Birmingham, Granada Hills football teams build confidence for City playoffs
At this point in the high school football season, with the playoffs starting in three weeks, it’s a good time to check in on some of the area teams.
How are they progressing? Where are their strengths and weaknesses? What are they focused on right now?
Here’s a look at five of the teams in the West Valley League:
BIRMINGHAM
Halfway through the season, the Patriots got reinforcements for the home stretch. Most notably El Camino transfer running back Dredon Fowles.
Peyton Watson and Javen Hall are having breakout seasons, and the Patriots now have a 1-2 punch in their backfield with Fowles’ speed and Ronnell Hewitt’s physicality.
“It’s hard if a guy is pounding on you and then you put a faster kid in,” Coach Jim Rose said. “I mean it’s just a great change-up.”
Rose believes this iteration of Birmingham is built for a playoff run as it is headlined by a slew of returning upperclassmen that are “battle tested.”
The Patriots are 6-2 overall and 3-0 in league.
GRANADA HILLS
Head coach Bucky Brooks feels his team is hitting its stride at the perfect time.
“We started to settle in and, you know, we feel like we have a chance to kind of get better and just continue to play our best ball from October to November,” Brooks said.
This is the trajectory Brooks expected for his younger bunch. Running backs Darrell Stanley and Kanye Martin are humming and the Highlanders unleashed sophomore Jesse Hughes during their 64-22 win against Taft on Friday.
Opponents know what they’re going to get when they face the Highlanders, but with now five capable running backs, it’s easier said than done to contain their ground attack.
The Highlanders are 5-2-1 overall and 2-1 in league.
EL CAMINO REAL
The Royals are 2-1 against West Valley League opponents, having eked out wins against Taft and Chatsworth before losing to Birmingham last week.
The Royals (3-5 overall) have their sights set on beating out Cleveland for third place in the league and earning a spot in the City Section playoffs.
The school announced last week that is has finally started work on replacing the turf for the football field.
The time has finally come – our field is officially under construction!
A special thank you to LAUSD Board Member Scott Schmerelson, our ECR Board, CEO Mr. Hussey, and our Athletic Director Mr. Russell for making this happen.#ecrchs #ecr #WeAreECR #goroyals #woodlandhills pic.twitter.com/5r8pXMjjlH
— El Camino Real Charter High School (@ECRCHS) October 13, 2023
“I’ve been told it should be done by November 18,” El Camino Real head coach Jason Sabolic said.
That would be three weeks after the Royals’ last regular-season game against Cleveland.
The Royals will have to finish the season practicing on the school’s baseball field.
Sabolic notes the dimensions of the baseball field have made it difficult for the players to run plays properly in practice and that impacts how they play in the game.
“For example, we take bad angles,” Sabolic said, “and our alignment doesn’t give us the spacing to get the receivers open.”
TAFT
The Toreadors knew wins would be hard to come by this season, but the players and the program are committed to making progress in every game.
They are 2-6 overall and 0-3 in league.
First-year head coach Fred Emmerson says he’s learned a few things about strengths and weaknesses.
“We’ve leaned on our passing game,” Emmerson said. “Our secondary is young, but it’s shown growth.”
Growth has been the name of the game and that was exemplified when the Toreadors gave backup quarterback Nathan Swinson — their future starter — scheduled playing time in last week’s loss to Granada Hills.
CHATSWORTH
Two weeks ago, head coach Marvin Street elected to keep his team’s offense on the field against El Camino Real to try to set up a more comfortable attempt at a potential game-winning field goal.
The team’s standout running back, Isaiah Rameau, ran up the middle on the fourth-down play and the Royals’ defensive front stuffed him, ending the drive and giving ECR a 28-27 win.
“I would do it again,” Street said about the aggressive play call.
The Chancellors’ aggressiveness with running the football has paid off most of the time this season.
Rameau has rushed for 1,391 yards and 19 touchdowns, putting him among the top five in the City Section in both categories.