Three veteran offensive linemen — Guards Andrew Burgueno (6-2, 300) and Chris Sandoval (5-9, 230) and tackle Fausto Salazar (5-10, 200) — provide protection up front.

Defense should be in solid hands, especially in the secondary.

Garfield returns Roy Fonseca, Lanny Delgado and Dominic Lam, who all earned some All-City recognition a year ago. Safety Eric Saucedo completes a solid unit.

Sophomores Moses Salcedo (end) and Hector Cazales (linebacker) have been impressive newcomers.

“We’re a little smaller than last year on defense, but we’re faster,” Hernandez said. Our sophomores are very fast on the edge and our secondary, as a group, is very good.”

Both Jordan High School coach Elijah Asante and Garfield’s Lorenzo Hernandez figure a rugged schedule in the beginning is only going to pay dividends down the road.

It did for Jordan, which survived the likes of Esperanza and Edison early on to win the Eastern championship and advance to the City playoffs. This year, the Bulldogs face a gauntlet that opens with Locke Friday, then continues with Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei.

Garfield, the defending City Invitational champ, opens at defending City Division champion Birmingham Thursday, then takes on St. Paul, Wilson and San Pedro down the road.

“We want to see how we compete against the upper-echelon level teams,” Garfield’s Hernandez said. “It’s going to help us once we get into league.”

And, according to Hernandez, the Eastern League has never been better from top to bottom.

“Jordan is going to be the top dog,” he said. “They gave us a good battle in the passing leagues. Huntington Park and Roosevelt are sleepers, South East has a great running back.”

Jordan returns a large group of three-year starters, including All-City quarterback and defensive end James Boyd, who has commited to USC. Boyd passed for 2,499 yards and 23 touchdowns. He had 72 tackles and 11 sacks from his end spot.

Receiver Delvon Purvis and safety Eric Hunter are other key returnees for Jordan.

Garfield brings back a potent running back tandem in Franky Diaz (1,361 yards, 18 touchdowns) and Sergio Macedo (1,155, 13).

It also has a standout secondary that features Roy Fonseca, Lanny Delgado and Dominic Lam.

Roosevelt returns one of the City’s leading passers in Jesse Diaz, who threw for 2,460 yards and 18 scores as a junior, and a good corps of receivers. The best of the bunch is Manny Ayon, who caught 43 passes for 746 yards last year.

South East has an All-City running back Senen Carson (1,300 yards in 2007) to build around. Hernandez predicts he’ll gain 3,000 yards this year.

Huntington Park, which upset two-time defending Invitational champion Eagle Rock in the first round of the playoffs, will again be in the playoff picture.

Returning from a 7-6 club is quarterback Arnulfo Murillo (6-3, 220), who played wide receiver a year ago. Also back are tailback Hector De La Rosa and running back Erick Velasquez. Fullback Carlos Hernandez (5-5, 230) also returns.

Providing experience on the offensive line are Albert Gallegos and Abel Raygoza.

Junior Jorge Rios could take over at tailback. Christian Ramirez is a junior wide receiver who could contribute.

South Gate was 0-10 a year ago, but looks to improve under new coach Reginald Grant, a cornerback for the New York Jets in 1978.

There is talent on the Rams roster, the best being wide receiver Josue Valdez and his twin brother, Felipe, a defensive back. Josue, who caught 30 passes for 300 yards and three scores as a junior, is getting looks from a number of college programs.

Irving Villasenor, a backup last year, steps into the starting role at quarterback.

Offensive tackle Ricardo Najera (6-1, 290), linebacker Steven Iberra (5-11, 240) and defensive tackle Michael Duarte (6-0, 400) are other top returnees.

Strong safety Jose Cercero (6-2, 240) has been an impressive newcomer.

At Bell, co-coaches Frank Medina and Ramon Ochoa are looking for a turnaround following a 1-8 season.

Francisco Rodriguez is back at quarterback and Antonio Williams returns at running back, so there is some experience in the backfield for the Eagles. Rodriguez had six scoring passes, but was intercepted 10 times a year ago.

Other returnees include Jonathan Valdivia at defensive back, Julian Leon at running back and Juan Lucero at middle linebacker and fullback. Lucero goes 6-3, 260.

Garfield of L.A. (0-0) at Birmingham of Lake Balboa (0-0), 7:30: The PM era (post-Milton) begins for Birmingham, which begins its quest for a third consecutive City championship and fifth over the past seven seasons.

Birmingham has a top WR in USC-bound De'Von Flournoy, and the key to this season figures to be the development of the rest of the receiving corps, as all except Jake Granitz lack experience. If one or two WRs emerge, then returning QB Morey Croson should be primed for a big season.

Milton Knox's successor is promising junior Trajuan Briggs. Garfield won the City Invitational title last year but should be in way over its head.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

The game will be televised tape delay on LA36 on Friday at 9:30 p.m. and air again on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Two schools are consistently mentioned when talk turns to the L.A. City Section's Eastern League - L.A. Jordan and Garfield.

Jordan is the defending league champion (7-4, 6-0 in 2007) and returns USC commitment James Boyd as both its starting quarterback (2,499 passing yards, 23 passing TDs) and defensive end (140 tackles, 11 sacks, City Defensive Lineman of the Year).

The Bulldogs also return receivers DeShawn Beck, Eric Hunter and Delvon Purvis and have a brutal nonleague schedule that pits them against Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei in consecutive games.

Garfield (11-3, 4-2) won the City Section Invitational title a year ago after a second-place finish in league. Senior tailbacks Frankie Diaz and Sergio Macedo combined for more than 2,800 rushing yards as juniors and senior cornerback Lanny Delgado is a returning All-City performer.

But schools such as South East and Huntington Park also could be part of the mix this season. South East (8-4, 4-2) reached the second round of the Invitational playoffs a year ago and Huntington Park (7-6, 3-3) returns seven starters from a team that upset top-seeded Eagle Rock and reached the Invitational quarterfinals.

At Roosevelt, the Rough Riders (6-5, 3-3) will have senior Jesse Diaz at quarterback. As a junior, Diaz led the City Section in total offense (over 2,700 combined passing and rushing yards, 18 TDs).

Junior running back Manny Ayon averaged 8.0 yards per carry last season and senior Rafael Ortega is a returning first-team all- league linebacker.

Bell and South Gate are looking to rebound from tough seasons.

Bell went just 1-8 a year ago (1-5 in league) but returns six starters and 12 players that played significantly.

At South Gate, first-year coach Reginald Grant is out to turn around a program that went 0-10, 0-6 a year ago.

"We're scared," Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. "No, I'm joking. It's a question thrown around a lot. Why don't certain teams move up? We're confident playing anybody will make us better."

The Bulldogs will get an immediate idea of where they stand by opening the season on Sept. 4 against defending City champion Birmingham.

Hamilton is also making the move up to the Championship Division.

Here's the complete rundown of teams separated by divisions in the City Section.

Championship: Crenshaw, Dorsey, Fremont, Locke, Banning, Carson, Gardena, Narbonne, San Pedro, Washington, Hamilton, Venice, Westchester, Garfield, Jordan, Kennedy, San Fernando, Sylmar, Birmingham, Chatsworth, Granada Hills, Taft.

Invitational: Jefferson, Manual Arts, Fairfax, University, Bell, Huntington Park, Roosevelt, South East, South Gate, Belmont, Eagle Rock, Franklin, Lincoln, Marshall, Wilson, Bernstein, Contreras, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Santee, West Adams, Arleta, Canoga Park, Grant, North Hollywood, Poly, Van Nuys, Verdugo Hills, Monroe, Panorama, Reseda, Cleveland, El Camino Real.

-- Eric Sondheimer

One thing is almost certain regarding Saturday’s L.A. Army Strong Fiesta Bowl High School All-Star Game — the football is going to be in the air.

At least that figures to be the case for the City Section in the City vs. Southern Section contest that kicks off at 4 p.m. at L.A. Wilson High School.

Wilson coach Eddie Martinez has his own quarterback, Steven Batista, at the helm. All Batista did a year ago was rank second in the City in passing yards with 2,503, to go along with 22 touchdown passes.

He’ll have a group of talented receivers to throw to, namely Franklin’s Patrick Donahue, who caught 67 passes for a City-best 1,102 yards. Franklin’s Rene Gomez ranked fourth in the City with 805 yards on 63 catches. South East’s Bryan Munoz ranked fifth with 799 on 40 catches. The versatile Munoz also rushed for 248 yards and intercepted three passes on defense.

Wilson’s Aaron Bartosek, who caught 52 passes for 626 yards, was one of Batista’s favorite receivers last fall.

Lincoln running back Martin Martinez and Roosevelt speedster Jonathan Torres are two of the better ball carriers for the City.

Defensively, the City has more than its share of talent.

Garfield All-City linebacker David Lopez, whose 159 tackles ranked second in the City, leads that unit.

Roosevelt linebacker Jeremy Aguilar, who had 146 tackles, and Wilson defensive lineman Nate Gutierrez, who ranked second in the City with 14.5 sacks, are other standouts on that side of the ball.

The Southern Section, coached by San Gabriel’s Keith Jones, has its share of standouts, as well.

Muir running back Willie Youngblood, who rushed for 1,280 yards and 19 TDs, is one of the featured players.

Blair running back Devin Fuller, who had 1,364 yards and 15 TDs, and Arcadia defensive back Kevan Walker, the son of UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, are other standouts.

Two-time defending City champion Birmingham and 2007 Invitational champion Garfield have agreed to play a season opening game at Birmingham on Sept. 4. The schools signed the contracts for the game this week.

I don't know if this is the first time the defending playoff champions have met in a season opener, but I'msure it hasn't happened often.

"Garfield was the one team who wanted to play us that was available that week," Birmingham Coach Ed Croson said. "I remember when other schools would play us and give us a chance to step up as a program. It was time for us to do the same.

"And they're a good team."

Croson added it hasn't been determined if this is a home-and-home situation. "We'll see how it goes. But I'm not adverse to a home-and-home."

Garfield’s Lorenzo Hernandez is the coach of the year, while linebacker David Lopez is defensive player of the year and guard Efrain Gonzalez is offensive lineman of the year.

Lopez recorded 147 tackles and eight sacks to lead a tough Bulldog defense. The bulk of Garfield’s running plays went to Gonzalez’ side of the field.

Because of the blocking of Gonzalez, the Bulldogs produced two 1,000-yard rushers in Franky Diaz and Sergio Macedo. Diaz, who had 196 yards rushing in the Invitational title game against University, was an All-City Invitational pick.

Franklin junior quarterback Adrian Diaz is the offensive player of the year after throwing for 2,451 yards and 24 touchdowns with five interceptions.

Linebackers Darwin Bacelis of Eagle Rock and Kenneth Green of Los Angeles are co-defensive players of the year.

Bacelis had 108 solo tackles, eight sacks, two interceptions and four fumble recoveries. Green, the Southern League MVP, had 166 tackles and 13 sacks.

----------

Birmingham’s Milton Knox is the City player of the year on the All-City team selected by prep sportswriters.

Lopez, Bacelis and Macedo (punter) were first-team picks. Second-team honors went to Garfield defensive lineman Christian Orozco, Diaz, Wilson defensive lineman Nathan Gutierrez and Eagle Rock punter Jelani Blunt.

HAIL TO THE CHAMPS

A rally honoring the City Section Invitational Division champion Garfield High School football team will be held on the field at 6 p.m. Thursday.

The team, a 28-23 winner over University last Friday at the Coliseum in the title game, will be honored along with the school's award-winning band, according to football coach Lorenzo Hernandez.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 13.DEC.07
Franky Diaz’ memories of games at the Coliseum range from the good to the bad.

He recalls attending the East L.A. Classic as a grade schooler when the Roosevelt-Garfield rivalry was held there. Last season, he was part of a Garfield High School team that suffered a gut-wrenching 21-17 loss to Eagle Rock in the City Section Invitational Division championship game.

As a backup to a pair of All-City running backs, he wasn’t able to influence the 2006 game that much.

That he played a lead role this time made it even more satisfying for the junior tailback, whose 30 carries for 196 yards, including the game-deciding 48-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, helped Garfield defeat University, 28-23 last Friday in the Invitational final.

“The feeling is unexplainable, especially coming from last year,” he said. “I saw the tears in my brother’s (Miguel, a free safety and wide receiver now at UC Davis) eyes last year (following the loss) and I knew I didn’t want to feel that way again.”

He certainly likes this feeling.

“I’ve been here at the Coliseum watching the Classic when I was in the second or third grade, so this is something I’ve always dreamed about.”

Coach Lorenzo Hernandez, who directed Garfield to the second City title (it won the 2-A crown in 1981) in school history, said, “This is a great feeling, something I’ve always dreamed about. I really wanted this for the kids. It’s all about them. They worked so hard and earned it.

“When you consider the history, that this was only the second City championship in school history, it starts to sink in.

“This was kind of bittersweet because we should have had it last year. We never won in the Coliseum when the Classic was here. I was feeling we were kind of hexed.”

This was a clash of styles: Garfield’s ball-control power-I against University’s big-play option offense.

The Bulldogs (11-3) won out, but it was more a matter of survival than anything.

Seemingly every time Garfield scored, the Wildcats (9-5) would answer with a quick strike.

In the opening quarter, Garfield went on a 99-yard, five-play drive, capped by Sergio Macedo’s 27-yard run, to take a 6-0 lead that would last all of 45 seconds.

Trayone Harris then went 64 yards on the first play following the kickoff to get the Wildcats even. Andy Campos’ kick gave them their only lead.

In period number two, fullback Eddie Valencia’s one-yard scoring run ended another Bulldog drive that led to a 14-7 lead. Less than two minutes later, University tied the score at 14-14 on a 26-yard run by Travis Rawls.

A 10-yard scoring pass from Patrick Vargas to Adrian Longoria gave Garfield the lead again at 21-14 with 6:50 left in the third quarter.

Not even a squib kick on the next play could save the Bulldogs. Harris fielded the high bouncer and raced 71 yards for the tying score.

Even after Diaz’ 48-yard run gave them the lead for good at the 4:54 mark of the third quarter, the Bulldogs had to withstand a few nervous moments.

They stopped them on downs once at the seven, then again in the closing moments. When Lanny Delgado batted down a fourth-down pass intended for Harris in the end zone with 1:02 left, Garfield was almost home-free. They still needed to run out the final seconds and on the final play, Vargas took an intentional safety by running into the end zone as time expired.

“They were so athletic,” Hernandez said of the Wildcats. “We tried to kick short on them and they still bust it.”

A 311-yard rushing effort, led by Diaz, fullback Omar Hernandez (10 carries for 70 yards) and Macedo (nine for 57), enabled Garfield to win the time-of-possession battle. Harris (16 carries for 116 yards) and Rawls (14 for 116) helped University averaged 6.5 yards per carry.

Defense was huge for the Bulldogs.

Senior middle linebacker David Lopez was all over the field making plays behind or near the line of scrimmage. He had 10 tackles, including three for loss, two others for no gain and a sack.

“Our defense is the strong point of this team,” Hernandez said. “Lopez had the kind of game Division I (college) schools will measure him by.”

For Garfield, the only thing better would be a return to the Coliseum next year to defend its title.

But after talking it over with his team, and principal Omar M. Del Cueto, on Monday, Lorenzo said the Bulldogs will try to win the Invitational championship again in 2008.

"I'm about challenges," said Hernandez, who has the offensive core of his team coming back. "I felt we accomplished what we set out to do in winning the Invitational, and I wanted to set the bar higher for us.

"If we have a successful season next year, I hope we will consider trying to move up again."

As the final seconds ran off the clock, the Garfield High School contingent began to chant “East L.A.! East L.A.! And East L.A. is now home to a City Section football title for the first time in 26 years, as Garfield outlasted University, 28-23, last Friday in the City Invitational finals at the Coliseum.

Garfield won the 2-A championship in 1981 for its only City football title, but lost title games in 1982, 1989 and 2006. Friday’s victory helped ease the pain of last year’s loss for many members of the team.

“That game has been on our minds since the beginning of the season,” senior linebacker David Lopez said, recalling the 21-17 loss to Eagle Rock in a game the Bulldogs led 17-7 in the fourth quarter. “We came out here with a lot of hunger because of some unfinished business. We finished strong this year.”

The game matched two teams with contrasting styles on offense: Garfield attacking the opposition with a ball-control approach led by its hard-nosed running backs; and University using its explosive running backs out of a wishbone set.

Garfield won thanks to a defensive stand in the final two minutes, the second of two it put up in the fourth quarter.

Trailing 28-21, University reached the Bulldogs’ 8-yard line on its final drive, but on fourth-and-goal from the 12, Garfield cornerback Lanny Delgado knocked away a pass in the end zone to end the threat.

“Had University scored they would have gone for the two-point conversion and the win because Coach E.C. Robinson always goes for two,” Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “It was a very emotional finish. But like I’ve said from the beginning, the strong point of our team is our defense and it showed out there.”

After University used its final two timeouts, Garfield had the ball at its own 20 with five seconds remaining. Rather than risk a blocked punt, quarterback Patrick Vargas took the snap and ran back to his own end zone, giving up a safety, but ensuring a victory for Garfield as time had expired.

“All the hard work we put in paid off,” senior wide receiver and defensive back Mychal Mack said as he fought back tears. “All the hard practices, the practices at 5 in the morning, all the bleachers (we ran), all the miles and all the meetings, it all paid off for us. This is what we worked for.”

A raspy-voiced Hernandez admitted afterward that he wanted vindication for last year.

“Yes, for the kids,” he said as he tried to call his wife, who was at home with their newborn son, from the field on a cell phone. “It’s all about them and they worked, and they earned it. It’s been a long time since Garfield has won a championship and I’m just glad to be the person to get it for them. What an awesome feeling. I’ve always dreamed about coming to a school and getting a championship. It’s great.”

A 48-yard touchdown run by running back Franky Diaz gave Garfield (11-3) a 28-21 lead with 4:54 left in the third quarter. Diaz was the workhorse in Garfield’s potent running attack with 196 yards on 30 carries. He had 124 yards on 21 attempts in the first half.

University tried to answer and drove from its own 45 to the Garfield 8. But on the first play of the fourth quarter, the Wildcats were stopped and turned the ball over on downs to the Bulldogs.

Garfield missed a chance to add to its lead after defensive end Jiovany Bautista recovered a fumble at the University 31. However, a tiring, but valiant, Wildcat defense stiffened and stopped Garfield’s fourth-down play at the 34 with 5:10 to play.

Behind Travis Rawls, including a 27-yard run and a 15-yard pass reception, University drives to the Garfield 8. But after a 5-yard loss, the Wildcats are faced with third-and-goal from the 13. On third down, Garfield linebacker Carlos Perez batted down a pass. Delgado ended the threat on the next play with his deflection.

Garfield’s defense was also led by defensive end Christian Orozco and safety Roy Orozco.

“I knew beating Garfield was going to be a tough task and I felt it would come down to who had the ball last,” Robinson said. “I thought we could hurt them with the pass, but we’re not a passing team, so it’s hard to start passing in the championship game when that is not your style.”

The teams played to a 14-14 tie in the first half. Garfield’s Sergio Macedo scored on a 27-yard touchdown run, but a sore hamstring prevented him from kicking extra points. After University had jumped offside, Garfield was unsuccessful on a two-point conversion attempt.

Forty-five seconds later, Trayone Harris ran 64 yards for a touchdown and University led, 7-6.

Garfield regained the lead, 14-7, in the second quarter on a 1-yard run by Eddie Valencia and a two-point conversion run by Diaz.

But a 26-yard touchdown run by Rawls tied the score, 14-14.

In the third quarter, a 10-yard touchdown pass by Vargas to Adrian Longoria and Roomel De La Torre’s point after try put the Bulldogs ahead, 21-14.

Garfield’s strategy on the kickoff was to kick short and away from the dangerous Harris. But Harris got a favorable bounce and he fielded the ball at his own 29 and ran 71 yards for a score-tying touchdown.

“We were trying to kick it short, but we get a wicked bounce and there he goes,” Hernandez said. “He’s dangerous.”

Harris (16 carries) and Rawls (14) accounted for most of University’s offense with 116 rushing yards each.

“They’re unbelievable,” Hernandez said. “They’re both great athletes and I’ll be shocked if they’re not playing at Division I school next year.”

Besides 196 yards from Diaz, Garfield also got 70 yards on 10 carries from Omar Hernandez and Macedo had 57 yards on nine attempts. They ran mostly behind tackles Efrain Gonzalez and Fausto Salazar, guards Oscar Torres and Edwin Mejia, center Justin Estrada, and tight ends Diego Granciano and Lopez.

The 2007 title is headed to East L.A. after the second-seeded Bulldog's 28-23 victory over 13th-seeded University (9-5) Friday in the Coliseum.

Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez could not relax until the game's final play, when Bulldogs quarterback Patrick Vargas ran into his own end zone for a safety as time expired, instead of risking a fourth-down punt. But Hernandez could also feel a sense of peace alongside his team's elation.

"I really wanted this for the kids," he said. "They worked hard, starting in February, to get back here. And they've earned it.... It's been a long time since we've had a championship [1981]. I'm just glad I could be the person to get them here. It's the great feeling I've always dreamed about."

Garfield is still ahead, 28-21.

Diaz unofficially has 181 yards in 25 carries.

After taking the second-half kickoff at their own 45, Garfield methodically ran 10 plays and scored on a 10-yard pass from Patrick Vargas to Javier Alcantar. The nine previous plays were on the ground.

Garfield leads University, 21-14, with 6:50 to play in the third quarter.

Both University and Garfield are playing to their strengths today in the Invitational final at the Coliseum.

Garfield has had time-consuming drives of 99 and 73 yards for its two touchdowns. University has gotten one big play each -- a 64-yard run by Trayon Harris and a 26-yard run by Travis Rawls -- for its two scores.

Going into the second half tied, 14-14, University should be concerned. Even though the Wildcats did stop Garfield on a fourth-and-goal at the four-yard line, their defense has already spent a long time on the field.

The Bulldogs have been successful pounding the left side of the University defensive line. I expect the Dawgs will keep at it until the Cats break.

"Christian Orozco took a hit on his left ankle in the Fairfax game," Hernandez said. "He's trying to work through it in warmups, but I'm not sure he can go."

Orozco, a three-year varsity player, is one of the Bulldog's best defenders against the run -- something they could use against University's wishbone offense.

But I'll bet Garfield and University are glad they are playing their Invitational title game first. The Bulldogs and Wildcats are set to kick off at 4 p.m.

The Championship Division game between top-seeded Birmingham and second-seeded Carson follows at 8.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 06.DEC.07
For Garfield High School, it’s better a year later than never.

At least that’s the hope of the Bulldogs, who have earned a return trip to the City Section Invitational Division football championship game where they’ll play University at 4 p.m. Friday at the Coliseum.

They hope it goes better than a year ago when they lost to Eagle Rock on a late touchdown. A fourth-and-one run up the middle turned into a fumble Eagle defensive Josh Jovanelly picked out of the air and returned for the game-winning touchdown.

“We were really torn up not being able to get that half-yard for a first down,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “It took a lot out of us for about a month as a coaching staff. It was tough losing a heart-breaker like that, which is why I feel blessed to be back.”

A different approach has paid off for the second-seeded Bulldogs, who take a 10-3 record into the City’s lower-division title game.

“We’re trying to focus more on the game and less on the hype,” he said. “We’re telling the kids we’re going to prepare like it is any other game. Last year I think we were a little nervous going in because we didn’t know what to expect.”

While Garfield is a considerably higher seed than the No. 13 of its opponent, Hernandez is not taking University lightly.

Veteran coach E.C. Robinson has the 9-4 Wildcats on a roll in the playoffs by posting wins over Marshall, Franklin and Huntington Park.

Containing University’s speed is the main concern.

“The way they run that wishbone, you have to respect their speed,” Hernandez said. “Their two running backs (Trayone Harris and Travis Rawls) are big, fast and powerful. They don’t go down easy, either.”

Robinson, who has spent the last six years at Uni after 25 years as Locke’s coach, said, “Both of our running backs are being recruited by Pac-10 schools. If you’ve got two good running backs and a good quarterback (Adam Clark) running the option, you can get it done as a team.”

Robinson has plenty of respect for the Bulldogs.

“They’re probably the best 3-A team I’ve seen all year,” he said. “I think they’re a step above Franklin and Huntington Park. They’re real tough and physical and remind me of some of the teams I had at Locke.”

While both teams are run-oriented, there is a contrast in styles.

While Uni relies on deception with its option attack, Garfield runs right at you out of the power-I.

Franky Diaz has 200 carries for 1,165 yards and 17 touchdowns and Sergio Macedo has 164 carries for 1,098 yards and 12 scores while sharing the running back duties for the Bulldogs. In a 7-0 win over Fairfax in the semifinals, Diaz ran for 116 yards and Macedo had 96.

Safety Roy Fonseca’s 32-yard interception return accounted for the game’s only score on a muddy field.

Harris and Rawls are both 1,000-yard rushers. Rawls has been especially hot of late with 600 yards in the three playoff games. Junior Nicholas Franklin anchors a strong Wildcat line.

So why isn’t the Garfield High School senior being beseiged by college recruiters?

Arizona State has been actively pursuing him, but others seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach. What they’re waiting to see is unclear.

“To be honest, I just don’t know,” Bulldog coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “We’ve contacted schools and sent out film. They come here to look at him, see him on film, and say they are impressed, then we don’t hear from them again. So I don’t know what they’re thinking.”

Lopez, a returning All-City selection, has 147 tackles, 94 of them solos, and seven sacks for a Garfield team that faces University in the City Section Invitational Division title game Friday at the Coliseum.

Many of his best games have come against the best competition, namely San Pedro during the regular season and during the playoffs. He had nine solo tackles and two sacks against Fairfax in a 7-0 semifinal victory.

“He’s the heart and soul of our defense,” Hernandez said. “He always gets to the ball. He makes all the calls on defense.”

University coach E.C. Robinson, whose Wildcats must account for Lopez Friday, is impressed with the Bulldog who wears No. 1 on his jersey.

“He’s the best linebacker I’ve seen all year long,” he said. “He’s a Division I linebacker.”

Robinson has a few college prospects of his own.

Senior running backs Trayone Harris and Travis Rawls are both getting looks from Pac-10 schools, according to the veteran coach.

A year after letting a 10-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter of the 2006 City Section Invitational finals, Garfield High School returns to the Coliseum looking for redemption and a title as the Bulldogs play University for the Invitational championship at 4 Friday afternoon.

For Garfield, the road back to the finals has been bumpy, and includes an emotional loss to Roosevelt in the East Los Angeles Classic. But the second-seeded Bulldogs (10-3) avenged the loss to their archrival by defeating the Rough Riders in the first round of the playoffs. They beat El Camino Real in the quarterfinals and Fairfax in the semifinals.

“Getting back to the Coliseum for the second time is tough, and after losing a heartbreaker like we did last year is why I really feel blessed to be going back,” Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “That loss last year really took a lot out of us as a coaching staff.”

Garfield appeared to be on its way to its first City title since 1981, when the Bulldogs took a 17-7 lead over Eagle Rock early in the fourth quarter of a game that it had for the most part dominated. But Eagle Rock scored two touchdowns in the final 5:17 with the last one coming on a 41-yard fumble return to score a stunning victory.

“We’re going to have to stay focused for four quarters to finish the deal,” said linebacker David Lopez, whose All-City caliber season has keyed Garfield’s return to the finals.

The Bulldogs, who have allowed only 26 points in three postseason games, needed four quarters of stellar defense to defeat visiting Fairfax, 7-0, last Friday on a rainy night and mostly muddy field.

Garfield survived a late scoring threat in the closing seconds. After a long pass completion, Fairfax had the ball at the Bulldogs’ 20-yard line in the final minute of play. But after a short completion, the Lions could get no closer as time expired two plays later.

A 32-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter by cornerback Roy Fonseca accounted for the game’s only score. An interception by safety Mark Torres deep in Garfield territory also stopped a Fairfax scoring threat in the second quarter.

Shutting down University (9-4) appears to be an even tougher task. The Wildcats are averaging 38 points per game in the playoffs with victories over Huntington Park (29-14), Franklin (48-43) and Marshall (37-29).

“You have to respect their (overall) speed and their running backs are fast and powerful,” Hernandez said.

The Wildcats are led by running backs Trayone Harris and Travis Rawls on offense and a Division I college prospect in cornerback Chazz Miles on defense.

University is coached by E.C. Robinson, the dean of coaches in the City with 31 years of service. Robinson spent 25 years at Locke coaching against Garfield for 20 of those before moving over to University, where he is now in his sixth season.

“Garfield is probably the best 3-A team that I’ve seen,” Robinson said, using an old term for Invitational. “They remind me of some of the teams that I had at Locke. They’re real tough and physical.”

The Bulldogs, like Locke, are also led by a pair of running backs in seniors Franky Diaz and Sergio Macedo, both of whom have rushed for over 1,000 yards. Diaz has racked up 1,165 yards and 17 touchdowns on 200 carries, while Macedo has gained 1,098 and 12 touchdowns on 164 attempts. The offense is directed by junior quarterback Patrick Vargas, who is hardly visible behind center Justin Estrada. The Bulldogs also start Efrain Gonzalez and Fausto Salazar at the tackles and Oscar Torres and Edwin Mejia at the guards.

Robinson praised the play of Lopez, the senior who is being recruited by several Pacific 10 conference colleges, including USC. Torres has 147 tackles, including 94 solos and seven sacks.

“He’s the best linebacker I’ve seen all year,” Robinson said. “He can get it done. I’m looking for this to be a great game.”

INVITATIONAL DIVISION

* Garfield (10-3) vs. University (9-4), at Coliseum, 4 p.m. Friday – Second-seeded Garfield, which defeated Fairfax, 7-0 in the semifinals, depends on defense and a methodical running game led by junior running backs Franky Diaz and Sergio Macedo. Diaz has 17 touchdowns and Macedo 12, and each has rushed for more than 1,000 yards.

Thirteenth-seeded University, which defeated Huntington Park, 29-14, in the other semifinal, also favors the running game, but the Wildcats expect to outscore opponents with their wishbone attack, which is led by senior speedsters Trayon Harris and Travis Rawls. Each has rushed for more than 1,000 yards, with Harris scoring 23 touchdowns and Rawls 16.

Speed is the one element the Garfield defense, led by senior linebacker David Lopez, has had trouble stopping. University does not have great size – its largest listed player, junior defensive tackle Franklin Nicholson, weighs 225 – and its defense can be worn down if has to stay on the field for long stretches.

Both teams lost to San Pedro. Garfield beat Fairfax, but University lost to the Lions, 14-8.

A low-scoring game Friday favors the Bulldogs, who won a 2A City title in 1981 and lost the Invitational title to Eagle Rock on a fumble last year. University has never won a City football championship, losing in the last final game in which it played, the 3A, to Westchester in 1987.

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But Hernandez will bring some previous experience to Friday's game when the second-seeded Bulldogs (10-3) and the 13th-seeded Wildcats (9-4) play for the City Invitational championship.

"When I was a kid playing at Huntington Park, he was coaching at Locke," Hernandez said of Robinson. "We were playing them for a conference championship. And it was the same offense, same everything.

"It will be interesting to see the same thing on Friday that I saw growing up as a kid."

In six games before the move, the Wildcats (9-4) averaged 28 points a game. In the seven contests after the change, the scoring average jumped to 31. But the difference has been more dramatic during the Invitational playoffs, when University has averaged 38 points.

"By having both Travis and Trayon running instead of Travis just blocking, teams have not been able to key on one guy," Robinson said.

Robinson hopes that Garfield (10-3), his team's opponent in the Invitational championship at 4 p.m. Friday in the Coliseum, isn't overly familiar with the wishbone. That said, the Bulldogs "may be the most balanced team we've seen in the playoffs," Robinson said. "They are very solid defensively, and they can score. They execute well on both sides of the ball."

But Bulldogs Coach Lorenzo Hernandez has been frustrated in getting college recruiters to appreciate Lopez. "We've sent film everywhere. We tried to play bigger teams like San Pedro to show how he could perform. When [recruiters] see the film they say he's great, but then they disappear."

Lopez may get some help from an unlikely source -- University Coach E.C. Robinson, whose team plays Garfield for the Invitational championship at 4 p.m. Friday at the Coliseum.

During a dinner Monday night for the City and Invitational coaches, Robinson told Hernandez that Boise State Coach Chris Peterson was coming to visit him on Tuesday to see some of the University players. "I'll make sure he also sees film on Lopez," Robinson said. "If it's OK, I'll give him the game film you exchanged with us. I also think he's the real deal, the best linebacker we've seen among [Invitational] teams."

“If somebody had said we would be back in the championship game before the season, I would have laughed,” Bulldog coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “We lost so many kids.”

But the Bulldogs have bucked the odds thus far and a victory over visiting Fairfax Friday in the semifinals would put them back in the title game that is scheduled for Dec. 7. No. 2 Garfield lost to Eagle Rock in last year’s final.

To make a return trip, the Bulldogs (9-3) must get past No. 3 Fairfax (8-4), which has playoff wins over Wilson, 35-28 and South East, 28-16. Garfield has topped Roosevelt, 31-13 and El Camino Real, 21-13 in the playoffs.

The winner takes on the survivor of the upper-bracket matchup between No. 16 Huntington Park (7-5) and University (8-4). Garfield defeated H.P. during Eastern League play.

Because Garfield has a strong system in place, the transition has gone fairly smooth, even with a lot of new faces in pivotal spots.

Again, the Bulldogs are doing it with a ball-control power running game in which Franky Diaz (1,049 yards rushing) and Sergio Macedo (1,002) have carried most of the load. Macedo rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries and Diaz gained 119 yards and one TD on 27 attempts against El Camino Real.

They’ve done it behind a strong offensive line that is led by center Justin Estrada and guard Efrain Gonzalez, and also includes guard Edwin Mejia, tackles Fausto Salazar and Oscar Torres and tight end Diego Granciano.

“The offensive line has done a great job,” Hernandez said.

Diaz and Macedo have formed a solid tandem while sharing the carries.

“It’s nice to have two guys like that,” the coach said. “They’re both so unselfish and are very determined runners.”

The defense will be put to the test by Fairfax.

Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said the one opponent that Garfield (9-3) faced this season with the offensive scheme closest to the no-huddle system used by Fairfax (8-4) was Jordan. And those Bulldogs hung a season-high (or low, depending on your view) 42 points on his Bulldogs.

"They do have athleticism as good if not better than Jordan," Hernandez said of Fairfax. "And their no-huddle system is almost college-style, standing on the line of scrimmage and getting their play signals from the sideline after the defense lines up."

"I think we have an idea how to prepare. We pride ourselves on defense. And our defense has to win the game. "

Mario Villegas Exclusive to EGP

After a stunning defeat to Eagle Rock in the 2006 championship game of the City Section Invitational finals, a frustrated Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez may have left the Coliseum wondering how long it would be before the Bulldogs would be back there.

It could be much sooner than he thought because Garfield is only a victory away, as the Bulldogs advanced to Friday night’s semifinals and play Fairfax at 7 at home.

“If somebody would have said to me that we would be back in the finals, I would have laughed because we lost so many players to graduation,” Hernandez said,

The second-seeded Bulldogs (9-3) defeated El Camino Real, 21-13, on the eve of Thanksgiving to advance to its semifinal date with Fairfax (8-4). The Lions defeated South East, 22-15, in last Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

Fairfax is explosive and its spread offense could give a Garfield team that has had problems defending against passing teams trouble.

“They have a lot of talented athletes and really are a 4-A (Championship Division) team playing in the Invitational,” Hernandez said. “This is a game that we’re going to have to win at the line of scrimmage, and, fortunately, our defense has been getting better.”

Garfield limited El Camino Real to only 10 yards of total offense in the first half of last week’s quarterfinal at Garfield, but the Bulldogs had to hold off the determined Conquistadores (5-7) in the fourth quarter to come away with the win.

After El Camino Real pulled to within 14-13 early in the fourth quarter, Garfield went on a 13-play, 61-yard drive with Sergio Macedo scoring on a 9-yard touchdown run to seal its victory.

Macedo led a potent Garfield rushing attack with 148 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. His first touchdown came on a 46-yard run early in the second half. Franky Diaz carried a game-high 27 times to add 119 yards and a touchdown.

But the other semifinal, Fairfax at Garfield, pits the two best teams left in the Invitational bracket, if you believe the seedings. Garfield (9-3) is seeded second and Fairfax (8-4) is seeded third.

Fairfax Coach Shane Cox offers plenty of respect for the Bulldogs defense, which has settled down after late-season losses to Jordan and Roosevelt.

"Their front four will be the best defensive line we've seen all year," Cox said. "They have three very good linebackers, and their middle backer (David Lopez) is a Division I-quality player. People are crazy if they're not recruiting him.

"Stopping the run is their strength, so we'll have to try some different things."

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 22.NOV.07
Revenge can be sweet, especially when it comes in the playoffs.

Just two weeks after losing to its chief rival in the East L.A. Classic, Garfield High School defeated Roosevelt, 31-13 last Thursday in the first round of the City Section Invitational Division football playoffs.

The second-seeded Bulldogs (8-3) earned the right to host El Camino Real (5-6) this week in the quarterfinals. The seventh-seeded Conquistadores topped Hamilton, 30-6 in the first round.

The winner advances to the semifinals Nov. 30.

“El Camino Real is a double-wing team that runs the ball 99 percent of the time,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “This will be a good matchup because our strength is stopping the run. They are a good Valley team with some good, fast athletes.”

The Bulldogs go into the game on a positive note, having avenged the 23-15 regular-season loss to Roosevelt.

“We needed this badly because the kids were starting to question themselves, wondering if we are really that good after losing our last two,” he said. “Our special teams and defense did a great job and our offense controlled the tempo. We put a lot more pressure on their quarterback (Jesse Diaz). We couldn’t get to him the first time, so we used our middle backer (David Lopez) on the outside. Lopez unloaded on him in the chest one time and he began to alligator-arm his throws after that.”

Diaz completed 20 of 26 for 222 yards, but was sacked five times, twice by Lopez. Lopez (11 tackles) and Roy Fonseca (10) were the busiest Bulldogs on defense.

The offense controlled the tempo with Franky Diaz carrying 27 times for 175 yards and three touchdowns and Sergio Macedo carrying 10 times for 85 yards. Omar Hernandez had 33 yards and a TD on 10 carries. Macedo kicked a 28-yard field goal.

What should help the Bulldogs the rest of the way is a switch at quarterback. Junior Patrick Vargas took over for season-long starter Javier Alcantar and did a solid job against the Rough Riders.

“We were getting too one-dimensional, and you can’t do that in the playoffs,” Hernandez said. “Patrick is able to throw to the flats, the out-routes, post-routes. He’s so smart he’s like a coach on the field. His only limitation is his height (5-foot-5).”

All previous matchups occured during the regular season. Never have they opposed each other in the playoffs.

That is until this year.

Thursday at Garfield, history will be made when the Bulldogs (7-3) host Roosevelt (6-4) in a first-round game of the City Section Invitational Division playoffs. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

When the City seeding meeting ended Saturday, Roosevelt wasn’t even in the playoffs. Jefferson was originally scheduled to face Garfield, but Jefferson failed to exchange game film with Garfield by the 1 p.m. Saturday deadline, so it was removed from the playoffs. The Democrats were replaced by Roosevelt, so the rest is history.

Garfield, which drew the No. 2 seed, will be the favorite, but the Bulldogs were favored two weeks ago when they lost, 23-15 in the Classic.

“It is a little surreal,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “After the first game, the kids were sad and said they wanted to play them again. They got their wish.”

Garfield, which lost to Eagle Rock in last year’s Invitational title game, is looking to do a better job against a pass-oriented Rough Rider team that nicked their secondary for 286 yards passing from junior quarterback Jesse Diaz in the Classic.

Diaz had another 363 yards and three TDs passing in last week’s 34-21 win over South Gate to give him 2,238 yards and 17 TDs for the season. He ranks among the leading passers in the City.

“We’ll never underestimate Roosevelt,” Hernandez said. “That first game was disheartening, but a learning experience. We needed a game to bounce back and got it against Bell (28-0 win). So we have a little momentum heading into the playoffs. I think it’s going to be a great game. It just a matter of execution.”

Like the first game, this is a contrast in styles with Garfield leaning on the run and Roosevelt relying on the pass.

Against Bell, Franky Diaz (10 carries for 71 yards) and Sergio Macedo (seven for 63) led a balanced rushing attack. They also got a solid game from quarterback Javier Alcantar, who was 10-of-15 for 132 yards and a touchdown.

Macedo has rushed for 762 yards and nine TDs and Diaz has gained 755 yards and scored 11 TDs.

For Roosevelt, Diaz spreads the wealth with Manny Ayon (38 catches for 655 yards, four TDs) leading the receiving corps. Art Hernandez has 25 catches for 430 yards.

When the Rough Riders do run out of their spread formation, Jonathan Torres (97 carries for 653 yards, five TDs) does most of the work.

Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said other venues were considered, including East Los Angeles College where the teams played their annual Classic game on Nov. 2. Hernandez also said fans should buy tickets early because Wilson's football facility is much smaller than East L.A.'s 10,000 20,355 seat stadium.

"We're telling fans to buy tickets through the schools starting Wednesday," Hernandez said. "I'm not sure how many tickets will be available at [Wilson]."

Roosevelt won the Nov. 2 game, 23-15, ending a two-game losing streak to Garfield. For Thursday's game, second-seeded Garfield is the home team. Roosevelt enters as the 15th-seeded team.

Take nothing away from Roosevelt (5-4, 2-3), which outplayed Garfield on Friday to earn a 23-15 victory in the 73rd East L.A. Classic. But in the last two weeks, both Jordan and Roosevelt have reduced the Bulldogs to a one-dimensional running team on offense. And if the Bulldogs can't run, they struggle trying to pass.

On defense, Garfield has been unable to stop the pass. Jordan quarterback James Boyd threw for 283 yards on Oct. 26, and Roosevelt quarterback Jesse Diaz passed for 286 yards on Friday.

Coach Lorenzo Hernandez knows corrections must come quickly if Garfield is going to do anything in the playoffs. "I don't think we've hit a wall. But ... it gets hard to bounce back when an opposing team scores. That's something we have to teach as coaches, being able to come back and play when that happens."

"It hurts to watch," said Aguilar, who is a redshirt this season at Missouri Southern State. "Even now, when you see the teams and hear the crowd, it gives you chills."

Roosevelt was making it harder to watch for Aguilar, building a 13-0 lead in the second quarter. But a 17-yard touchdown run by Garfield's Franky Diaz cut the deficit to 13-7 with 2:21 left in the first half.

But the 6-foot-3, 235-pound middle linebacker has all the requisite size and skills to make him the first player of that level in the six years Lorenzo Hernandez has been the Bulldogs coach.

He’ll be one of the players to watch when Garfield and Roosevelt square off Friday in the 73rd East L.A. Classic at East L.A. College.

“There’s no reason he shouldn’t be playing at that level,” Hernandez said of Lopez, who leads Garfield with 81 tackles. “He has the prototypical body. He’s 6-3, 235 with long arms and is athletic. He’s run a 4.6, 4.7 40. He’s the most legitimate Division I kid I’ve had here.”

Hernandez, who has sent players to programs below the Division I level, said the bigger programs have taken notice of Lopez, an excellent run-stopper.

It will probably take a victory over the Bulldogs and another next week over South Gate for Roosevelt (4-4, 1-3) to earn one of the 16 slots in the Invitational playoff bracket.

"We know once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen," Rough Riders Coach Javier Cid said. "Our priority is to win this game. But getting into the playoffs is more important."

Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez is pretty sure his team will reach the playoffs. The only question is where it will be seeded. The Bulldogs (6-2,3-1), who finish their season next week against Bell, have only lost to Jordan in league play. But Jordan is being investigated by the City Section office for possibly using an ineligible player. If the Eastern League title drops into Garfield's lap, the Bulldogs could earn one of the top four Invitational seeds.

"I think we're in our own little position regardless of whether we finish first or second," Hernandez said. "We've just got to win out; that's our bottom line."

Garfield and Roosevelt high schools enter the 73rd East Los Angeles Classic football game, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at East L.A. College, with totally different approaches for getting the job done.

As Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said, “Garfield is very basic offensively. They have a very dominating offensive line and they run the ball. We’ve got to throw the ball and throw it well. We’re not big on the offensive line like they are, so we have to be creative on offense.

“It always comes down to mental mistakes. There are one or two plays every game that make the difference. That’s probably going to be the case here.”

Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez expects a tougher test than the 2006 Classic his Bulldogs won, 35-13.

“This is their second year running that system and they are more crisp in the way they do it,” he said. “They understand what they want to do better than last year. I think they are a lot better than what their record shows.”

More than 23,000 are expected to pack Weingart Stadium for the latest installment in the series that began in 1925 and has Roosevelt leading 38-28-6. Garfield has won the last two.

The Bulldogs (6-2, 3-1) are looking to bounce back from last week’s 42-22 loss to Jordan that secured Jordan the Eastern League title. Roosevelt (4-4, 1-3), a loser to Huntington Park last week, is trying to keep its playoff hopes alive.

It comes down to a test of wills: Garfield’s ability to run against the Rough Rider’s ability to throw.

Sergio Macedo (91 carries for 568 yards, seven touchdowns) and Franky Diaz (91 for 519, nine) share the tailback spot. Quarterback Javier Alcantar (37 of 74 for 545 yards, three TDs) throws just enough to keep defenses honest.

The Rough Riders counter with junior quarterback Jesse Diaz, the City Section’s third-ranked passer with 1,560 yards and 12 TDs through the air. Receivers Manny Ayon (29 catches for 444 yards, four TDs) and Art Hernandez (16 for 289, one) have been his main targets. Three-year starting tailback Jonathan Torres has rushed for 552 yards and five scores on 83 carries.

Defensively, both teams have their standouts are the middle linebackers — David Lopez for Garfield, Jeremy Aguilar for Roosevelt. Lopez, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound senior, has a team-best 81 tackles. Aguilar leads the Riders with 70.

Cid is especially impressed with Garfield’s defense.

“That is really the key to their success,” the Rough Rider coach said. “They held San Pedro to 14 points and San Pedro is coming off being in the 4-A title game.”

The passing of Diaz will be a test for the Bulldogs, who gave up 283 yards passing to Jordan’s James Boyd last week. Diaz was 23-for-29 passing in last year’s Classic.

“That was very humbling for our defense what happened against Jordan,” Hernandez said. “We haven’t played anybody with that kind of speed. Roosevelt throws the ball, too, but they don’t quite have the speed of Jordan.”

There are no concerns about his Bulldogs bouncing back.

But the senior didn't exactly sound as if he gives the Rough Riders much of a chance.

"This game prepares us for tough playoff games," Gonzalez said. "It's electrifying. But if we come out hard and play our style of football, I think we should be able to beat them again."

Roosevelt quarterback Jesse Diaz, also a senior, made no predictions but noted the danger of being too emotional in a rivalry game. "It will be which team can take control of their emotions, handle it well, and not make mistakes."

The Jordan Bulldogs (6-3, 5-0), who hung a 42-22 defeat on his Garfield Bulldogs (6-2, 3-1) Friday to win at least a share of the Eastern League championship, may have a bigger bite than people realize.

"We gave them a couple of gift [touchdowns] early with turnovers, and once they got up on us, you could forget about it," Hernandez said.

"Athletically, they are phenomenal, a great group of skill guys ... I think they can make some noise in the City playoffs because of the caliber of athletes they've got. They could get to the semis because they have the skill players to do it."

Not with another important showdown before that, namely Friday’s Eastern League battle at Jordan.

On the line is the Eastern title for the two remaining unbeaten teams in league. Garfield enters the 3 p.m. game 6-1 overall and 3-0 in league. Jordan, the league’s most improved team (it was 3-7 a year ago), is 5-3 overall, 4-0 in league.

Both teams go in following decisive victories last week. Garfield blanked Huntington Park, 27-0, while Jordan ran away from South East, 35-7.

The contest is a contrast in styles: Garfield’s physical, run-the-ball-down-your-throat approach against Jordan’s passing-dominated spread attack that relies on getting its speedy backs out into open space.

“They’re so very athletic, our best defense is going to have to be our offense,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “We need to control the game with our offense.

“Jordan has a very talented group of kids. (running back Deshawn) Beck is spectacular. His stop-and-go ability and speed are just amazing. (Quarterback James) Boyd is a big athletic kid who can throw.”

In the win over South East (5-3, 2-2), Boyd completed 20 of 38 passes for a career-high 426 yards and two touchdowns. Boyd, who has a City-best 1,635 yards and 15 TDs passing, also recorded 14 tackles and two sacks from his defensive end spot.

Beck caught four passes for 115 yards and two scores, Artis Smith had 135 yards running and receiving and scored two TDs.

Glenn Johnson had two more interceptions on defense and DeShannon McCord had 18 tackles, 12 of them solos.

For Garfield, the key will be the ability of Sergio Macedo and Franky Diaz to run the ball behind a big offensive line and for quarterback Javier Alcantar to continue his development as a passer. They also need to eliminate the penalties that plagued them against Huntington Park (3-4, 1-2).

“We really didn’t play very well at all last week,” Hernandez said. “We had multiple penalties on the offensive line, either false starts or holding. Each guy on the line had at least one penalty. I was really upset with the way they played.”

The outcome of Friday's game between the top teams in the Eastern League will come down to which imposes its specialty better on the other.

Jordan (5-3, 4-0) throws, throws and throws. These Bulldogs average 250.3 yards passing a game, and have five receivers with at least 10 catches and 200 yards. Garfield (6-1, 3-0) runs, runs and runs. These Bulldogs average 220.5 yards a game, and have three rushers with at least 40 carries and 300 yards.

Jordan has been hot, scoring 51, 52 and 35 points in its last three games. Garfield has been steady, being held under double-digits just once, in a 14-7 loss to San Pedro.

Too bad they'll only play each other once this season.

One such matchup will be between Bulldogs, when Jordan hosts Garfield on Friday. In all probability, the Eastern League championship hangs in the balance even though Jordan has a final game against South Gate, and Garfield finishes up against Roosevelt and Bell.

But there is more at stake -- potential playoff positions. Jordan (5-3, 4-0) is in the City Championship Division and needs to go unbeaten in league to have a chance at hosting a first-round game. Garfield (6-1, 3-0) is in the Invitational Division; if it finishes the season 9-1, it has an argument for a one or two seeding, depending on how other teams finish.

Bulldogs vs. Bulldogs. Let the woofing begin.

The Bulldogs, 49-6 winners over South Gate last Friday, take marks of 5-1 overall and 2-0 in league into the 7 p.m. contest. Huntington Park, idle last week, is 3-3 and 1-1.

The Spartans are always a threat under coach Leroy Wilson. Their league loss was to Jordan (4-3, 3-0), a 52-14 winner over Roosevelt.

“Huntington Park is a very well-coached team with a great system in place,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “Their No. 5 (quarterback Oscar Ramos) is a great athlete who plays multiple positions and is a threat at all of them. No. 11 (6-foot-3 wideout Jorge Valdovinos) singlehandedly beat us last year with that catch. Their offensive line will get after us, so we have a big test.”

Winless South Gate (0-6, 0-2) gave Garfield the opportunity to use a lot of players.

Javier Alcantar completed seven of 12 for 155 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score.

Franky Diaz dashed 77 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and finished with 87 yards and two TDs on just three carries. Sergio Macedo gained 61 yards and a TD on six carries. Marcos Villasenor had 34 yards on six attempts.

“We worked more on our passing for this game because we don’t want to be one-dimensional,” Hernandez said. “We want to be a balanced team.”

Pound the ball on the ground play after play and see if host South East was up to the challenge.

The strategy worked to perfection for the Bulldogs (4-1 overall), who ran the ball on 48 of 50 plays in a 28-7 victory.

“I expected this to be a dogfight all the way through, but we were too physical for them,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “I think we shocked them.

“Honestly, I was very nervous coming in because you never know what to expect from week to week in league.”

Sergio MacEdo rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and Franky Diaz added 97 yards and two scores on 15 attempts for an offense that generated 296 yards on the ground. Fullback Omar Hernandez added 62 yards on 10 carries. Diaz also caught the only completed pass of the night from Javier Alcantar for 21 yards.

Alcantar scored on a four-yard run for the other Bulldog TD.

“We had typical long drives that we scored on and our only pass completion was off a bootleg,” Hernandez said.

Linebacker David Lopez led the defense with 10 tackles.

Garfield, which has a bye this week before returning to league Oct. 12 against South Gate, limited the Jaguars (3-2) to a single TD.

For 26 years, Maria and Jesus Lopez have lived in a two-bedroom house in City Terrace, sending seven sons to Garfield High, where each learned to play football and gained an appreciation for the difference between right and wrong.

The baby of the family, David, has grown into the tallest and best of the bunch, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound All-City linebacker who's been pushed, poked and prodded by his brothers.

"Actually, we were rough with him," said Jesse, the second-oldest brother.

Said David: "I watched my brothers as a little kid. Now they get to sit down and watch me."

There's lots of drama unfolding in the Lopez family, and it centers on whether David can earn an NCAA Division I-A football scholarship.

It's important to his coach, Lorenzo Hernandez, who desperately wants to use Lopez as an example that it is possible to receive a football scholarship playing for Garfield.

"It's got to happen," Hernandez said.

It's important to his family for emotional and financial reasons. His father has diabetes. Last month, Jesus had his second leg amputated, leaving David scrambling between hospital visits and football practices.

"The time I came to practice, it helped me get my mind off my dad," he said.

Despite his father's health issues, Lopez was able to focus on his task at hand and came through with one of his best performances in a 14-7 loss to unbeaten San Pedro on Sept. 21.

"He was phenomenal," Hernandez said.

Lopez kept bursting through and racing around San Pedro's blockers. His movement from sideline to sideline was filmed, and Hernandez hopes to show it to college recruiters to help convince them that Lopez is fast enough for big-time college football.

"The speed factor is so important nowadays on defense," said one college recruiter.

Too many colleges base scholarship offers on 40-yard times instead of instincts or the ability to change direction. Lopez is a middle linebacker who has the physicality and aggressiveness to succeed. This season, he has 45 solo tackles for Garfield (4-1).

"I guess it's my heart," he said. "It's just desire. You have to have confidence. Every time I go out there, I feel the field belongs to me."

The Lopez boys have never forgotten what they learned at Garfield.

"Staying out of trouble with sports kept us away from gangs," Jesse said.

Ranging in age from 17 to 40, the boys have produced six grandchildren for their parents while doing their best to make them proud.

Alfredo, 40, installs windows; Jesse, 37, is a computer programmer for NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Caada Flintridge; Jaime, 34, works for a financial company; Mike, 29, installs air conditioners; Danny, 23, works for a coffee company; Ralph, 19, is an auto mechanic.

The brothers share a unique experience: playing in the East Los Angeles Classic, the Garfield vs. Roosevelt game.

"There's nothing like playing in the Classic," David Lopez said. "It's an honor."

This year's game will be played Nov. 2 at East Los Angeles College.

Lopez wants to become the fourth brother to make it to college. Getting to college on a football scholarship is a financial necessity for him.

Lopez plans to give his best in each game, and Hernandez will continue to forward videos to colleges.

It's rare for a football player from East Los Angeles to receive a Division I-A scholarship, but it happens.

Jody Adewale, a fullback from Roosevelt, got a scholarship to USC in 2003. And don't forget that Mike Garrett, a Roosevelt graduate, won the Heisman Trophy in 1965 while playing for the Trojans.

All Lopez wants is a chance.

"I'll prove them wrong," he said of his skeptics.

Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

The Bulldogs fell short in the quest for victory, but may have achieved something of more value — namely respect — for their program in a 14-7 nonleague loss at San Pedro last Friday.

San Pedro, now 3-0 and runnerup in the City Section Championship Division playoffs a year ago, is a perennial-division power that plays in the highly-regarded Marine League.

But Garfield’s performance was a statement of sorts, according to Hernandez.

“I know we got their respect and let them know the Eastern League plays some good football, too,” he said. “They always say at the (playoff) seeding meetings we don’t play anybody. Well, we do now.”

Garfield, which takes a 3-1 record into Friday’s league opener at South East (3-1), actually controlled the tempo for significant portions of the game.

Most impressive was a 12-play (all runs), 72-yard drive in the third quarter that resulted in the Bulldogs’ only TD, a two-yard run by tailback Sergio MacEdo (23 carries for 136 yards) at the 6:23 mark. Franky Diaz (10 carries for 50 yards) had the longest play, a 22-yard run. They converted four first downs, including a fourth-and-one at their own 38.

Why take that sort of chance when you’re only down 7-0?

“I did it because we weren’t supposed to be here and I’m trying to get to the next level,” Hernandez said. “I believe we now have reached that level. These kids know it.”

In the fourth quarter with the score tied, 7-7, they went on another drive, going from their own 20 to the San Pedro 16. MacEdo broke off runs of 24 and 21 yards, the latter giving the Bulldogs a first down at the 23. But this time, they couldn’t convert the fourth down and the Pirates took over with 5:00 remaining.

“I think we’re cursed because we were this far from a first down,” said Hernandez, holding his index finger and thumb about an inch apart.

The Pirates then went on an eight-play, 83-yard drive that ended with Barry Heads throwing a 35-yard TD pass to Ahmad Wood on third-and-15 with 55 seconds left.

That final play was one of only two breakdowns that ultimately cost Garfied the win. The other was late in the first half when Corey Walsh blocked a punt and San Pedro recovered at the four. Tailback Marceliz Brooks scored on the next play with 2:50 left.

Probably the most impressive player Friday night was Garfield linebacker David Lopez, who was all over the field disrupting San Pedro’s offense. He had several tackles for losses and pressured Heads into a number of bad passes.

Hernandez is happy his team rose to the occasion, but wants to see it continue.

But the fight the Bulldogs put up against the Pirates was impressive. Unbeaten San Pedro (3-0), the Championship Division runner-up last year, had outscored its first two opponents, 60-27. But it was tied with Garfield (3-1) until scoring in the final 55 seconds to win, 14-7. All told, the Pirates managed only 197 yards of offense against the Bulldogs.

"I had no doubt we would come to play," Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. "Our league has been questioned before, that we wouldn't play anybody. Our philosophy is, we want the opportunity to play anybody."

Garfield will start league play next week against vastly improved South East. Huntington Park, Jordan and surprising Roosevelt are other legitmate contenders for a playoff berth. But efforts like the one the Bulldogs had against San Pedro are a reason Hernandez is feeling confident.

That, plus the fact Garfield is still highly motivated by last December's loss to Eagle Rock in the Invitational Division final. But Hernandez takes pains to separate motivation from obsession.

"That game was difficult to get over," Hernandez said. "But we have to put it behind us and use the experience. Otherwise it will eat you alive and you'll never move on.

"But it is a great motivation. The team sees it can get back there, but there's a level of hard work that must be maintained. And I think they are working even harder this year."

“Our goal is to earn their respect and earn respect for the Eastern League,” Bulldog coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “This is a big measuring stick for us and our league.”

Both teams enter the game undefeated (Garfield is 3-0, San Pedro 2-0) and with similar physical styles of play. But perceptions are what separate the two programs.

San Pedro is regarded as one of the City Section’s premier upper-division teams year after year. The Pirates, who play in the tough Marine League, were runnersup in the City playoffs last season and are considered among the favorites in 2007.

Garfield was runnerup to Eagle Rock in the 2006 3-A Division playoffs. Thus far, the Bulldogs have wins over Fremont, Lincoln and Wilson. None are the caliber of San Pedro.

The Pirates will give Garfield the challenge the previous opponents could not.

“They’re big, fast and physical, so we’re going to need to play fast,” Hernandez said. “They’re a mirror-image of us, but a quicker mirror-image, so we’re going to have to be quick to the ball. We like to run the ball, they like to run the ball. They like to create mismatches with their formations.

“I think the kids are ready for this. We had our best practice of the year Monday. The coaching staff is looking forward to this.”

The Bulldogs defeated Wilson, 21-14 and San Pedro toppled Palos Verdes, 24-7 in their most recent outings.

Against Wilson, Garfield rushed for 244 yards and got another 105 passing from quarterback Javier Alcantar.

Omar Hernandez carried 14 times for 102 yards and one TD and Franky Diaz added 76 yards and a score on 12 carries to lead the ground game. Sergio MacEdo had 57 on 10 carries.

San Pedro mixed a powerful running game with enough passing to keep the defense honest against Palos Verdes.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 13.SEP.07
With tough nonleague opponents in Wilson and San Pedro high schools looming the next two weeks, Garfield football coach Lorenzo Hernandez is putting the emphasis on a balanced offense.

The running attack carried the team the first week, a 32-12 win over Fremont. But the passing attack was stressed in week two and the result was a 35-7 victory over Lincoln.

Not only did they net 165 yards on the ground, but quarterback Javier Alcantar completed 10 of 19 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bulldogs host Wilson (0-1) at 7 p.m. Friday. The Mules opened the season with a 20-17 loss to Roosevelt.

“I like the way we’ve been able to run the ball, but I don’t want us to be one-dimensional,” Hernandez said. “We’ve got to be able to pass the ball. Lincoln thought we were running up the score because we were passing so much in the second half, but we wanted to build up Alcantar’s confidence with good teams like San Pedro coming up.”

Garfield broke the game open in the second half after leading only 7-0 at the break.

Alcantar had scoring passes to Jiovany Bautista and Adrian Longoria. Fullback Omar Hernandez ran for 72 yards and a TD on seven carries and Sergio MacEdo had a scoring run.

The other TD was on a 30-yard interception return by Roy Fonseca.

All-City linebacker David Lopez had 10 tackles, seven of them solos. Aaron Lopez had two sacks and six total tackles.

“Our defense played well,” Hernandez said. “We got the interception return for a TD and David Lopez was all over the place tagging people.”

As for this week’s opponent, he said, “Wilson is pretty darn good. They throw the ball a lot and have a very good receiver (6-foot-5 Anthony Denham) who is athletic. Defensively, they’re pretty solid, too.”

Led by All-City linebacker David Lopez, who produced two safeties and eight tackles, the Bulldogs shut down Fremont Friday to record a 32-12 nonleague victory.

Although last year’s City Section Invitational Division runnersup had mistakes here and there, they had more than enough to knock off the team from the Coliseum League.

The offense, paced by tailback Franky Diaz (21 carries for 102 yards and three TDs) and fullback Omar Hernandez (12 carries for 64 yards), did just enough.

Garfield had 193 yards on the ground, 28 through the air.

“I think we could have done a lot better,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “Our defense did well. We have four or five guys who have been together for three years and David Lopez is amazing. He’s so quick to the ball.

“Offensively, we did some good things and some bonehead things. Franky and Omar ran tough.”

Although quarterback Javier Alcantar completed only two of nine passes for 28 yards (both completions to Roy Fonseca), not all of it was his fault. Hernandez cited a perfectly-thrown pass that bounced off the receiver and into the defensive backs hands for an interception.

Garfield takes on Lincoln Friday in its second game. This is the season opener for the Tigers.

Noting that there are question marks on offense, coach Lorenzo Hernandez said the Bulldogs figure to put another solid team on the field when the season gets under way Friday at Fremont.

“Defense is by far our strong point,” Hernandez said. “I think it could be the best in the league (Eastern). We have some real athletes there.

“David Lopez is one of the top two or three linebackers in the City. He’s a three-year letterman who led the league in tackles. Christian Orozco is an All-City defensive end who made the big stop against Reseda (in the playoffs) in overtime. Roy Fonseca is another three-year starter at strong safety.”

About the only question mark is at free safety, but Jiovanny Bautista, a 6-foot-4, 215-pounder, is an excellent athlete who caught a touchdown pass in the City Invitational championship game at the Coliseum.

Finding a new quarterback, tailback and fullback is the key for Hernandez. Quarterback Jiovanny Flores, tailback Michael Aguilar (1,800 yards rushing) and fullback Steven Torres (1,000 yards rushing) leave big holes, but the replacements are capable.

Senior Javier Alcantar, last year’s backup, steps in at quarterback. Veteran Franky Diaz, who got his share of carries a year ago, becomes the focal point of the offense. Hernandez is also high on talented junior tailback Sergio Macedo.

The fullbacks will be Omar Hernandez (5-10, 210) and Eddie Valencia (5-10, 230). Hernandez is the team’s fastest back.

Wide receiver Adrian Longoria is a a great route runner who had an exceptional game against Morningside in the title game of the East L.A. College Husky Shootout passing tournament this summer. Bautista is the receiver on the other side.

“Our only real question mark is the offense,” Hernandez said. “Most haven’t played (varsity) except for Diaz. If we can protect the quarterback, I think he’ll do OK.”

As for the Eastern League race, Hernandez said Huntington Park is the team to beat, but watch out for South East, which already has a 34-9 victory over Maui in Hawaii under its belt.

“Huntington Park is the team to beat because they’ve got that system in place,” he said. “Jordan is going to be tough and we should be there, too. The sleeper is South East. They’re loaded with so many skill guys, so many athletes.