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CLICK HERE TO VIEW - RHS vs GHS "PART -2 PIX

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).”

Roosevelt (6-5) got a scoring pass from Diaz to Manny Ayon (five catches for 91 yards) and an interception return for a TD. Diaz, a junior, finished the year with 2,460 yards and 18 TDs passing.







Time for Garfield to seize the Invitational moment

Bulldogs With the abrupt dismissal of top-seeded Eagle Rock by Huntington Park, the City Invitational playoffs are wide open with a capital "WIDE."

Or maybe not.

I've had the feeling all season that Garfield is still seething about losing the Invitational championship game last year to Eagle Rock on that freak fumble that Eagles defensive back Josh Jovenally caught in mid-air and returned for the winning touchdown.

Garfield (8-3), the No. 2 seed this year, has the clearest path to the Dec. 7 final. The biggest obstacle in its half of the bracket is Fairfax (7-4), which has the offensive talent to give the Bulldogs trouble. They would meet in the semifinals, provided Garfield defeats El Camino Real (5-6) and Fairfax beats South East (8-3) in Wednesday's quarterfinals.

I expect Garfield and Fairfax to win. I also expect North Hollywood (8-3) to defeat Huntington Park (6-5) and Franklin (8-3) to defeat University (7-4).

-- MIke Terry