EastCountySports.com 2003 Grossmont College Football

Summaries/schedule/scores/standings

Grossmont College quarterback Jarrod Jackson led the Grossmont College Griffins to victory in the Southern California Community College championship game on Saturday.

Griffins smash Fullerton to take SoCal championship
Second state title within grasp as Grossmont waits for City College of San Francisco
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - Check any corner of this football-playing nation and you won't
find a college team with more victories than Grossmont College. Yet, even a
spotless Grossmont milestone mark of 13-0 remains one win shy of the pedestal
the Griffins are seeking. "Pinnacle Saturday" is Dec. 13 in Bakersfield where
Grossmont hopes to scale it's biggest mountain in the Fletcher Hills community
college's 42-year football history. At 1 o'clock that afternoon, the Griffins
go after their second state title against a school that O.J. SIMPSON made famous -
City College of San Francisco.

Instead of peeking ahead to that classic showdown of unbeaten teams, please
permit the Griffins to relish their Southern California Championship. They
tucked that crown away with a three-game post-season sweep of Citrus (38-28),
defending SoCal champion College of the Canyons (14-10) and finally Fullerton
47-30 on Saturday (Dec. 6) at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field.

Ironically, Saturday's foe in the battle for Southern California supremacy
came across as the meekest of the aforementioned trio. Grossmont jolted the
Hornets (10-3) with three vicious hits, resulting in fumble recoveries by
linebacker BOBBY KELLY, safety MAURICE LONDON and linebacker EVAN HERMANSON.
All three turnovers led to Grossmont touchdowns, which vaulted the Griffins into a 28-7
lead with 6:52 left in the 2nd quarter.

Grossmont's defense put a stranglehold on the Hornets, limiting the Orange
County bunch to one legitimate touchdown (the other came on an interception
return) through 3 quarters as the Griffins built a 47-14 lead.

"Our defense never ceases to amaze me," Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN said.
"Thank God we have the kind of depth we do. If we lose one kid to an injury
there always seems to be somebody there to step in and take his place. We hate to
lose anybody of course, but depth has certainly played a major role in our
success."

GARY FRANKLIN enjoyed his best day as a Griffin, rushing for 124 yards and 2
TDs on 10 carries. He scored on a 16-yard run to give Grossmont a 28-7 lead
in the 2nd quarter and later broke loose for a 32-yard scoring dash, stretching
the Griffins' advantage to 38-14 with 4:44 left in the 3rd period.

"Our coaches stay on us hard during practice and then we come out here and
put it all together," said Franklin, a former Monte Vista High standout.
"Everybody was talking about Fullerton's defense, but we came out with a clear
mind and played our Grossmont game."

Grossmont quarterback JARROD JACKSON was on the mark with his passes,
completing 16 of 22 aerials for 247 yards and 4 TDs, including scoring strikes
of 15 and 29 yards to TODD WATKINS that gave the Griffins a 14-0 lead after one
quarter.

JOE GRIFFIN, who caught 5 passes for 98 yards and a 32-yard scoring strike
from Jackson, is looking forward to the state title bout with CCSF. Griffin was a
grey shirt at CCSF during the 2000 season, so you can imagine why he's so
anxious to display his progress in front of San Francisco coach George Rush.

While that reunion was in the back of his mind, beating Fullerton was
foremost in his thoughts.

"Last week (against Canyons) I felt that I let the team down," Griffin said.
"I dropped a couple of crucial passes that might have gone for scores. So I
really prepared hard, kept my focus for this game."

Griffin praised the Fullerton secondary for its physical play.

"They are a hard-hitting team." Griffin said." Their corners are the most
physical corners tackling-wise that we've faced all year."

Fullerton's receivers and skill position players could have returned the
complement. JAMES GENTILE wrestled a pass away from a Hornets receiver, as did
JOHN GUICE. The latter's theft, however, was awarded a catch and a 41-yard gain
for Deonte Sharp, a Lincoln High graduate who finished with three receptions
for 39 yards.

The Hornets were hyping themselves as the "Road Warriors," boasting of their
7-0 record away from home this season. Apparently, the Griffins had not read
that press release as they showed no mercy for Fullerton quarterback Tom
Kirchmeyer, recording three sacks and constant pressure.

Grossmont defensive lineman ANDREW JILLES tackled Kirchmeyer in the end zone
for a safety, elevating the Griffins' advantage to 40-14 in the 3rd quarter.
Jilles, a converted tight end, also forced a fumble and recorded 7 tackles.

"Our defense always dominates when we are put in a big situation,"
Grossmont's 6-foot-5, 275-pound defensive lineman DAN WIDDERS said. "We are
well coached. I've never been anything-and-0 before, so I really want to get this
last win, to become state champions."

Somebody asked Widders if he was going to Disneyland to celebrate the
Griffins' Southern California championship.

"No, I'm going to Bakersfield," Widders said. "If we win there, then I'll
talk about Disneyland."

Grossmont's only state title was won in 1974. Back then, though, it took only
two victories to secure the hardware.
(12-06-03)

Scenes like this were common for the Grossmont College defense as the Griffins kept the pressure on Canyons QB Jason Beck (7) all afternoon en route to a 14-10 victory over the visiting Cougars in Saturday's (11-29-03) SoCal semifinals. On this occasion Andrew Jilles (84) closes from the left, Bobby Kelly (45) seals off the middle, and Carl Payne (59) wraps up from the right. (Photo by Dawn Adams)

Griffins are Fullerton's pushover no more as teams vie for Southern California title
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - It's no longer a surrealistic world for the Grossmont College
Griffins, who only twice in their 42-year history have won as many as 10 games
in a single season. Grossmont's victory count has risen to 12 this season, but
the Griffins need two more notches on their victory belt to reach the program's
pinnacle. The Griffins (12-0) host Fullerton College (10-2) in the Southern
California championship game Saturday (Dec. 6) at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field at
1 p.m. The winner advances to the state title game the following Saturday
(Dec. 13) in Bakersfield.

"Obviously, both of these teams are used to winning under pressure
conditions," Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN said. "And to be this close to winning
it all, should provide for a pretty entertaining game on Saturday. Our kids are keyed
up, and I'm sure Fullerton will be ready, too."

The Hornets are dubbing themselves the "Road Warriors," having logged 605.2
miles in 8 road trips this season. Playing away from home has apparently agreed
with the Hornets, however, as they are 7-0 in their traveling white jerseys.

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Fullerton coach Gene Murphy said. "None
of our players has ever complained about our schedule. We'll play our games in
a parking lot somewhere."

Eight of Fullerton's 10 wins have come against ranked teams, including road
victories over El Camino (35-24), Saddleback (38-34), Santa Monica (45-7), and
top-seeded Mt. San Antonio (42-35) - four post-season qualifiers.

Sounds like these Hornets are unbeatable.

"We feel like everyone's against us: the home fans, the critics," said
Fullerton sophomore. cornerback Larry Collins. We only know how to play one way
on the road - and that's winning."

The Hornets are averaging 36.8 points and 370.1 yards in their last five road
contests - a span of six weeks.

"We seem to focus and relax more on the road," said Fullerton freshman tight
end Jason Vandiver. "Home teams are getting all excited and emotional before
the games even start, during warm-up drills. We stay loose and don't pay them
any attention. It's just business as usual for us."

Grossmont has played at an even keel most of season. No extreme emotional
highs or lows, although playing a handful of outmanned opponents forced the
bulk of the Griffins to make a short day of it.

That won't be the case this week. Win or lose, Fullerton expects to grind
Grossmont to the limit as Canyons did in a 14-10 loss last week.

Grossmont freshman quarterback JARROD JACKSON, who averages 240 yards total
offense and has accounted for 22 TDs, could give the Griffins an edge as he's
an elusive scrambler and a passer with 57 percent accuracy.

Grossmont WR-Kicker TODD WATKINS is a double threat in that he has scored 253
points in his 23-game career. As a receiver Watkins has hauled in 51 passes
for 1,214 yards and a dozen TDs.

Fullerton is not without its share of stars. QB Tom Kirchmeyer has completed
more than 58 percent of his passes for more than 2,000 yards. Two of the
reasons for his success are receivers Delaine Walker and deep threat Chaz Guinn.

"They use a lot of trick plays, stuff like fumblerooksi, double pass, reverse
pass and a variation of things off play-action," Jordan noted.

While both teams possess high-octane offenses, defense will decide who
advances to Bakersfield for the state championship game.

ALL-AMERICANS - A Grossmont record 5 Griffins have been selected to the 2003
J.C. Grid-Wire All-America Team. Sophomore safety MAURICE LONDON and sophomore
wide receiver TODD WATKINS were named to the first team. Second team honors
went to middle linebacker DAN CATALANO, while lineman AUNDREA LIDDELL earned a
spot on the third team offense. Honorable mention recognition went to
sophomore linebacker BOBBY KELLY. A total of nine San Diego County players
receive All-America honors, including Southwestern linebacker Myles Bush - a graduate
of El Capitan High.

SERIOUS SERIES: A couple decades ago, Fullerton used to chalk Grossmont up
as an automatic victory, as the Hornets buzzed to an all-time series edge of 12
wins in 15 meetings. . . Talk about irony, the last time these teams met was
in 1992 and Grossmont prevailed 28-27 at Fullerton. It was the Griffins' lone
victory in a 1-7-2 season.

In 1969, Fullerton flattened the Griffins 49-19 in a state playoff game at
Balboa Stadium (when it was a double-deck structure and home for the Chargers
with a seating capacity of 35,000). The game was actually closer than the score
indicates, as Grossmont led 19-14 at halftime. The Hornets' superior depth
paid off in the second half.

In 1962, Grossmont's inaugural football season, the Griffins visited
Fullerton in a game televised live by Los Angeles-based KCOP Channel 13 as the
JC Football Game of the Week. This was only the second game in Grossmont's
football history, and the Hornets claimed a 22-0 victory.

GRIFFIN GRAFFITI - Fullerton LB Scott Genord is a "big play" defender. Not
only did he recover two fumbles in the end zone for touchdowns in the Hornets'
30-26 loss to Palomar, he also made a victory-saving block of a Riverside
field-goal attempt in the regular season finale . . . Reedley (9-1), the
defending state champion, faces three-time state titlist City College of San Francisco
(10-0) in the Hawaiian Punch Bowl on Saturday (Dec. 6) in the City by the Bay.
. . The Hornets nearly missed their post-season calling as they fell behind
Riverside 21-0 on the final night of the regular season. RCC, which lost its
season opener to Grossmont 17-10, could not pull off the upset as the Hornets
hustled back to tie the game on Sam Paulescu's 35-yard field goal with 1:06
remaining in regulation. After Fullerton's Genord blocked RCC's attempt for a
three-point kick in overtime, Paulescu split the uprights from 35 yards out to
give the Hornets the nod and a berth in the playoffs . . . Fullerton's Mission
Conference National Division title was the first championship won by the school
since 1988 . . . Grossmont has won nine conference titles and a state
championship in 1974. . . The 14 points the Griffs scored in last week's SoCal
semifinal win over Canyons was a season low.
(12-04-03)

Grossmont College nose man Dallas Mauga (91) is about to plant College of the Canyons QB Jason Beck (7) in the Griffins 14-10 SoCal semifinal win on Saturday (11-29-03). (Photo by Dawn Adams)

Griffins' defense delivers KO over Canyons as Grossmont advances to state semifinals
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON - It was a heavyweight bout to be sure. It was a contest where the blows were more like the impact of a Mohammed Ali, Oscar de la Hoya, Floyd Patterson or George Foreman than the finesse of a Johnny Unitas or Dan Fouts. This was a football game between a pair of 11-0 teams that belonged to the defenses. Sort of the last-man- standing takes home the trophy. Grossmont College delivered the knockout punch Saturday (Nov. 29) as the Griffins eliminated defending Southern California-champion College of the Canyons from the state playoffs, 14-10 before a record SRO crowd of 2,400 at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field.
 
The Griffins' defensive line of DAN WIDDERS, DALLAS MAUGA, JERAMIAH SCHUH and CHRIS D'AGOSTINO led the charge as Grossmont tormented Canyons' quarterback Jason Beck throughout the afternoon.
 
Officially, Beck was sacked four times. From a physical pain standpoint, he was thrown to the ground at least one time per series. The physical wear and tear eventually took its toll on the Cougars' ringleader.
 
"This is exhilarating, man, exhilarating," exclaimed Grossmont sophomore linebacker BOBBY KELLY, who rang up a game high 16 tackles and made a key fumble recovery in the 4th quarter for the undefeated Griffins, who chalked up a school-record 12th victory.
 
"Canyons tried to get us in a nickel and dime with one linebacker in the backfield," Kelly added. "Then they'd hit us with a dive or draw outside to try to offset us. But we handled it. When they checked to the pass, our DBs are very good."
 
Good, indeed. Free safety MAURICE LONDON logged 8 tackles and a sack, while corner JOHN GUICE broke up four passes and recorded 7 tackles.
 
"They were trying to go away from me," Guice said. "They are a passing team, so I stayed focused when they did come my way. Our defensive line had the rush, and our secondary closed it out."
 
Said London, "We've played good defense all year, but came to shine when it was really time in a big game like this. We talk about it every night - about how we want to make it to the next round of the playoffs. This was a big step for us."
 
Grossmont rationed the visiting Cougars (11-1) to 287 yards and more than 28 points below their season scoring average.
 
"I think we surprised them with all the different blitzes we have in our package," London said. "We added a free safety blitz this week, so I had to take advantage of it."
 
Canyon's biggest problem was keeping the 6-foot-5, 275-pound Widders and the 6-1, 280-pound Mauga out of the face of COC quarterback Beck, who came into the game averaging more than 200 yards total offense.
 
"That's my goal," said Widders when it was suggested that Beck might hate him for the manner in which he tossed the COC field general around. "I think we dominated the line of scrimmage."
 
K.J. WALKER scored both Grossmont touchdowns on short bursts of 2 yards in the 2nd quarter and 1 yard in the 3rd third period.
 
"When it comes to championship games like this it's usually defense that decides the winner," Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN said. "And I thought our defense did a pretty good job."
 
Canyons' defense presented Grossmont's offense with more problems than any previous opponent. After falling behind 3-0, the Griffins embarked on a six-play, 68-yard scoring march early in the 2nd quarter. The key play was a 29-yard pass from quarterback JARROD JACKSON to tight end XAVIER CAMPBELL, which gave Grossmont a 1st-and-goal at the Cougars' 5-yard line.
 
Walker needed two carries to find the end zone, giving Grossmont a 7-3 lead with 13 minutes left in the first half.
 
It took the Cougars nine minutes to regain the lead 10-7, but the Griffins appeared ready to counter-punch before intermission. A nine-play drive guided Grossmont to a 4th-and-inches inside the Cougars' 1-yard line with 2 seconds left in the half. Grossmont's final dive play of the half was rejected, and Canyons was able to cling to a 10-7 halftime lead.
 
Grossmont's game-winning drive encompassed 13 plays and 64 yards, with Walker breaking the plane from 1-yard out, giving the Griffins a 14-10 lead with 6:20 left in the 3rd quarter.
 
The Griffins survived three COC timeouts during a game-saving drive of 35 yards on nine plays to kill the clock. This was definitely a march of heroes. Receiver BRIAN ALLBROOKS caught a 23-yard pass from Jackson on a 3rd-and-24 play from the Grossmont 34 with 2:32remaining. Then it was fullback RAINBOW MAUGA's turn to keep the ball in Grossmont hands as he picked up a key first down on a 4th-and-1 plunge with 2:14 remaining.
 
From there, the Griffins were able to run out the clock.
 
The Griffins will host Fullerton (10-2) - a 42-35 winner over top-seeded Mount San Antonio in Saturday's semifinals - in the Southern California championship encounter Dec. 6 at Grossmont's Mashin-Roth Memorial Field.
 
"I've never been 12-0 before," said Widders, who prepped at Horizon Christian High. "I've never been anything-and-oh before. It feels good. The only thing that would make me feel better than this would be to go 14-0 and be state champions."
 
Grossmont is now 20-1 at home since installing the Field Turf playing surface. And that one loss came in triple-overtime versus Chaffey two years ago.
(11-29-03)

Grossmont College receiver Brian Allbrooks (10) makes a key reception as the
Griffins maintain possession in their victory-saving drive in the final
minutes of the 4th quarter. Allbrooks accounted for 123 all-purpose yards in
the Griffins 14-10 triumph over College of the Canyons to qualify for the SoCal
championships. (Photo by Travis Downs)

Grossmont College's Rajive Otah (10) returns a kick in the Griffins' 38-28 victory over Citrus College in the first round of the Southern California Regional playoffs at Southwestern College's South County Bowl on Saturday (11-22-03). Chris Marks (18) maneuvers for the block. (Photo by Travis Downs)

Griffins, Canyons put perfect records on line in semifinal showdown here Saturday
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON - Those who make their living promoting various events would love this match-up. The only two 11-0 football teams in the state of California will meet at Grossmont's Mashin-Roth Memorial Field in Saturday's (Nov. 29) semifinals of the Southern California Community College Playoffs. This clash of titans pits defending SoCal champion College of the Canyons of Valencia against the Grossmont Griffins at 1 p.m.
 
"As coaches and players, opportunities like these is why we play the game," Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN said. "This is the most focused group I've ever coached. They know what's at stake. They know who they're playing. But they think they're invincible. They have the confidence to go out there and win the big game."
 
Ironically, both teams have set a record for victories in a season. Neither side is satisfied.
 
"We're on a mission, COC freshman cornerback RoShawn Marshall told reporter Ross
Siler of the Los Angeles Daily News. "Three more games to go. We're undefeated, 11-0. You can't stop that now."
 
Defense, however, is a Grossmont strong suit. Throw away the yards per game and points allowed, because the Griffins were so far ahead of the majority of their opponents that Jordan was not ethically allowed to permit his first unit to turn in a complete game.
 
Linemen DALLAS MAUGA (6-1, 280), DAN WIDDERS (6-5, 275) and CHRIS D'AGOSTINO (6-2, 250), linebackers BOBBY KELLY (6-4, 210) and SCOTT SMILEY (6-1, 215), corner CHANTI BLOOMER and safety MAURICE LONDON have forged Grossmont's defense into a championship caliber unit.
 
Canyons is well stocked on the defensive side, too. Western State Conference Defensive Player of the Year Domata Peko (6-4, 280), who is known to his teammates as "Hurricane," recorded 6 tackles, one sack and blocked a field goal in the Cougars 24-14 quarterfinal victory over Palomar.
 
Sophomore quarterback Jason Beck is the jewel in the Cougars' offense, which comes in averaging more than 40 points per game. He completed 18 of 36 aerials for 234 yards against the Comets, but turned in the back-breaker by scoring on a 23-yard TD throwback from running back Bobby Stanley to open the second quarter.
 
The Cougars outgained Palomar 386-216 in total yardage last week. Better than that, COC forced 3 turnovers, while its offense played error-free.
 
"This team thrives on making you make mistakes," COC head coach Chuck Lyon told Scott Galetti of the Santa Clarita Signal.
 
Grossmont owns a 36-18 advantage on the plus-minus chart of turnovers. Furthermore, the Griffins have scored six defensive touchdowns and collected 2 safeties.
"We have all the respect in the world for Canyons," Jordan said. "Their quarterback (Beck) has a rocket arm and their receivers can catch. (Beck) is their guy. We have to put pressure on him."
 
Grossmont's offensive is multi-faceted, and knows how to put points on the board. Griffin quarterbacks JARROD JACKSON and JORDAN ADAMS have combined to complete more than 60 percent of their passes for 3,284 yards and 30 TDs. Seventeen Griffins have lent a hand on the receiving end, led by TODD WATKINS (40 catches, 915 yards, 8 TDs). KASHUN McCLAY (120 carries, 655 yards, 12 TDs), GARY FRANKLIN (58 carries, 452 yards, 3 TDs), K.J. WALKER (43-263, 6 TDs and RAINBOW MAUGA (57-251, 7 TDS) have shouldered the bulk of the rushing load.
 
RATINGS LADDER
 
JC-Grid Wire  dropped the Griffins down one notch to No. 4 in the national rankings, while hoisting Canyons up to No. 3. That move also forced the Griffins down a step in the state poll to No. 3 and No. 2 in Southern California.
 
The Junior College Football Network-USA Coaches rankings: Grossmont No. 4 nationally, No. 3 in the state and No. 2 in SoCal. That same poll tabs Canyons No. 3 nationally, No. 2 in the state and No. 1 in SoCal.
 
Junior College Athletic Bureau: Canyons is No. 2 followed by Grossmont at No. 3. JCAB rates the Cougars No. 1 in SoCal, the Griffins No. 2.
 
COA/Coaches Southern California Regional Poll has it: No. 1 Canyons, No. 2 Grossmont.
 
The JuCal Transfer continues to keep Grossmont on the state's top rung - one tick ahead of City College of San Francisco (10-0), mind you. Canyons is No. 4.
 
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI: It's obvious that Grossmont's football facility doesn't have the seating capacity worthy of a game of this caliber. But one needs only to note that the Griffins are 19-1 on their "magic carpet" since installing the Field Turf artificial grass four years ago . . . JC Grid-Wire's prediction for Saturday's game:  Grossmont 31, Canyons 28 . . . No Grossmont team has won more games than the current squad, although two others won as many as 10 in the 42-year history of the football program. . . GC's freshman kicker TRAVIS DOROSKI suffered a broken ankle while kicking off in last week's 38-28 victory  over Citrus . . . The Griffins have split two previous meetings with Canyons, winning 38-22 in 1979 after falling in the 1978 opener 21-7 in Valencia . . . Reedley (9-1), the defending state champion, faces three-time state titlist City College of San Francisco in the Hawaiian Punch Bowl on Dec. 6 in the city by the bay . . . Holiday or not, the Griffins conducted a morning practice on Thanksgiving Day.
(11-26-03)

Grossmont College center Eric Romo (61) was named the Most Valuable Offensive Lineman in the 5th annual South County Bowl, and QB Jarrod Jackson (4) was named MVP of the game won by the Griffins 38-28 over Citrus on Saturday (11-22-03) at Southwestern College. (Photo by Dawn Adams)

Griffins will return home for shot at 12th-straight win after capturing SoCo Bowl
EastCountySports.com
 
CHULA VISTA - It just keeps getting better and bigger for the Grossmont College Griffins. A dream season? You bet. But wait, there's more. After celebrating the first 10-0 regular-season finish in the 42-year history of the football program, the Griffins punched another notch in their victory belt, passing their first test in the Southern California Regional playoffs. In a quarterfinal game that was not as close as the score indicates, the Griffins diced Citrus 38-28 in the 5th annual South County Bowl at Southwestern. That victory, which reaped a Grossmont milestone for most wins in a season, vaulted the undefeated Griffins (11-0) into next weekend's SoCal semifinals against Valencia's College of the Canyons (11-0) at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field.
 
"Now that we've got 11 (wins in a row), we want 12," Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN said. "That's all we're thinking about right now. One game at a time."
 
The play of Grossmont center ERIC ROMO epitomized the manner in which the Griffins were controlling things, especially in the trenches. Albeit subtle to the spectator's eye, the 6-foot-2, 285-pound Romo laid five "pancake blocks" on Citrus linemen.
 
"This is not just for me, it's for the whole O-line and our tight ends and our backups, too," shouted Romo as he waved his trophy in the air after being voted the South County Bowl's most valuable offensive lineman. "Everybody contributed."
 
Grossmont quarterback JARROD JACKSON returned to starting status after a one-game hiatus due to illness. Came back with a vengeance, too, as he completed 21 of 29 passes for 328 yards and 2 TDs. Those numbers did not go unnoticed as the freshman from Lake Oswego (Ore.) was selected the South County Bowl MVP.
 
Jackson spread his completions among eight receivers with unsung BRIAN ALLBROOKS, a sophomore out of St. Augustine High, setting the pace with 6 grabs for 99 yards and one TD. What makes Allbrooks' outing so impressive is he caught only 10 passes in as many regular season games.
 
"The first time they (DBs) see me, they see a little guy they think they can smack," the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Allbrooks said. "But I let them know I play with heart first, then with talent."
 
It was a great day to shine for Allbrooks, who caught a 34-yard scoring strike that snapped a 7-7 tie and gave the Griffins a lead they'd never lose. Allbrooks finished with 149 all-purpose yards, which included returning kicks.
 
Sophomore GARY FRANKLIN turned in his finest performance during his two-year stay at Grossmont, averaging 8 yards per carry on 10 sorties, while reeling in 4 passes for 66 yards.
 
The Griffins pulled out to a 24-7 halftime lead, and were on the verge of turning the game into a rout late in the 3rd quarter. Following a SCOTT SMILEY interception and subsequent 16-yard return, the Griffins drove 41 yards to the Citrus 4 where they were facing a 3rd-and-goal situation.
 
Going for the obvious knockout punch, Jackson fired a pass into the end zone. The spiral missed its target as it was deflected and fell into enemy hands. Roderick Williams made the interception 2 yards deep in the end zone and went the length of the field to keep the Owls' flickering comeback hopes alive.
 
"Had they not gotten that interception I think the game would have been well over at that point," Jordan said. "I know we would have scored on the next play or two."
 
Instead, Williams hot-footed it 100 yards for the score. And suddenly, what appeared certain to become a 31-7 Grossmont lead, was shaved to a 10 point margin. Talk about a hoot, these Owls (9-2) looked as if they'd been given takeoff clearance.
 
Refusing to show panic, Grossmont quickly reestablished its superiority. Following a 22-yard kickoff return by RAJIVE OTAH, the Griffins marched 62 yards on five plays to make it 31-17. The key play of the drive was a 23-yard pass from Jackson to tight end XAVIER CAMPBELL. That set up a first-and-goal from the 8 and K.J. WALKER took care of that on one carry, scoring his second TD of the game.
 
"Where I come from we run the ball most of the time," said Walker, a Valdosta, Ga. native who barged for 78 yards on a dozen carries. "But out here in California they like to throw the ball more. That's OK when you play at a school like Grossmont. They have great balance and a lot of great players."
 
Grossmont's wealth of talent prevailed once again as the Griffins churned out 521 yards while limiting the Owls to 318. It was quite a survival act by the Grossmont defense, which was dumbfounded by the ability of Citrus QB Steve Payne, who completed his first 11 passes for 99 yards in the 1st quarter.
 
"They were maximizing pass protection," Jordan said. "They got a lot of their yardage by throwing underneath."
 
At 6-4, 195 pounds Payne displayed amazing agility. Despite being sacked only one time all afternoon (by CHRIS D'AGOSTINO), Payne was forced to perform in hurry-up mode over the final 3 quarters. His marksmanship dipped considerably as he completed just 15 of 36 for 177 yards
 
Smiley, a Helix High graduate who was pressed into a starting role due to a knee injury to Foothill Conference Defensive MVP DAN CATALANO, was geared to meet the challenge. Not only did he make 9 tackles and intercept a pass, he also recovered a fumble that led to a Grossmont score.
 
"We had a meeting and talked about the situation we had with them last year when they got the jump on us, so we had to be ready to play every play because we knew Citrus could hurt us at anytime," Grossmont sophomore safety MAURICE LONDON said. "We just maintained our composure in the second half, especially our tackling. There were a couple of games we almost lost this year because of poor (tackling) technique, so coach worked with us on small stuff this week - the fundamentals."
 
It paid off. These Griffins are coachable, and anxious to take the next step.
(11-22-03)

SoCal playoff opener, South County Bowl contested between Griffins, Owls
EastCountySports.com
 
CHULA VISTA - It's almost showtime for the Foothill Conference-champion Grossmont College Griffins (10-0) and the Western State Conference South co-champions from Citrus College (9-1). What we have here are two squads that are obviously used to winning and cranking out large scoring numbers. They'll get a chance to prove which side does it best when the Griffins and Owls meet at 1 p.m. in the 5th annual South County Bowl Saturday (Nov. 22) at Southwestern College. This game doubles as the opening round of the eight-team Southern California Regional playoffs.
 
On the surface, this one shapes up as a scoring free-for-all. Grossmont is generating 49.1 points and 485 yards per game, while Citrus is squeezing out 35.7 points and 392 yards per outing.
 
The deciding factor may rest with a Grossmont defense that has limited 8 of 10 regular season foes to 15 points or less. These Griffins have recorded a pair of shutouts, forced 34 turnovers and scored 6 defensive touchdowns.
 
Grossmont's defense has been dominating in every game except the season finale, when upstart Antelope Valley scored 49 points (which included 7 on special teams and 7 on defense).
 
"We believe in our defense," Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN said of a group anchored by free safety MAURICE LONDON (7 interceptions), corner CHANTI BLOOMER, nose guard DALLAS MAUGA, and linebackers DAN CATALANO and BOBBY KELLY. "This could be the best defensive group we've ever had." He'll find out in these next four games.
 
Citrus shared the Western State Conference South Division title with Santa Monica, the team responsible for dealing the Owls their lone regular season defeat - 46-21 in week four. Nevertheless, this is the first conference title for the Owls since 1995, when they won the Foothill Conference title.
 
Yet, the Owls hoot that they have not received the recognition they feel they deserve.
 
Citrus DL Richard Soto told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that, "Nobody really respects us right now, even though we are 9-1."
 
Grossmont's Jordan begs to differ. He knows talent when he sees it and the Owls have their share.
 
"They didn't get where they are on luck," Jordan said. "That running back (Ganther) is as good as any back we've seen. And their quarterback (Steve Payne) is a tall guy (6-foot-4) who can put points on the board."
 
Running back Quinton Ganther is the centerpiece of the Citrus offense. Despite a sore shoulder, Ganther captured the Western State Conference rushing crown with 1,490 yards and 19 TDs on 220 carries.
 
POLL CALL
 
JC-Grid Wire guru HANK IVES, who has been reporting on community college football for 44 years, ranks the Griffins No. 3 in the nation, No. 2 in the state and No. 1 in Southern California. Surprisingly, Citrus is only No. 24 nationally, No. 16 in the state and No. 7 in SoCal.
 
The Junior College Football Network-USA Coaches rankings rate Grossmont No. 4 nationally, No. 3 in the state and No. 2 in SoCal. That same poll tabs Citrus as 20th in the nation, No. 10 in the state and No. 5 in SoCal.
 
Here's the scoop from the Junior College Athletic Bureau: Grossmont No. 3 in the state and No. 2 in SoCal. Citrus checks in at No. 14 the state and No. 6 in SoCal.
 
The COA/Coaches Southern California Regional Poll see it like this: No. 2 Grossmont and No. 5 Citrus.
 
The JuCal Transfer's view is Grossmont No. 1 in the state and Citrus No. 16.
 
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI: JC Grid-Wire's prediction for the South County Bowl: Grossmont 45, Citrus 21. . . The Griffins have won 38 of their last 41 regular-season games, but are only 3-8-1 in post-season play in their 42-year history . . . Three Grossmont teams have won as many as 10 games (1974, 1998 and 2003), but none has ever won 11 . . . The Griffins own a 10-9 edge over Citrus in the all-time series, which reaches back to Grossmont's inaugural season of 1962.
(11-20-03)

Todd Watkins (1) makes a great catch in Grossmont College's 52-49 win over the Antelope Valley Marauders on Saturday (11-8-03). Watkins caught 11 passes for 210 yards and scored 10 kicking points in the Griffins' 10-0 regular season finale. (Photo by Dawn Adams)

Griffs' All-Foothill Confernce Players of Year are Watkins, Catalano
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON - Grossmont College did not finish the regular season 10-0 by fate - a fact not lost on the Foothill Conference's other eight head coaches, who paid homage to the Fletcher Hills-based unbeatens by handing the Griffins all three of the circuit's major post-season awards. It was a clean sweep for Grossmont - TODD WATKINS (Offensive Player of the Year), DAN CATALANO (Defensive Player of the Year) and DAVE JORDAN (Coach of the Year).
 
Watkins, who is being recruited by Oregon State, USC and San Diego State, has been a double-threat for the Griffins since returning from Norfolk State following his graduation from Helix High. Now a 6-foot-3, 185-pound sophomore, Watkins leads the state in scoring (134 points - 8 TDs, 50-51 PAT, 12-15 FGs) and has contributed a school-record 243 points in his 21-game two-year Grossmont College career.
 
Further breakdown of Watkins' achievements is his abilities as a receiver. He's averaged 22.9 yards per catch on his 40 receptions, converting 20 percent of those connections into touchdowns. For his Grossmont career, Watkins has reeled in 49 passes for 1,191 yards (24.3 avg. per catch) and 12 TDs. His kicking line goes like this: 96-for-100 PATs and 25-for-29 on FGs. This Watkins has a long-range toe, as evidenced by his booting 52 and 54-yard three-pointers.
 
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Catalano was a fixture as a middle linebacker for the Griffins. A product of Westlake High, the sophomore Catalano ranked among Grossmont's leading tacklers and was recognized for his jarring blows.
 
An assistant coach at San Diego Mesa College said, "That No. 55 (Catalano) was the reason we didn't beat Grossmont." The Griffins indeed pulled a narrow escape at Mesa, nudging the Olympians 24-15.
 
For Jordan, it was the 5th time he has been selected conference coach of the year by his peers during his 33-year career at Grossmont. In the last eight seasons, Jordan has guided the Griffins to four Foothill Conference crowns and 65 wins against 20 defeats.
 
A dozen Griffins earned all-conference honors, including repeat first team pick sophomore free safety  MAURICE LONDON.  The native of Creekside, Ga. has intercepted 11 passes in his two-year career and has been nominated for All-State and All-America honors.
 
A second-team choice as a freshman, strong safety CHANTI BLOOMER (Helix HS) earned first-team honors this time around. Same story for offensive lineman AUNDREA LIDDELL (Fairview, Colo. HS), a 6-foot-3, 305-pound tackle. Both are sophomores. Liddell has been nominated for All-State honors.
 
Other first-team picks for Grossmont were: sophomore offensive lineman JUSTIN ERNEST (6-3, 280, El Centro Southwest HS); sophomore linebacker BOBBY KELLY (6-4, 210, University City HS); and freshman defensive lineman DALLAS MAUGA (Helix HS). The 6-1, 280-pound Mauga has been nominated for All-State consideration.
 
Grossmont's second team selections are: freshman quarterback JARROD JACKSON (2,106 yards total offense, while creating 18 TDs in 9 games); running back KASHUN McCLAY (113 carries, 622 yards, 11 TDs); and defensive lineman DAN WIDDERS (Horizon HS, 6-5, 280); and Watkins as a kicker.
 
Griffins earning honorable mention were: DL CHRIS D'AGOSTINO (6-2,250, Patrick Henry HS); WR JOE GRIFFIN (31 catches, 621 yards, 5 TDs, Palo Alto HS); WR CHRIS MAZZI  (24 receptions, 322 yards, 4 TDs Santana HS); OL CHAD PATMON (6-4, 290, Lincoln HS); OL ERIC ROMO (6-2, 280, Moreno Valley HS); fullback RAINBOW MAUGA (8 TDs, Helix HS).
 
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI - Let it be known that JuCal Transfer has rated Grossmont the No. 1 team in the state at the close of the regular season. The Griffins nosed out four other 10-0 teams - City College of San Francisco, Santa Rosa, College of the Canyons (Valencia), and Sierra (Rocklin) . . . Other East County players gaining All-Foothill Conference honors were Southwestern linebacker MYLES BUSH (El Capitan HS) and Southwestern DL JOAQUIN JACKSON (Monte Vista HS). Bush  earned enough votes to be nominated for all-state consideration.
(11-18-03)

Grossmont College linebacker Dan Catalano (55), shown here making a play against Chaffey, was selected the Foothill Conference Defensive Player of the Year. (Photo by Dawn Adams)

Foothill Conference 2003 All-Conference Team
OFFENSIVE MVP
Todd Watkins, Grossmont, So
DEFENSIVE MVP
Dan Catalano, Grossmont, So
COACH OF THE YEAR
Dave Jordan, Grossmont

First Team
QUARTERBACK
Nick Davila, Chaffey, Fr
RUNNING BACK
Jamar Day, Antelope Valley, So
Ferrell Bankhead, San Diego Mesa, So
Cory Young, College of the Desert, Fr
OFFENSIVE LINE
Aundrea Liddell, Grossmont, So
Jason Karnes, Chaffey, So
Josh King, Antelope Valley, Fr
Ernie Pelayso, Southwestern, So
Justin Ernest, Grossmont, So
TIGHT END
Jamar Day, Antelope Valley, So
WIDE RECIEVER
Cody Sorensen, Chaffey, So
Cleve Johnson, San Diego Mesa, So
Ozzie Maths, Victor Valley, So
PLACEKICKER
Justin Miranda, Antelope Valley, So
ALL-PURPOSE
Ryan Gilbert, Victor Valley, Fr
DEFENSIVE BACK
Maurice London, Grossmont, So
Tyrone Brackenridge, Chaffey, So
Kevin Stanley, Victor Valley, So
Jovone Murphy, Southwestern, So
Chanti Bloomer, Grossmont, So
DEFENSIVE LINE
Dallas Mauga, Grossmont, So
Keevin Hardiman, College of the Desert, So
Leonard Hongo, Mt. San Jacinto, So
Juan Montoya, Chaffey, So
Derrick Jones, Victor Valley, So
INSIDE LINEBACKER
Adam Ilo Ilo, Chaffey, Fr
Bobby Kelly, Grossmont, So
PUNTER
Scott Jefferies, Victor Valley, So
RETURN SPECALIST
Keno Walter-White, San Diego Mesa, Fr

Second Team
QUARTERBACK
Jarrod Jackson, Grossmont, Fr
RUNNING BACK
Andrew Follins, Southwestern, So
Kashun McClay, Grossmont, So
OFFENSIVE LINE
Nikolas Sorenson, Chaffey, So
Jeremy Hannibal, Victor Valley, So
Russell Abvbo, San Diego Mesa, So
Joe Valve, San Bernardino, So
De Qua Shoulders, Victor Valley, So
TIGHT END
Ben McClure, Southwestern, So
WIDE RECIEVER
Greg Prator, Chaffey, So
Cayton Matthew, College of the Desert, Fr
Jason Smith, Antelope Valley, So
PLACEKICKER
Todd Watkins, Grossmont, So
ALL PURPOSE
Jamar Day Antelope Valley So
DEFENSIVE BACK
Terrance Cotton, College of the Desert, So
Jerry Williams, Antelope Valley, Fr
Keno Walter-White, San Diego Mesa, Fr
Matt McWilliams, College of the Desert, Fr
Chris Grenfel, Chaffey, So
DEFENSIVE LINE
Greg Gibson, Antelope Valley, Fr
Joaquin Jackon, Southwestern, Fr
Rashaw Richardson, Victor Valley, Fr
Dan Widders, Grossmont, So
INSIDE LINEBACKER
Aaron Hoxie, San Diego Mesa, Fr
Guy Bruccheri, College of the Desert, Fr
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
Josh Mejia, Antelope Valley, So
Diandrew Anderson, Mt. San Jacinto, So
PUNTER
Brian Paulk, Chaffey, Fr
RETURN SPECIALIST
Ryan Martin, San Bernardino, So
(11-20-03)

Griffins take on Citrus in State Playoff opener, South County Bowl
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON - So much for chapter one. It's time for the sequel. After finishing the regular season 10-0 for the first time in the 42-year history of the program, Grossmont College will enter the Southern California CC Playoffs against 9-1 Citrus College on Saturday (Nov. 22). This playoff quarterfinal, which kicks off at 1 p.m., will be featured in the 5th annual South County Bowl at Southwestern College in Chula Vista.
 
"We're just glad to be still playing," Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN said. "This is an exciting deal. The format is fair and should bring forth a true state champion."
 
To capture the state crown, the eight teams vying in the Southern California Regionals need three straight wins to earn a berth in the state finals Dec. 13 in Bakersfield.
 
Meanwhile, the Northern California champion needs only one victory to qualify for the grand finale. That is, the winner of the City College of San Francisco (10-0)-Reedley (9-1) clash in the San Francisco Hawaiian Punch Bowl (Dec. 6) faces the South champion for the state's gold ring in spacious Bakersfield Memorial Stadium.
 
The Griffins will be making their fourth appearance in the state playoffs, which includes previous berths in1969, 1974 and 2000 before this year.
 
Jordan, who guided the Griffins to the state title in 1974, is pleased by the expanded format this year.
 
"This is what we coaches wanted," he said. "It's not fair to have 2 or 4 teams playing for the SoCal crown when there are so many others right on the edge who should be included. We had to give up our preseason scrimmage to do it, but this is worth it. The winner in the South will be a true champion."
 
To win the Northern California championship is somewhat less rigorous. It all boils down to one game. The winner of the City College of San Francisco-Reedley game advances to the state finals in Bakersfield on Dec. 13.
 
None of that matters to the Griffins at this juncture.
 
"All we are concerned with right now is beating Citrus," Jordan said. "We're going for the big prize here. Every game is a different venture, and this is the first step."
 
The Foothill Conference-champion Griffins (10-0), seeded No. 2 in the eight-team tournament, are led by state scoring leader TODD WATKINS, who has accumulated 134 points as a receiver-kicker this season.
 
Citrus shared the Western States Conference South Division title with Santa Monica, the team responsible for dealing the Owls their lone regular season defeat - 46-21 in week four. Nevertheless, this is the first conference title for the Owls since 1995, when they won the Foothill Conference. Citrus clobbered Grossmont 45-6 that season.
 
Running back Quinton Ganther is the pilot of the Owls. Despite a sore shoulder, Ganther ranks as the state rushing leader with 1,485 yards and 19 TDs on 220 carries.
 
"He is one of the better backs we've seen," Jordan said.
 
This game shapes up as a high-scoring affair, considering Grossmont is producing 49.1 points and 485 yards per game and Citrus is peeling off 35.7 points and 392 yards per outing.
 
GRIFFINS STATE PLAYOFF HISTORY:
 
1-- Grossmont made its first playoff appearance under head coach CLINT WHITFIELD in 1969. The Mission Conference-champion Griffins concluded the regular season 7-2, closing with a 6-game winning streak before falling to heavily favored Fullerton 49-19 in the semifinals of the state playoffs.
 
2- In 1974, the undefeated Mission Conference champion Griffins, led by the late JOE ROTH, edged Santa Rosa 18-12 in the semifinals and then squeezed Orange Coast 34-17 in the state title game at San Diego State's (now defunct) Aztec Bowl. This was coach DAVE JORDAN's first undefeated state championship outfit that finished 10-0-2. The only blemishes on this squad's ledger were regular season ties with Riverside CC (9-9) and Saddleback (27-27).
 
3- In 2000, the Southern California championships consisted of a one game winner-take-all  contest in the prestigious Potato Bowl before 7,000 fans in Bakersfield. The Renegades edged the Griffins 22-17 for the SoCal crown and continued onto the state title bout where they lost to City College of San Francisco 31-13 before 6,250 fans in Visalia.
 
NOTABLE: The Northern California champion has won the last 4 state titles, including Reedley's 35-15 romp over College of the Canyons in 2002 . . . CCSF won the three state crowns before Reedley's rise to prominence last year.
 
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI:
 
No Grossmont football team has ever won 11 games . . . The Griffins own a 10-9 edge over Citrus in the all-time series, which reaches back to Grossmont's inaugural season of 1962 . . . Grossmont grounded the Owls in the 2002 season opener 36-29 in Glendora.
(11-16-03)

Griffins enjoy sitting, waiting for South County Bowl opponent announcement
 
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON - It seems almost strange that the season continues this weekend and the Grossmont College Griffins are on the outside looking in. Not that this is a bad thing. After all, the Griffins have completed their regular season with a sparkling 10-0 record and the Foothill Conference championship in hand. They must now wait until Sunday (Nov. 16) to find out who they will play in the Southwestern South County Bowl in the quarterfinals of the Southern California playoffs.
Seems everybody has an opinion as to who Grossmont will engage in round one. It could be perennial power Palomar - if the Comets defeat Cerritos in Norwalk on Saturday (Nov.15) -- or possibly Citrus, which should conclude the regular season as the Western States Conference South Division co-champion. A third possibility is Saddleback, the Mission Conference's National Division runner-up.
"It doesn't matter to us who we play," Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN said.
Playoff pairings will be announced on Sunday.
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI: Grossmont wide receiver/kicker TODD WATKINS is taking a recruiting trip to Oregon State this weekend. Word has it, coach MIKE RILEY's Beavers rate the former Helix High standout as their top recruit . . . Grossmont is ranked No. 4 in the nation by both JC Grid Wire and JC Football Network. The Griffins are rated No. 3 in the state in both of those polls as well as by the Junior College Athletic Bureau.
(11-13-03)

Grossmont College's Marques Clark (15) scores on an 18-yard TD pass from Jordan Adams (7) in the Griffins' 52-49 victory over Antelope Valley on Saturday (11-8-03). Marauders defender Jamel Williams-35 watches. (Photo by Dawn Adams)

Adams fires for school-record 531 yards to close out first perfect season ever
EastCountySports.com
 
LANCASTER - The Grossmont Griffins faced few serious challenges in their march to a 9-0 start this season. In fact, only twice was their margin of victory less than 32 points. Taking that final step to make it a PERFECT 10-0 was a bit precarious, however. Led by backup quarterback JORDAN ADAMS' school-record 531 passing yards and 4 TDs, Grossmont pulled out a 52-49 victory to record the first 10-0 regular-season in the 42-year history of the Griffins' football program.
 
Few of the ebullient members of the Grossmont cast were more pleased by the latest conquest than Adams, who did not realize that he had broken the Griffins' all-time passing mark of 459 yards set by GREG GLEASON against Riverside in 1969.
 
"We knew that Adams was a strong passer, but you never know how good he is until he gets into a situation with the game on the line," Grossmont head coach DAVE JORDAN said.
 
A reliable backup to steady starter JARROD JACKSON through the first nine games, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Adams suddenly found himself cast in the limelight as the Griffins were aiming to make history.
 
"I didn't think I'd be nervous and I wasn't all week even while I was taking all the reps and knew of possibilities," Adams said. "Then, right before the game when I was warming up on the sidelines, it started to hit me. Yeah, I was nervous then.
 
"But once I got out there and we started moving the ball, I felt fine."
 
Adams, who was making his first collegiate start, came out firing as he engineered a 5-play, 67-yard scoring drive that culminated with the West Hills alum's 24-yard TD pass to JOSEPH GRIFFIN just 3 minutes into the game.
 
That was just the beginning for Adams, who had been limited to primarily mop-up roles prior to his showcase performance at Antelope Valley. Pressed into full-time service when Jackson was sidelined with a knee infection, Adams completed 30 of 42 passes to key his record-breaking performance that allowed the Griffins to post their 37th regular-season win in 39 starts.
 
"I didn't have a clue about what kind of stats I had tonight," admitted Adams, who was 20-for-32 for 429 yards and 6 TDs in eight previous relief roles. "All I wanted to do was win the game and finish 10-0."
 
Host Antelope Valley had its own ideas.
 
"This was their bowl game," coach Jordan said of the Marauders (5-4, 4-3). "Their fans were standing and yelling the whole day. I'm just glad Adams came through so well."
 
After KASHUN McCLAY capped a 5-play, 24-yard drive with a 9-yard TD run, and TODD WATKINS booted the PAT for his 10th kicking point, the Griffins were enjoying a comfortable 52-41 edge with 52 seconds remaining.
 
Game over, right. The Griffins thought so as they blind-sided offensive coordinator MIKE JORDAN with the traditional "Gatoraide" shower.
 
"We should have learned a lot of lessons from this game," head coach Jordan said. "And that was one of them. You never start celebrating until you know its over."
 
Sure enough Antelope Valley sent a shock wave into the Griffins' premature party, driving 65 yards in 4 plays for a score. The Marauders promptly executed a two-point conversion pass, and Grossmont found itself clinging to a three-point advantage with 9 seconds left.
 
Fortunately for the Griffins they were able to foil AVC's ensuing onside kick attempt to preserve the monumental victory.
 
"Adams stepped up and took command of the team (offense) and I'm so proud of him," said sophomore receiver CHRIS MAZZI, who reeled in a 21-yard TD pass on a third-and-13 play with 2:52 left to give Grossmont a 45-41 lead it wouldn't lose.
 
Mazzi said his winning pass route seemed to confuse the upset-minded Marauders.
 
"It was a hash route out of a trips set," Mazzi said. "The safety picked up BRIAN (ALLBROOKS) and that left me open for a second. So I stutter-stepped the linebacker they had on me, and then ran by him. When I turned, I could see (QB) Jordan smiling and the ball on its way."
 
Mazzi made the catch at the 10-yard line and scurried into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.
 
Grossmont trailed 31-17 at halftime and 41-31 with 10:21 remaining.
 
"Even when we fell behind, I wasn't anxious," Mazzi said. "I tried to keep my poise. People's emotions are different, so I can't say everybody wasn't panicking. I know our coaches were calm and that was good enough for me."
 
Grossmont's Watkins caught career-high 11 passes for 210 yards. The state scoring-leader added 10 points with a 23-yard field goal and 7-for-7 PAT kicking.
 
"He's a phenom," head coach Jordan said. "He was making his usual one-handed catches all over the place. Every four-year school that throws the ball is interested in Todd, including Oregon State, SDSU, Hawaii and USC."
 
"It's always great to finish a year 10-0," said Watkins, who was a member of the Helix Highlanders SDCIF Division II 13-0 championship squad of 2000. "I've always known this was a championship team here at Grossmont. Even when we were down by 14 points, I knew if we kept a cool head, we'd come out on top."
 
Grossmont, which generated 657 total yards at AVC, is guaranteed a berth in the South County Bowl in the quarterfinals of the Southern California playoffs Nov. 22 at Southwestern College. An opponent will be determined at the COA Bowl game seeding meeting on Sunday, Nov. 16. The South County Bowl opening kickoff will most likely be 5 p.m., which has become the ideal starting time for football in Southern California.
 
Only two Grossmont teams have won as many as 10 games in a season. The Joe Roth-led Griffins won the state championship with a 10-0-2 mark in 1974, and the 1998 Potato Bowl-Champion Griffins posted a 10-1 ledger.
 
A large contingent of Antelope Valley fans gave the home team a post-game standing ovation for pushing the Griffins to the brink. After all, Grossmont is ranked No. 3 in the nation by the legendary HANK IVES and J.C. Grid-Wire.
 
"I look at that as a tribute to our team," coach Jordan said. "Their fans were so happy that they came as close as they did to beating us."
 
Adams' 30 completions tied another Grossmont record held by present Griffins' defensive backfield coach BRYAN HALSEY, who completed 30 of 57 passes against the Air Force Academy JV in 1998 at Cororado Springs.
11-08-03)

Joseph Griffin (8) catches one of his 2 touchdown passes in Grossmont College's 48-15 win over Victor Valley on Sunday (11-2-03) to clinch the Foothill Conference championship for the undefeated Griffins (9-0). (Photo by Dawn Adams)

Griffins shoot for elusive 10-0 mark with finale at Antelope Valley
 
EastCountySports.com
 
LANCASTER - There's nothing like a perfect 10. It's a mark of excellence with gold-medal luster. Many dream about it. Few achieve it. The Foothill Conference-champion Grossmont Griffins are one rung shy of reaching the pinnacle of a 10-0 finish. Standing in their way are the Marauders of Antelope Valley whom the visiting Griffins face on Saturday (Nov. 8) in their regular season finale at 1 p.m.
 
Never has a Grossmont team finished 10-0. In fact, only two Grossmont outfits have won as many as 10 games in the 42-year history of the school's football program. The Joe Roth-led Griffins won the state championship with a 10-0-2 mark in 1974, and the 1998 Potato Bowl-Champion Griffins posted a 10-1 ledger.
 
The Griffins will have somewhat of a different look this weekend, as freshman JORDAN ADAMS makes his first collegiate start at quarterback. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound West Hills High product has performed well in a backup role for starter JARROD JACKSON.
 
In eight games, Adams has completed 20 of 32 passes for 429 yards and 6 TDs. His numbers are not indicative of how well he has performed, however. In most cases, the Griffins - who average 48.8 points and 466 yards per game - were sitting on a blowout by the time Adams arrived on the scene.
 
"They wouldn't let me throw the ball much after my first series for fear that the other team would say we were running the score up," Adams said. "It was tough just handing the ball off every play."
 
But, as coach DAVE JORDAN has said many times in the past, "We're lucky to have a quarterback the caliber of Jordan Adams waiting in the wings."
 
The wait is over. Adams will be the man when the Griffins (9-0) take on the 5-3 Marauders in the high desert.
 
"I've been waiting for a chance like this," Adams said. "It's a whole different feeling knowing that I'm going to get to play more."
 
Coach Jordan hasn't officially named Adams his starter against Antelope Valley. But sources close to the Griffins say it's a done deal.
 
Grossmont's veteran trainer DONIVAN MARTHIS reported that Jackson is suffering from a knee infection that could limit his playing time against AVC. Given that Jackson hasn't practiced all week makes his availability questionable at best.
 
"This isn't all about who is going to be our quarterback," Adams said. "It's about winning at Antelope Valley. At the beginning of the week, some of the guys were talking about the playoffs instead of focusing on Antelope Valley. But now, it's about going 10-0, and carrying that momentum into the playoffs."
 
The fact that AVC runs 'man-to-man' coverage in the secondary should be a plus for the Griffins, who have a horde of speedy blue-chip receivers led by TODD WATKINS (29 catches, 705 yards, 8 TDs), JOE GRIFFIN (29-572, 4 TDs) and CHRIS MAZZI (22-293, 3 TDs).
 
There is a possibility that Jackson could be on call in case of an emergency, but in all likelihood freshman ANTHONY LoPICCOLO will serve as Adams' backup.
 
Defensively, the Griffins have been giants against all comers. They'll certainly receive a test this week as AVC's Jamar Day is the leading rusher in the Foothill Conference, averaging more than 108 yards per game. Day has broken the 100-yard barrier four games in a row. He's also scored 10 touchdowns.
 
As a team, the Marauders are generating 422 yards and rolling up points at a 33.5 clip.
 
POLLING PLACE - Here's this week's ratings and where the Griffins stand:
 
JC-Grid Wire: No. 3 in the nation; No. 2 in the state; No. 1 in Southern California.
 
JC Football Network/All USA Coaches Poll: No. 4 nation; No. 3 state; No. 2 SoCal.
 
JC Athletic Bureau: No. 3 state; No. 2 SoCal.
 
COA/California CC Football Coaches: No. 2 in Southern California (with 3 of the 14 first-place votes). Note: This poll determines which 8 SoCal teams advance to the state playoffs.
 
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI: The Griffins have scored 46 or more in all but two of their nine conquests . . . Grossmont leads the all-time series 10-4, including wins the last three years . . . The Griffs mauled the Marauders 66-7 last year at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field, but that was a rare rout because most of the meetings are struggles . . . Watkins continues to lead the state in scoring with 124 points - an average of 13.8 tallies per game.
(11-06-03)

Griffins capture Foothill championship with 48-15 romp
ECS.com staff report

EL CAJON - Finally, the Grossmont College Griffins enjoyed what it felt like
to play football on an autumn afternoon. Sure, it was Sunday, Nov. 2, but the
Griffins of 2003 proved that they are a special lot. Despite having their
weekly practices curtailed by rampaging fires that smothered San Diego County
with plumes of smoke, creating record measures of poor air quality, the Griffins
proved they are cut of championship cloth. The lack of practice was evident,
but the splash of fresh air that greeted the Griffins and visiting Victor
Valley was enough to inspire what was a championship format. In the end, though, it
was undefeated Grossmont (9-0, 7-0) that skated to a 48-15 Foothill
Conference-championship clinching victory over the visiting Rams (6-3, 5-2)
from Victorville at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field.

"I was worried about this game all week," Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN said.
"You never know how much the disruptions are going to hurt you."

The Griffins got a bit of a hint on the opening kickoff when they botched an
attempted reverse handoff that resulted in a fumble and a Victor Valley
recovery at the Grossmont 2-yard line. One play later, the Rams (6-3, 5-2)
bulldozed into the end zone for a 7-0 lead just 8 seconds into the contest.

No panic on the Grossmont side.

A 65-yard return by BRIAN ALLBROOKS on the ensuing kickoff put the Griffins
into scoring position at the Victor Valley 35. A 23-yard burst up the middle by
RAINBOW MAUGA set up a 4-yard scoring jaunt by GARY FRANKLIN to tie the game
7-all with 58 seconds played.

"I do what I can, man, I'm out here to have fun," said Mauga, a blocking back
who garnered 44 yards on just 3 carries, including a TD jaunt in the 3rd
quarter. "We were running dives, and I was trying not to fall. I just was just
trying to get what I wanted, a TD so we could all be happy with another win.

It was Grossmont's 36th win in its last 38th regular season start. The
Griffins, who clinched their 5th Foothill Conference crown in the last 10
seasons with their fourth consecutive 9-win season, are hardly satisfied with their
present position.

"We have to look to the next level," Mauga said. "We want to beat Antelope
Valley (in Saturday's (Nov. 8) regular season finale) to finish the year
undefeated, and look to the next level."

Franklin's TD run ignited a 48-point scoring streak for the Griffins, who
have scored 46 or more points in all but two of their nine victories.

No Grossmont team has ever won more than 10 games. The 1974 state-champion
Griffins finished 10-0-2 and the 1998 Potato Bowl Champion Griffins concluded
10-1 - with their lone blemish coming at the hands of a junior-laden Air Force
Academy JV team 35-30 in Colorado Springs, Colo. A loaded deck, to be sure, but
a loss nonetheless.

None of that history matters to these Griffins, who need 5 more victories to
nail down the California state championship.

Although Grossmont is averaging 48.8 points and 465.9 yards per game on the
offensive end of the ball, it's been the Griffins' defense that has controlled
the show. The Griffins are permitting 257.6 yards and 11.7 points per game,
while forcing 33 turnovers. They have converted 7 enemy miscues into touchdowns.

"We all knew that this was a big game." Grossmont nose guard DALLAS MAUGA
said. "But this was a typically dominating performance by our defense - the
kind of dominating effort we give every week."

Grossmont limited the visiting Rams to 177 total yards, including 23 yards on
39 rushing attempts. That picayune total was the result of 5 Grossmont sacks
and 11 tackles for losses. Make no mistake about it, the pressure was on.

Sophomore free safety MAURICE LONDON was the spearhead of the Grossmont
defense with a pair of interceptions.

"I have to step it up to make plays," said London, the Arizona State-bound
safety, who leads the Griffins with 4 interceptions.

London's first pick against Victory Valley was in the end zone early in the
third quarter with Grossmont leading 34-7.

"I saw the ball coming straight toward me and the receiver slipped," London
said. "So I made sure I caught the ball and then I was off to the races."
London's return covered 35 yards before he stepped out of bounds. His second
theft of the afternoon covered 21 yards.

"My second one was when I scrolled my position," London said "I kind of felt
the quarterback looking my way and then I guess he tried to throw the ball
over my head and I jumped as high as I could to reach for it, grabbed and came
down with it."

London added 5 tackles to his booty, while nose guard DALLAS MAUGA collected
7 tackles and one sack. Linebacker DAN CATALANO was in on 6 tackles and a pair
of sacks.

Grossmont freshman quarterback JARROD JACKSON, despite being sacked 5 times,
completed half of his 28 passes for 220 yards and 4 TDs. He rifled scoring
strikes of 33 and 29 yards to JOSEPH GRIFFIN, an 8-yard bull's-eye to CHRIS
MAZZI and a 64-yard bomb to Watkins.

Mazzi led the Griffins with 5 receptions for 60 yards.

"What was working were the outside routes - they were killing them because
they were playing such a cushion defense," Mazzi said. "They have some good
corners, but I'll take our receiver against anybody. We can go outside, inside
or anything. It's just discipline on our half that allows us to do what ever we
want."

The early 7-0 deficit didn't faze the Griffins, Mazzi said.

"We weren't worried - definitely not worried," Mazzi emphasized. "I
automatically knew we'd bounce back."

Most stealthy of the Griffins' cast was sophomore receiver/kicker TODD
WATKINS. The state scoring leader's standards are so elite that when he drops
an apparent sure touchdown pass, that's what sets people talking. You have to be a
nugget for folks to chat about you in that manner.

Yes, Watkins did let a 6-pointer slip through his hands. But let's get down
to basics here. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound blue-chipper out of Helix High STILL
managed to contribute 18 points to the Griffins' ninth victory in as many
starts.

The Griffins are assured of a berth and a home site in the Southern
California Playoffs that begin on Saturday, Nov. 22.
(11-02-03)

Grossmont College's Kashun McClay (26) finds a big opening created by the Griffins' offensive line in an earlier victory against San Bernardino this year. McClay shares the Foothill Conference lead in touchdowns with 10. (Photo by Dawn Adams)

Griffins looking for 10th-straight victory over Victor Valley

EL CAJON - Grossmont College can clinch a tie for the Foothill Conference
championship with a victory over visiting Victor Valley when the two teams
collide Sunday (Nov. 2) at Mashin-Roth Field at 1 p.m.

The Griffins have streaked to eight consecutive victories, scoring more than
46 points in all but two of their conquests. Meanwhile, only twice in the past
eight games has Victor Valley scored less than 24 points.

Victor Valley quarterback Scott Jefferies is the No. 1 passer in the Foothill
Conference, averaging 256.9 yards per game. He's connected for a conference
high 22 TDs.

They aren't afraid of throwing the ball 50 times a game," Grossmont coach
DAVE JORDAN said. "When you can pass like that, you're never out of the game.

"From what we've seen, you can't let their quarterback roll out on a bootleg.
If you let him do that, he can really throw."

The Rams' Bennie Curry (5-foot-8, 237 pounds) rushed for 229 yards and two
TDs on 29 carries in Victory Valley's 47-6 rout of Southwestern last week.

The Griffins aren't too bad at throwing or rushing. Grossmont ranks second in
the state and fifth in the nation, averaging 48.3 points and 479 yards per
game.

POLLING PLACE - Here's this week's ratings and where the Griffins stand:

JC-Grid Wire: No. 5 in the nation; No. 3 in the state; No. 2 in Southern
California.

JC Football Network/All USA Coaches Poll: No. 5 nation; No. 3 state; No. 2
SoCal.

JC Athletic Bureau: No. 4 state; No. 2 SoCal.

COA/California CC Football Coaches: No. 3 Southern California. Note: This
poll determines which 8 SoCal teams advance to the state playoffs.

GRIFFIN GRAFFITI: The Griffins have won all of the 9 meetings between these
two schools. Yet, all of these games have not resulted in a lopsided Grossmont
victory. A last-second AKILI SMITH TD pass gave the Griffins a 34-29 victory
in 1995.
(10-31-03)

Grossmont College's Brian Allbrooks (10), shown here returning a kickoff, led the Griffins in all-purpose running during Saturday's (10-25-03) come-from-behind victory over College of the Desert. Helping clear the path are Scott Smiley (47) and Rajive Otah (20). (Photo by Dawn Adams)

Griffins to take Victor Valley to Sunday-go-to meetin'
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - In what is shaping up to be a record-breaking season at Grossmont
College, the Griffins will establish another milestone when they host Victor
Valley College on Sunday (Nov. 2) at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field. Kickoff is 1
p.m. This will mark the first time in the school's 42-year history that a
Grossmont football team has played on Sunday.

"It'll be kinda like we're playing in the NFL," Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN
chuckled. Except there won't be any TV time outs nor the endless stream
commercials to interrupt the game action.

Seriously, though, this in an important game for both teams. Grossmont (8-0,
6-0) leads the Foothill Conference, while Victor Valley (6-2, 5-1) is one game
back and facing a must-win situation in its quest to qualify for post-season
play for the first time in its school's football history.

Due to the rampaging fires that have ravished Southern California, the
Griffins have been unable to maintain their usual practice schedule. They got
on to the practice field for the first time on Wednesday.

As if that physical challenge wasn't enough to derail the Griffins, the fact
that they fell from 2nd to 3rd in the COA/California Community College
Football Coaches Poll following a 46-14 romp over College of the Desert last
week, didn't sit too well, either.

Does make one wonder why a coach shouldn't run up the score on every team he
plays. After all, the Griffins have beaten their opponents by an average
margin of 37.6 points per game. And, given that Jordan makes wholesale
substitutions, the margin obviously could have been wider.

"Our kids are pretty upset about being demoted in the rankings," Jordan said.
"They want to prove that dropping them down was a mistake."

The Griffins will get their chance when they host the Rams from Victorville.

GRIFFIN GRAFFITI - GC wide receiver/kicker TODD WATKINS is the No. 1 scorer
in the state with 106 points - 20 more than his nearest challenger . . . As a
team, Grossmont is the second-highest scoring team in the state and the
fifth-highest scoring team in the nation, producing 48.3 points per outing . .
.
Grossmont is among the nation's 14 undefeated teams . . . Only one Grossmont
team has finished the season unbeaten - JOE ROTH's 1974 state champions (10-0-2).
(10-29-03)

Griffins score 43 unanswered after early deficit for win over COD
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - Following an emotional showdown victory over Chaffey to grab sole
possession of the Foothill Conference lead last week, the highly-touted
Grossmont College Griffins nearly fell on their collective faces against
cellar-dwelling College of the Desert Saturday (Oct. 25) at Mashin-Roth
Memorial Field.

Were the Griffins flat at the outset? Most observers might say so.

The Roadrunners, who have won only one game in seven starts, took a quick 7-3
lead, then defensive end Travis Pruitt scooped up a Grossmont fumble and
rumbled 17 yards for a touchdown.

Suddenly, the Griffins were soaking in the reality of a 14-3 deficit with
11:46 left in the first half.

"They came out and jumped on us," admitted Grossmont receiver/kicker TODD
WATKINS. "We have to learn that we can't look past anyone. And they came ready
to play."

So Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN went to his defensive unit to find an answer.
Discovering that the Roadrunners couldn't handle their blocking assignments
against a blitz, the Griffins sent everyone forward to blank COD the rest of
the way. It was the spark that led to 43 unanswered points and a 46-14 Grossmont
victory.

"We had to make some major adjustments and change the way we thought we
should play them," noted Jordan, who scrapped a week's worth of game-planning
and sent his troops on the attack. "We were obviously flat after our game last
week, but we made some plays with our blitz. And we have guys like DAN CATALANO
who can really get to the quarterback when we blitz."

Catalano, the middle linebacker, started the turnaround by personally
registering three sacks by halftime, as the Griffins reached the COD
quarterback six times and forced four turnovers.

Included were a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions by cornerback MARCUS
BEECHER, who returned the first theft 42 yards for a touchdown, then ran out of
gas while racing 41 yards to wrap-up the victory late in the closing seconds.

"On the first one, it was a broken play, so I kept watching the quarterback's
eyes to see where he was throwing," said Beecher. "On the next one, I had the
tight end but I stayed back, then stepped up to the ball."

Beecher leads the Griffs with 3 thefts and 2 defensive touchdowns.
Grossmont's defense has produced 6 touchdowns for the season, while creating a
28-13 advantage in turnovers.

After trailing by 11, the streak of 43 unanswered points started with one of
three field goals by Watkins, who booted bombs of 24, 45 and 52 yards in the
1st half. He finished with 10 kicking points for the contest, giving him a
career scoring count of 206 points - breaking the state mark of 204 set by
Reedley's Larry Battle in 1969-70. Watkins' total - like that of Battle - is a
blend of touchdowns and kicking points - a record some football snobs say cannot mix.

Phooey!!!! Points is points.

"My leg felt like Jell-O on that 52-yarder -- I was so tired," noted Watkins,
who cleared the crossbar by two feet. "I didn't know if I had enough oomph
behind it."

The record books will prove that Watkins has the leg for long-distance kicks,
as he shares the Grossmont College record of 54 yards with JORGE DaSILVA (set
in 1974).

Watkins' second field goal cut the 'Runners' edge to 14-6. Then Griffins
quarterback JARROD JACKSON found wide receiver ERIC RABARA with a pass along
the right sideline. Rabara made a nice spin move and raced 32 yards for the score.
The first of K.J. WALKER's two 2-point conversion runs knotted the game with
7:27 left in the half.

Grossmont (8-0, 6-0) then took the lead on another bizarre safety, the second
such score in three ballgames for the defense. Two weeks ago at San
Bernardino Valley, a quick-kick on third down bounced off the rear end of a
Wolverines lineman and caromed sideways out of the end zone for a comedic two points.

This go-round, a third-down snap sailed over the head of Desert quarterback
Nate Lewis. Unable to collect the loose ball which dribbled some 26 yards
behind the line of scrimmage, Lewis then attempted a cartoonish, Looney Tunes
kick at the bouncing ball, also shanking it sideways and out the side of the end
zone for another safety.

Both times, Grossmont defenders were nowhere near the ball, but the points
went on the scoreboard anyway. But this time, the safety gave the Griffins a
16-14 lead which they would never relinquish.

Watkins' third field goal made it 19-14, then Grossmont's offense settled in,
as both Jackson and JORDAN ADAMS would each toss a pair of touchdown passes.

Adams found JOSEPH GRIFFIN on a 41-yard play to close the half with a 27-14
lead.

After a scoreless third period, Jackson connected with CHRIS MAZZI on a
3-yard quick slant, followed by Adams' 35-yarder to BRIAN ALLBROOKS along the
right flank for 14 additional markers.

"I don't know why we keep coming out slow," said Adams, who completed 5-of-7
passes for 122 yards. "But we will learn from this game - especially the
offense. COD came out and has some real good athletes. (Keevin) Hardiman was in
my face or around me all day, and No. 8 (P.J. Bradley) and No. 9 (Guy Bruccheri)
hit me quite a few times, too."

Jackson finished with 140 yards on 13-for-28 passing, while Griffin was the
leading receiver with four grabs for 93 yards.

"It felt nice to put something together after being quiet the last two
games," said Griffin. "We just showed we didn't prepare as we should after an
emotional win."

The 43 consecutive points is only the third-longest streak of its kind this
season for Grossmont.

The Roadrunners were paced by running back Cory Young, who ran 13 times for
60 yards. However, COD's passing game was limited by the Grossmont secondary to
just 11 completions on 31 attempts.

Both teams were also assessed for more than 100 yards in penalties. Included
was a scary moment after Grossmont was called for roughing the passer, as the
COD signal-caller got up and kicked the guilty defender in the head.

Fortunately, the blow was of a glancing variety and no one was injured. The
COD quarterback then took himself out of the game by racing to the bench before
the referee had a chance to decide whether to eject him. He was not
disqualified, but the COD coaches decided to keep the player on the sideline
for the balance of the contest in case tempers flared.
(10-25-03)

Grossmont College's Chris Mazzi (3) just misses making a miraculous catch during the Griffins' 56-10 Foothill Conference rout of Chaffey College on Saturday (10-18-03). Watching the play are Jason Factuar (85) and Joseph Griffin (8), along with coach Dave Jordan and his staff. (Photo by Dawn Adams)

Roadrunners will need more than ACME to upset Griffins
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - On paper, College of the Desert's arrival at Grossmont College's
Mashin-Roth Memorial Field on Saturday (Oct. 25) at 1 p.m. should be a cakewalk
for the Griffins. Perhaps. But Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN has been in this
game too long to consider any opponent as an easy mark.

"I don't care what their record (1-5) says, these guys are about 100 percent
better than they were last year," said Jordan, looking back at the Griffins'
44-0 drubbing of the Roadrunners last fall in Palm Desert. "They've played
everybody tough this season."

Jordan isn't just blowing smoke. Four of the Roadrunners games have been
decided by 7 points or less - three have been determined by 5 points or fewer.

"They're a feisty bunch that never quits," Jordan added.

Neither do his Griffins, Jordan emphasized.

"Very seldom do I have an all-sophomore team like this that remains at an
even keel no matter who we're playing," the veteran coach said. "An advantage
we've had over a lot of our opponents is our depth. We have tremendous depth."

COD's top weapon is 6-foot-2, 218-pound freshman fullback Cory Young, who
ranks third in the Foothill Conference with an average of 80 yards rushing per
game.

The Roadrunners feature two quarterbacks - Terry Mermer and Nate Lewis - who
have combined for 937 passing yards and 6 TDs on 69-of-183 accuracy.

Quick starts have become a Grossmont trademark this year. In their last two
games, the Griffins (7-0, 5-0) have scored 21 points off their opponents'
errors in the opening minutes. Fact is, Grossmont, which has forced 24
turnovers, has seen its defense score 5 TDs this season.

Grossmont rates as the No. 4 offense in the state - averaging 494 yards and
49.3 points per game, thanks to the superb direction of quarterback JARROD
JACKSON. Not to mention Grossmont's line of steel, which has allowed only 4
sacks in 7 games.

RECORD BOOK: Grossmont WR/Kicker TODD WATKINS is a scoring machine. The
multi-talented sophomore, who scored 100 points during the regular season of
2002 and totaled 109 his freshman year counting the post-season South County Bowl,
is on the verge of breaking the state career scoring record.

Since those (9) post-season points don't count toward state records, Watkins
officially has 196 points in 17 regular-season games with three to play. That
breaks down to 11 TDs, 82-of -85 PAT kicks and 16-of-20 field goals boots.

Albeit the scoring record is a bit divided - some believe the same player
cannot add kicking and touchdown points together (go figure) - the state mark
of 204 points set by Reedley's Larry Battle is somewhat disputed.

Battle, a JC All-American, tabulated his total as a kicker and a receiver
during the 1969-70 seasons before transferring to Oregon where he was a
teammate of quarterback Dan Fouts, arguably the greatest quarterback in San Diego
Chargers' history.

In terms of sheer kicking points, Watkins has accumulated 130 - well short of
the national record of 178 set by Northwest Mississippi's Shae Orrell
(1999-00).

POLLING PLACE - Seems everybody is an expert these days. The once forgotten
lot of community college football has suddenly gained some attention. Polls are
popping up at an alarming rate. Who are we to say which one is the best
although it's hard to go against the experience and wisdom of HANK IVES, voice
of JC Grid-Wire.com. This man has been reporting on JUCO ball for some five
decades.

Here's this week's ratings and where the Griffins stand:

JC-Grid Wire: No. 6 in the nation; No. 4 in the state; No. 3 in Southern
California.

JC Football Network/All USA Coaches Poll: No. 5 nation; No. 3 state; No. 2
SoCal.

JC Athletic Bureau: No. 4 state; No. 2 SoCal.

JuCal Transfer Top 20: No. 2 state; No. 1 SoCal.

COA/California CC Football Coaches: No. 2 Southern California. Note: This
poll determines which 8 SoCal teams advance to the state playoffs.

HONOR ROLL - For teams that win, the awards come by the handsfull, as do the
four-year college scouts. Receiver/kicker TODD WATKINS - the state scoring
leader - is included in the JCAB's state players of the week and is recognized
as the Pacific Coast Conference Male Athlete of the week. Corner CHANTI
BLOOMER is also recognized as one the JCAB's state players of the week. DL
DALLAS MAUGA, Bloomer, Watkins and QB JARROD JACKSON were among the Foothill
Conference players of the week.

GRIFFIN GRAFFITI - Among those in attendance while the Griffins were
clobbering Chaffey 56-10 last week in Rancho Cucamonga was former Green Bay
Packers star line Jerry Kramer. He was there watching his nephew, Chaffey kicker Jarrad
Jakubiak. . . The Griffins have posted two shutouts this season - the first
time a Grossmont defense has done so since the 1974 state championship campaign
. . . RB KASHUN McCLAY has scored a conference-best 10 TDs. . . Grossmont has
scored 49 or more points in five of its seven games this season, averaging 61
points over its last four games . . . The Griffins have won 34 of their last
36 regular-season starts . . . GC owns only a 9-5-3 edge over College of the
Desert in the all-time season series. But the Griffs have rolled the
Roadrunners by a composite 158-20 score in the last three meetings.
(10-24-03)

Grossmont College's Rainbow Mauga (30) rambles for his 4th touchdown of the season with blocking support from Victor Lauifi (79) in a game earlier this season. Mauga and the Griffins host College of the Desert on Saturday (10-25-03) in a Foothill Conference game at 1 p.m. (Photo by Dawn Adams)

Chaffey's conference win streak melts under Griffins' heat
EastCountySports.com

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - The Grossmont Griffins are still a few strides away from
celebrating any championships. But they certainly passed their first
heavyweight challenge Saturday (Oct. 18), hardly breaking a sweat in the
process as they dismantled reigning Foothill Conference-champion Chaffey 56-10 at Grigsby
Field.

Even the sizzling 100-degree temperature couldn't deter the Griffins from
their appointed task as they pounded the black-clad Panthers into an early TKO
with relative ease.

"We went right after them and caused problems from the start," said Grossmont
College coach DAVE JORDAN, who saw his Griffins (7-0, 5-0) cash in 5 Chaffey
turnovers for 35 points. "Our defense has been setting the tempo - creating
(24) turnovers to put our offense in position to score. That builds confidence
and takes the edge off."

Sophomore safety CHANTI BLOOMER scored Grossmont's 5th defensive touchdown of
the year when he scooped up a Chaffey fumble and pranced 34 yards to the end
zone for a 7-0 lead before the game was four minutes old. The former Helix
High standout also forced 2 fumbles and recorded 5 tackles.

Grossmont, which had built up a 35-0 lead with nine minutes left in the first
half, was overpowering as it posted its 34th victory in its last 36
regular-season starts. The Panthers, meanwhile, saw their 21-game conference
winning streak come to an end.

"We're just one step closer to our goal," said Grossmont sophomore running
back KASHUN McCLAY, who led the Griffins' rushing parade with 76 yards and one
TD on 15 carries.

That goal, of course, begins with claiming the Foothill Conference
championship, which would be the Griffins' 5th in the last 10 years. Grossmont
is assured of wearing that crown if it can close out the season with victories
over College of the Desert, Victor Valley and Antelope Valley. A sweep of those
three games would also tie the school record for wins and award Grossmont with only
its second undefeated regular season in the 42-year history of the football
program.

First things first, as the Griffins - ranked as high as 5th in some national
polls - would like to relish the moment of their latest conquest. Chaffey, you
see, has become a heated rival.

Grossmont churned out 494 yards in 68 plays, scoring on 7 of its 12
possessions.

"We still had a sour taste in our mouths from last year," said Grossmont
sophomore center ERIC ROMO, referring to Chaffey's 43-35 triple-overtime
victory over the Griffins last year at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field. "We really wanted
this one, and came out here and took it to them."

Midway through the 1st quarter, Grossmont led 14-0 and then put the game away
in the second period by scoring three touchdowns during a two-minute span
that saw Chaffey run just one offensive play - which was intercepted by CHRIS
MARKS. Also in that mix, the Griffins caught the Panthers (4-2, 3-1) catnapping
when they executed an on-sides kick - recovered by Grossmont's STEVE JOHNSON -
that opened up the touchdown trail.

"It's all about our offensive line," McClay said. "Every week they come to
practice focused. They had to learn kind of a new scheme for (Chaffey's)
blitzing defense. As long as our line keeps blocking the way they do, and our
pass pro(tection) keeps up and our defense plays hard, we're on our way to the next
level."

That offensive line that the Grossmont skill position players rave about
includes Romo, AUNDREA LIDDELL, JUSTIN ERNEST, ROBERT PATMON, VICTOR LAUIFI and
SAM DOWNS.

"We're just part of a unit that works together with our quarterback, our
general here (JARROD JACKSON) who takes charge to make sure we're doing our job,
" said Romo, the Griffins center. "We know our running backs are right behind us
- hitting the holes as hard as they can. It's not just one group, it's
everybody. We're a team - a motivated team."

A pretty darn good one at that.

General Jackson connected on 18 of his 22 passes for 251 yards, including
scoring bull's-eyes of 6 and 34 yards to TODD WATKINS, 8 yards to XAVIER
CAMPBELL and 6 yards to RAINBOW MAUGA. There easily could have been more points pasted
onto Chaffey's bright red scoreboard had Jackson and the other Grossmont
starters remained in the game beyond the third quarter.

"I've been saying for the past couple of weeks that we've been just this
close (he held his hands 4 inches apart)," Jackson said. "And today we just had
that kind of game where everybody just connected. For whatever reason, it took
us seven games to really start clicking."

GARY FRANKLIN capped the Grossmont scoring with a 63-yard touchdown run - his
longest in two seasons at Grossmont.

Watkins finished with seven catches for 115 yards to go with his 20 points,
which included 8-for-8 PAT kicking.

"We didn't expect to blow them out, but we have the firepower to put those
kind of numbers up," said Watkins, who has scored 96 points this season and
totaled 196 in his two-year Grossmont career. "Beating a team like Chaffey
(ranked No. 13 in the state) the way we did proves we're legit."

The same could be said for the officiating crew, which established its
authority early on. Instead of turning the game into a penalty fest, this
quintet of the state's finest arbiters maintained order between two squads known for
racking up penalty yardage. Fifteen penalties were walked off between the two
teams, but only two came in the second half. The officials controlled the game
without paralyzing the action.

Kudos to this crew for keeping the game moving at a crisp, traditional pace -
no standing around between first downs and touchdowns. They kept the game
flowing with true professionalism in spite of the heat. Too bad more of the
officiating crews don't follow this example.
(10-18-03)

Grossmont College's Todd Watkins (1) shows perfect balance as he catches a TD pass from Jarrod Jackson in the Griffins' 49-0 victory over San Bernardino on 10-11-03. (Photo by Dawn Adams)

Conference title likely to be decided when Griffins travel to rival Chaffey
EastCountySports.com

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - College football teams creating rivalries when their campuses are 120 miles apart are rare at this level. It's no neighborhood thing. It's the intensity at which Grossmont and Chaffey annually go at one another that makes this long-distance clash of Foothill Conference titans something special. Eight of the last nine conference crowns have gone to either Chaffey or Grossmont. The Panthers have won the last two. Not surprisingly, when the Griffins (half lion, half eagle) and the Panthers go claw-to-claw on Saturday (Oct. 18) at Chaffey, the last team standing will almost certainly claim the Foothill Conference crown - again. Kickoff for this heavyweight bout is set for 1 p.m.

"We're a better team than anybody they've played," Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN said. "And they're the best team we've played."

So what else is new?

Grossmont (6-0, 4-0) and Chaffey have split 18 previous meetings.

Better yet, consider these numbers. The Griffins have won 33 of their last 35 regular-season games. The only blemishes during that stretch are courtesy of Chaffey. The Panthers punched out the Griffs 38-18 in 2001 and won a 43-35 triple-overtime thriller last year at Mashin-Roth Field.

Make note of this, too. Chaffey (4-1, 3-0) has won 21 Foothill Conference games without interruption. Of course, the last time Chaffey crumbled was in the 2000 meeting at Grossmont - 56-20 - when the Griffins scored 42 unanswered points.

Don't expect any such scoring runs when these giants face off this time.
Granted, the Griffins are grinding out 494 yards and 48.2 points per game,
while Chaffey - coming off its largest shutout victory in school history (45-0 over
Southwestern) -is producing 38.6 points and 488 yards per outing.

"People are going to have to work hard to score on our defense," Jordan said,
whose Griffins are limiting their foes to 259.3 yards and 11 points per game.

The front line of DALLAS MAUGA, DAN WIDDERS and CHRIS D'AGOSTINO link up with
linebackers BOBBY KELLY, DAN CATALANO, and SOSIUA SEKONA and a secondary of
corners MARCUS BEECHER and JOHN GUICE, and safeties CHANTI BLOOMER and MAURICE
LONDON. This unit has forced 19 turnovers - 4 of which resulted in immediate
touchdowns.

Freshman quarterback Nick Davila is the man in control of the Chaffey
offense. Despite not beginning the season as the Panthers' No. 1 field general,
Davila has passed for 947 yards and a dozen touchdowns in four appearances.
He's clicked on 62 percent of 104 passes, serving up just 3 interceptions.

"Chaffey pretends like they want to run the ball, but they really like to
spread the field and throw as much as they can," Jordan said. "We have to keep
the pressure on them, so they can't do what they want to do."

Chaffey's Cody Sorensen (34 catches, 623 yards, 8 TDs) is the Foothill
Conference's leading receiver by far. Teammate Greg Prator (21-453, 6 TDs) is
fifth in the circuit.

"We have confidence that our people can cover their receivers," Jordan said.

Explosive as the Griffins have been this year, few Grossmont athletes are
ranked among the state statistical elite. One of the reasons that Grossmont
does not have a bunch of individuals included among the state leaders is due to the
Griffins' tremendous depth. Fifteen Griffins have carried the football, three
have launched passes, 15 have made receptions and 20 have contributed to the
scoring column.

RATINGS GAME - The Juco Football Network's All-USA Coaches Poll has the
Griffins ranked No. 5 nationally, No. 3 in the state and No. 1 in Southern
California. J.C.GRID-WIRE ranks the Griffins No. 6 in the nation, No. 4 in the
state and No. 2 in Southern California.

Since the majority of the conferences did not play last weekend, the various
state and SoCal polls have not changed. The Griffins remain No. 2 in Southern
California according to the all-important COA Coaches/Media Poll which
determines the 8 Southern California playoff representatives to the state
playoffs. The Junior College Athletic Bureau tabs Grossmont No. 5 in the state and No. 2
in SoCal.

GRIFFIN GRAFFITI - Sophomore receiver/kicker TODD WATKINS leads the Foothill
Conference in scoring with 76 points (5 TDs, 6 FGs, and 28 PATs) . . . The
Griffins have won Foothill Conference titles in 2000, 1998, 1996, 1994, 1985
and 1984 . . . Jordan figures the Griffins have 14 Division I players on their
roster . . . A representative from the University of Arizona attended
Grossmont's Wednesday practice this week.
(10-17-03)

Grossmont College wide receiver Joseph Griffin (8) leaps over San Bernardino Valley defender Alphonso Williams (8) to make the catch during the Griffins' 49-0 victory on Saturday (10-11-03). (Photo by Dawn Adams)

Griffins play it safe in easy-going prep against SBVC
EastCountySports.com

SAN BERNARDINO - Despite the 49-0 score, Grossmont College was able to conceal its high-octane offense in Saturday's (Oct. 11) rout of San Bernardino Valley, giving scouts from Chaffey little to study in preparation for next week's Foothill Conference showdown between two of the state's top teams.

The pressure to produce for a Grossmont offense averaging 48.2 ppg was reduced thanks to the Griffins' defensive unit that tallied 16 points, including interceptions for touchdowns by MARCUS BEECHER and CHANTI BLOOMER in the game's opening minutes.

On the game's first play from scrimmage, Beecher jumped all over a Wolverines quick-out pass in front of the SBVC bench, racing 26 yards for the score just 12 seconds into the game.

"It was too easy," noted Beecher. "We were in Cover Four most of the day, but playing up because we saw on the film that they like to throw short a lot. I just did my step-drill to the ball. After that, it was history."

Less than five minutes later, Bloomer grabbed the Wolverines' third pass of the contest off a deflection and raced untouched for 22 yards and a 14-0 advantage. It was Bloomer's second theft of the season and Grossmont's 4th defensive TD of the campaign.

"I was just going to come up and make the hit," Bloomer explained. "But the ball slipped through the receiver's hands and I was down the sidelines."

The Grossmont defense also registered a safety en route to its second shutout of the season, but really didn't do anything to earn it.

Pinned back near their own goal line, the Wolverines (1-4; 0-3) elected to quick-kick on 3rd down. However, the Mike Hawkins punt bounced off the back of an SBVC lineman and bounded out of the end zone to push the Griffins' second-quarter lead to 23-0.

Grossmont (6-0, 4-0) then operated a basic offense (348 total yards) the rest of the way in preparation for next Saturday's (Oct. 18) showdown with two-time defending Foothill Conference champion Chaffey (4-1, 3-0) in Rancho Cucamonga. The Panthers pounded host Southwestern, 45-0 in their latest tune-up Saturday in Chula Vista.

Keeping their offensive scheme relatively simple, the Griffins looked to
sophomore KASHUN McCLAY to shoulder much of the load. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound
Mount Miguel High product scored on carries of 13, 4 and 6 yards, the last
touchdown propelling him over the 100-yard rushing plateau at 102.

"Usually, we put it upon the defense, but they made it 14-0 so fast, they put
it upon us to carry the team," said McClay. "We always have each other's
backs, but we're never in cruise control. We have to go to practice Monday to
get better and be ready for Chaffey."

McClay's first score came on a toss play to the right, giving Grossmont a
21-0 lead just 7:03 into the ballgame. The score gave Grossmont an impressive
97 points over four consecutive quarters of play, including 76 points over the
final three periods during last week's triumph over Southwestern.

RAINBOW MAUGA (5 carries, 39 yards), K.J. WALKER (3 carries, 32 yards) and
GARY FRANKLIN (6 carries, 26 yards) also helped carrying the rushing load for
the Griffins.

Meanwhile, TODD WATKINS added four receptions for 60 yards. Included was
another of his crowd-pleasing, one-handed grabs on a 9-yard scoring pass from
JARROD JACKSON on a fade pattern to the left corner, lifting the margin to 31-0
at the half.

San Bernardino's deepest penetration into Griffins territory came on the
final drive of the game, marching to the 38-yard line on 10 plays. However, the
ensuing snap was fumbled, as reserve linebacker RASHAD NEAL recovered for
Grossmont to place the finishing touches on the shutout.

"We got up by 21 so fast that the coaches wanted to take the starters out, so
it's sometimes hard to get your reps," said linebacker BOBBY KELLY. "But we
kept focused and played well because our back-ups are just as good as our
starters - we're really deep at linebacker."

The Wolverines earned just a single first down by passing all contest, coming
with under two minutes to play. They totaled a mere 147 yards total offense -
Grossmont's best defensive effort of the season.

"We may give up a big play every once-in-a-while, but not a drive where a
team goes all the way on us," added middle linebacker DAN CATALANO, who was
among the Griffins leaders in tackles.

Grossmont's offense took a while to warm up, as the SBVC defense displayed
good speed and a new look.

"They had two weeks to change their defense," said Grossmont head coach DAVE
JORDAN, noting that the Wolverines had a bye last week. "But I think our
offense adjusted well. Now we need to be ready in every phase for Chaffey next
week."

For the record, Chaffey outgained Southwestern 542-188.
(10-11-03)

Griffins have come a long way, go back to where it all started
EastCountySports.com

SAN BERNARDINO - The first football game in Grossmont College history was
played at San Bernardino Valley College in 1962. The Griffins pulled out a 14-6
victory that night, but lost seven straight after that before closing their
inaugural campaign with a victory over Southwestern.

Much has changed in the last 41 years. The Griffins (5-0, 3-0) have grown
into a perennial state power, while the biggest change at San Bernardino has
been a switch in team mascots. The former Indians of SBVC are now known as the
politically correct Wolverines.

The Griffins, who are averaging 48 points and 523 yards per game, hit the
road to test the Wolverines (1-3, 0-2) on Saturday (Oct. 11) at 1 p.m.

This one has mismatch stamped all over it, as the Wolverines are surrendering
31 points and 321 yards per outing.

Grossmont's veteran head coach DAVE JORDAN doesn't get caught up in the
numbers game.

"They have a lot of skilled players, but haven't been able to put it all
together yet," he said. "Defense is their strength. They definitely have a
better secondary than we've seen in a while. And they like to mix it up on offense.
They came out in a wishbone in their first game (a 13-10 win over Los Angeles
Southwest)."

Based on the performance of the Griffins in their last two games, it
shouldn't matter what San Bernardino does. Grossmont has scored 139 points and
generated 1,306 yards in lopsided victories over Mt. San Jacinto and
Southwestern. Perhaps that is why Grossmont ranks No.3 among state offenses.

Nevertheless, Jordan is approaching this road game with guarded optimism. A
glaring fact is the Griffins are averaging 66.3 points in their three homes
games compared to 20.5 in their two road games.

Foothill Conference passing (259 ypg) and total offense (276.4) leader JARROD
JACKSON (259 ypg) directs the Grossmont offense. Talk about a balanced attack
- 15 Griffins have logged at least one rushing play, 15 have caught passes
and 18 have contributed to the scoring column.

KASHUN McCLAY (61 carries, 353 yards, 6 TDs) is the ringleader of a deep
stable of Grossmont running backs. JOE GRIFFIN (18 catches, 332 yards, 1 TD),
tight end XAVIER CAMPBELL (14-160, 2 TDs), TODD WATKINS (13 catches, 32.8-yard
average, 4 TDs) and CHRIS MAZZI (10-141, 1 TD) are the Griffins leading
receivers.

RECORD REVIEW - The 819 total yards the Griffins generated in last week's
76-34 rout of Southwestern stands as an unofficial state record. That is, none
of the statistical historians can find a higher total although they claim to
still be looking. The 56 points the Griffins scored in the second half of the
romp over the Jaguars is a Grossmont record, as is the game total.

RATINGS GAME - The Griffins remain No. 2 in Southern California according to
the all-important COA Coaches/Media Poll which determines the 8 Southern
playoff representatives to the state playoffs. The Juco Football Network's All-
USA Coaches' Poll has the Griffins ranked No. 5 nationally, No. 3 in the state and
No. 1 in Southern California. J.C.GRID-WIRE ranks the Griffins No. 7 in the
nation, No. 4 in the state and No. 2 in Southern California. The Junior College
Athletic Bureau tabs Grossmont No. 5 in the state and No. 2 in SoCal.

GRIFFIN GRAFFITI - Grossmont owns an 18-5 advantage in the San Bernardino
series, including 5 straight wins . . . The Griffins' coaches named corner JOHN
GUICE, defensive end CHRIS D'AGOSTINO, wide receiver-kicker TODD WATKINS,
offensive tackle VICTOR LAUIFI, and linebacker SCOTT SMILEY the players of the
week for the Southwestern slaughter . . . Watkins leads the Foothill Conference
and ranks third among the state's scoring leaders with 63 points. . . Among the
latest four-year colleges checking out the Griffins this week were New Mexico
and San Jose State.
(10-10-03)

Griffins put home scoreboard on tilt against Southwestern
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - Here's a startling statistic. The Grossmont College Griffins have
scored 199 points in three home games at Roth-Mashin Memorial Field this
season. That computes to 66.3 points per game. As mind-boggling as that is, the
numbers could well have soared into the stratosphere had Griffins head coach DAVE
JORDAN not emptied his bench in lopsided victories over Long Beach City
College, Mount San Jacinto and Saturday's (Oct. 4) record-shattering 76-34 Foothill
Conference rout of Southwestern.

Wholesale substitutions aside, the Griffins are scoring faster than Indian
Gaming Casinos suck up quarters. Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching . . .Bingo!!!

Despite a slow start against the Jaguars (2-3, 1-2), the Griffins (5-0, 3-0)
- ranked in the top 10 of every national poll - rolled off 48 unanswered
points to erase a 12-7 second quarter deficit and continued on to break Grossmont's
single game scoring record set in 1967 by 4 points.

The Brian Sipe-led Griffins, who crushed Cypress College 72-3 in 1967, set
that Grossmont record. But not even Sipe's Griffins could roll up the state
record 819 yards Grossmont generated against Southwestern, despite playing every
able-bodied player.

As for the two milestone records captured by the Griffins on Saturday,
Grossmont offensive coordinator MIKE JORDAN said. "It feels like we could have
gotten it a lot earlier if we would have kept our offense running the whole game,
which we don't in most games and didn't do in today's game, either. Against
some teams like this, I think we could do it if we wanted to."

Not that Jordan and Co. set out to set records at Southwestern's expense.

"Actually we shut it down in the third quarter - didn't throw the ball - and
that's what I hear every game," Jordan said.

So he kept the ball on the ground and hardly put the brakes to the Griffins'
high-flying offense. In fact, Grossmont's final 20 plays were on the run. And
the results were - 161 yards and two touchdowns with seldom used performers
doing the majority of the work.

"It feels good to finally break those records even though I know we could
have done it many times before," Jordan said.

Grossmont freshman quarterback JARROD JACKSON had a career game, completing
19 of 33 passes for 385 yards (10th best in school history) and 2 TDs, while
rushing for 10 yards and a 3rd score as the Griffins defeated Southwestern for
the 7th time in their last 8 meetings.

"We just have great depth," said Jackson, who logged his numbers in 2 1/2
quarters. "All of our guys got into this one and they couldn't stop us."

GARY FRANKLIN (11 carries, 120 yards) and RAJIVE OTAH (three carries, 81
yards) were among the 12 backs that contributed to the Griffins' 387 yards on 48
rushing calls. That groundswell is the 3rd largest in Grossmont history.

"We could have run the ball all day because we have so many running backs who
want to hit the hole," said Otah, who made highlight-reel maneuvers and
averaged 27 yards per jaunt. "Our offensive linemen are out there working seven
days a week for us, so we know we're going to have room to move."

Otah, a freshman magician out of Helix High, returned kicks and punts and
finished with 197 all-purpose yards.

"I'm proud to be a part of this team," Otah said. "We play hard for one
another."

The Griffins took awhile to gain a toe-hold, as Southwestern held early leads
of 6-0 and 12-7 before TODD WATKINS field goals of 37 and 44 yards coupled
around the first of two KASHUN McCLAY TD runs gave Grossmont a 20-12 halftime
edge.

Watkins conducted a virtual clinic as he routinely got behind the
Southwestern secondary and caught 5 passes for 194 yards, including a one-handed grab of
a Jackson aerial that he carried 55 yards for a touchdown to extend
Grossmont's bulge to 48-12 with 4:34 left in the third quarter.

"We didn't expect to come out and blow them out," Watkins admitted. "But
that's what we did."

Watkins, who scored 20 points - giving him 63 for the season - wanted to talk
about his one-handed TD reception.

"We do this concentration drill with (assistant coach and former Grossmont
College receiver ANUYELL GOODWIN)," Watkins said. "So I guess it came in handy
today."

One of the reserves who received extended playing time was basketball player
and tight end MIKE MAUGER, who caught 2 passes for 36 yards and a touchdown.

"It's nice to get on the right side of the white line," said Mauger, who
reeled in JORDAN ADAMS' second scoring pass of the game from 9 yards out. Adams
was restricted to handing the ball off, but managed to complete all three of his
passes for 29 yards and 2 TDs.

For some reason Southwestern was running a no-huddle, hurry-up offense long
after the outcome had been decided. It was effective, as the Jaguars scored
three touchdowns against Grossmont's reserves. But it also allowed the Griffins
to add to their already hefty scoring count.

"We were kinda flat for the first five minutes," sophomore offensive lineman
ROBERT PATMON said. "We got a little pep talk from our coach (offensive line
coach BOBBY SEINER) and he fired out at us and we started working our game
plan."

About that scoring record?

"We didn't talk about it until we got to 69 (with 8:30 remaining)," Patmon
added. "That's when we started talking about it. When we had the chance for the
record we didn't put our starters back in. We let the guys coming off the
bench get it done. And they came through. They contributed like we all do."

Ironically, it was Grossmont's 12th ball-carrier of the day - NANO PADILLO -
who scored the record-breaking touchdown on a 4th-and-one plunge with 0:01
left in the game.

"How can they (the Jaguars) complain about that?" Grossmont head coach DAVE
JORDAN pondered. "We played every healthy body we had."

Grossmont is recognized perennially for its high-powered offenses that rank
among the state's best. At the moment, the Griffins are cranking out 48 points
per outing.

"I'm not happy that (Southwestern) got 34 points," Dave Jordan said. "But
what could I do. We were playing our fourth string on both sides (of the ball).
I'm just happy that we won the ball game. I'm sorry if the other team thought
we were running up on them because we weren't."

"I guess they're just a great offensive team," Southwestern head coach Walt
Justice said.
(10-04-03)

Griffins, Jaguars have backyard rivalry renewal at Mashin-Roth
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - As ageless ABC television sports commentator Keith Jackson has
said for decades, there's nothing like a college football game on an autumn
Saturday afternoon. The annual Grossmont College-Southwestern crosstown rivalry
falls into that category. These schools will meet for the 32nd year on Saturday
(Oct. 4) at Grossmont's Mashin-Roth Memorial Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Grossmont (4-0, 2-0) ranks 9th among state offenses, producing 41 points and
448.5 yards per game. Southwestern's defense stands 11th statewide, permitting
just 244.5 yards and 22.3 points per game.

The Griffins have enjoyed a scoring free-for-all in their two home games,
generating 123 points and 1,002 yards in burying Long Beach CC and Mt. San
Jacinto.

Among the keys to Grossmont's offensive gusher is the offensive line - which
has allowed only 3 quarterback sacks in four games - and the throwing accuracy
of QBs JARROD JACKSON and JORDAN ADAMS. The Griffins' marksmen have suffered
only two interceptions in 128 passes this season.

Jackson ranks second among Foothill Conference passers (59-of-113,910 yards,
5 TDs) and is also an adept runner (17 carries, 98 yards, 2 TDs).

A few of the ingredients in Southwestern's defensive success hail from East
County - outside linebacker MYLES BUSH (El Capitan), tackle JOAQUIN JACKSON
(Monte Vista), and end ZACH BURGI (Helix). Bush leads the Jaguars in virtually
every statistical category, while Burgi - a former water polo player - is
coming
off a giant game in Southwestern's 25-23 loss to Antelope Valley last week.
Burgi was in on a dozen tackles (4 solo) and recorded two sacks. Bush posted 15
tackles, while MLB David Salgado logged 14 stops in that tough loss.

Bush leads the Jaguars (2-2) in total tackles with 51 (including 36 solos, 7
for losses) and five sacks.

"Maybe because Grossmont won so big (63-0 over Mt. San Jacinto) last week, we
can go over there and knock them off," Southwestern coach Walt Justice said
after last Saturday's heartbreaking loss to Antelope Valley. "I know I have a
good football team here."

Justice can only wonder why his squad is 2-0 on the road and 0-2 at home.

"I've worked that hard psychologically, every day, every moment, every
practice," Justice said. "I try to simulate the situation like it is on the
road. I
even fed them at home like we were on the road. The kids even suggested that
we take a bus ride around town, like we're going to a road game. Sometimes fate
has sides to it that you don't understand."

Despite their 2-2 record, the Jaguars certainly have gotten the attention of
Grossmont College head coach DAVE JORDAN.

"Southwestern is one of the best teams on our schedule," he said. "They do a
lot of stuff offensively that messes you up as a defense. And offensively,
they have a lot of weapons."

Starting with scrambling quarterback Tanner Harris, who has completed better
than 55 percent of his 103 passes for 857 yards and 8 TDs. Sophomore Vernon
Jones is a blue chip running back.

Not to be overlooked is Grossmont's defense, which spun a shutout and
rationed Mount San Jacinto to 175 yards despite wholesale substitutions.

Linemen DALLAS MAUGA, DAN WIDDERS and CHRIS D'AGOSTINO are gems in the
trenches, while BOBBY KELLY, DAN CATALANO and SOSIUA SEKONA are ball-hawking
linebackers. Despite a couple of key injuries Grossmont continues to feature
one of the nation's top secondaries of free safety MAURICE LONDON, strong safety
CHANTI BLOOMER, corners JOHN GUICE and MARCUS BEECHER.

RATINGS GAME - Take your pick here. Grossmont has received the most favorable
attention from the Juco Football Network's All-USA Coaches Poll, which has
the Griffins ranked No. 6 nationally, No. 2 in the state and No. 1 in Southern
California. J.C.GRID-WIRE has the Griffins No. 8 in the nation, No. 4 in the
state and No. 2 in Southern California. The Junior College Athletic Bureau
tabs Grossmont No. 5 in the state and No. 2 in SoCal. The all-important COA
Coaches/Media Poll rates the Griffins as the No.2 team in Southern California.

GRIFFIN GRAFFITI - WR-Kicker TODD WATKINS ranks 4th in the state with 43
points . . . DE JERAMIAH SCHUH, who returned an interception 29 yards for a TD
in the rout of Mount San Jacinto, was named the Pacific Coast Conference Athlete
of the Week and earned similar recognition in the Foothill Conference . . .
This is the Griffins' longest running series and they hold an 18-12-1 advantage
over the Jaguars, including wins in 6 of the last 7 meetings. . . These teams
played one of the highest scoring games in state history in 1992, when
Southwestern won a 64-57 slugfest . . .The Griffins have allowed only one
passing touchdown in 16 quarters this year. . . GC has outscored its foes 60-0 in the
first quarter and 42-3 in the third period . . . Coaches from Wisconsin and
Kansas called the Grossmont football office this week . . . Former GC running back
REY BRATHWAITE leads the BYU Cougars against San Diego State Saturday night (Oct.
4) at Qualcomm Stadium at 7 p.m.
(10-03-03)

Griffins put up big numbers again with 63-0 win overMSJC
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - Two weeks after scoring 60 points for the seventh time in school
history, Grossmont College went one step better, placing itself in position to
challenge the school's basketball team.

Nine different Griffins scored touchdowns Saturday (Sept 27), as the
11th-ranked Griffins steamrolled over visiting Mt. San Jacinto, 63-0, at Mashin-Roth
Memorial Stadium. The triumph kept Grossmont undefeated through four contests,
including a 2-0 ledger in the Foothill Conference, as coach DAVE JORDAN's
troops have captured 17 of their last 18 contests at home.

The high point total not withstanding, this triumph belonged to a Grossmont
defense which forced six turnovers, including a game-changing interception by
lineman JERAMIAH SCHUH. The contest was sluggish for the first 10 minutes until
the sophomore from Point Loma High picked-off a screen pass and raced 29
yards for a touchdown, giving the Griffins a 14-0 advantage.

"I was coming up on pass rush right around the tight end, then I saw the
screen guy right next to me," said Schuh, the left-side tackle. "Then I saw the
quarterback's eyes, picked it and ran -suddenly it was like coming out of a
dream."

The remaining turnovers came courtesy of fumbles, including two forced
fumbles on consecutive hits by strong safety CHANTI BLOOMER. In a wild sequence of
plays in the 3rd period, Bloomer lowered the boom on an Eagles' back, as CARL
PAYNE made the recovery. However, Grossmont also fumbled away on its very next
play.

Enter Bloomer again. This time he joined teammate DAN WIDDERS in stripping
the ball away for yet another turnover for the third play running.

"I just stuck my head in there and got to the ball," said Bloomer, a
sophomore out of Helix High. "We thought they might be pretty good after playing two
powerhouse teams in Palomar and Fullerton. So we had to show the others that we
can play with them, too."

And with the rankings being the sole source to determine which teams will
advance to the COA state playoffs this season, the Griffins needed to make an
impression on pollsters by beating Mt. San Jacinto by a margin larger than other
teams.

For the defense, it was a rare shutout - only the second in four years,
covering a span of 37 games. Despite liberal substitutions, the Griffins defense
has been responsible for only seven points over their last 12 quarters of play.
Meanwhile, the offense is averaging 61.5 points at home this season.

Among the defenders, BOBBY KELLY and DANE IVES shared a sack, while JAMES
GENTILE recovered one fumble and returned the ball 28 yards.
Quarterback JARROD JACKSON tossed a pair of touchdowns passes in the first
half, including a 6-yard strike to BRIAN ALLBROOKS to open the scoring, then
JOSEPH GRIFFIN caught his first collegiate TD pass - a 19-yarder - to mount a
21-0 advantage early in the second quarter.

"It was a normal fade, with the quarterback taking a 3-step drop," noted
Griffin, who was the leader among 10 Grossmont receivers with 3 receptions for 55
yards. "Then I beat the DB with just one move and made the catch."

Griffin has 15 receptions for 274 yards this season.

"It felt nice to finally score," he said. "I've been making catches and
gaining yards, but it's nice to finally be rewarded with a touchdown."

Grossmont then substituted freely while keeping the ball on the ground,
including scores by KASHUN McCLAY (6 yards), RAINBOW MAUGA (1 yard), GARY FRANKLIN
(2 yards), RAJIVE OTAH (4 yards) and K.J. WALKER (1 yard).

Kicker TODD WATKINS also got into the touchdown act, catching a 55-yard TD
pass from backup quarterback JORDAN ADAMS to go along with his seven conversion
kicks.

"When the offensive line blocks like it did today, anyone can score - and
they did," noted McClay, who led the Griffins with 86 yards on 12 carries before
allowing the reserves a chance to shine. "Right now, we just come out, get
started, and there's no looking back."

For the contest, Grossmont rolled up 225 yards on the ground, while three
different passers combined for 262 yards through the air.

Meanwhile, the Eagles garnered a mere 175 yards in total offense. Their
deepest penetration was to the Grossmont 37, thanks to a 15-yard penalty, as the
Griffins were tagged for a season-high 20 penalties for 202 yards by game
officials attempting to keep control of a blowout.

The flags cost Otah a touchdown on an 85-yard punt return, which may have
allowed the Griffs to challenge the school's all-time scoring record of 72 points
set 36 years ago against Cypress of Buena Park.

"We can't help it if they kept putting the ball on the ground and our guys
pick it up and run down the field," noted Jordan, who was clearing the bench as
early as the opening minutes of the second quarter. "The defense did an
outstanding job holding teams down like they have every week."

"It was just like the Long Beach game (won by the Griffins 60-7, two weeks
ago)," he continued. "We have a mature team, and we just got hot."
(09-28-03)

Grossmont College's Bobby Kelly (45) jolts airborne Mesa College WR Cleve Johnson (3), causing a fumble at the goal line in Saturday's (9-20-03) Griffins 24-15 victory. John Guise (9) recovered the ball for a touchback. (Photo by Travis Downs)

MSJC usually no pushover for Griffins despite 0-3 mark
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - Grossmont College (3-0) continues its surge toward a possible
Foothill Conference championship and state playoff bid Saturday (Sept. 26) when the Griffins host Mount San Jacinto College of Hemet at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

As always, Grossmont head coach DAVE JORDAN is concerned. He takes little
consolation in the fact that Mount San Jacinto is the only 0-3 team in the
nine-member Foothill Conference.

"For some reason, those guys always give us fits," Jordan said. Two of the
past seven meetings were decided by last-second field goals. "Every time you
play them you know you're in for a physical ballgame. You can't intimidate them."

Indeed, Mount San Jacinto's record is a bit deceiving. The Eagles led
perennial state power Palomar 10-3 in the second quarter on the road before
succumbing 34-10. They lost to Fullerton 24-16 in week two, then fell to Foothill Conference rival Victor Valley 24-21 last weekend. All three of those teams
have winning records.

This is not a sophisticated offensive team, these Eagles. In fact, they try
to lull their foe to sleep by using basic dives and belly series. Mount San
Jacinto runs the ball right at its opponent.

MSJC's Sirdonovan Palmer is averaging a conference-best 13.3 yards per carry
for the Eagles, who rank last in the league in passing.

A year ago, Jordan expressed major concerns about MSJC's ability to spring an
upset. But the Griffins race-horsed to leads of 21-0, and 37-0 in Hemet and
were riding a 47-point spread with 11:43 remaining in the third quarter before
settling for a 50-14 victory.

"That was last year," Jordan emphasized. "It doesn't mean a thing when we're
out there on Saturday."

The Griffins, who have won 30 of their last 32 regular season games, are led
by freshman quarterback JARROD JACKSON. He ranks eighth in the state for total
offense, churning out 273 yards per game.

KASHUN McCLAY (42 carries, 219 yards, 3 TDs) and RAINBOW MAUGA (19-87, 3 TDs)
drive the Griffins' ground game.

On the defensive side, the Griffins are ailing a bit. Linebacker KEN AGEE is
hobbling with an ankle sprain and defensive end DAN WIDDERS missed practice
with a severe case of food poisoning. Both are questionable for Saturday.

Jordan is looking to linemen DALLAS MAUGA, ANDREW SPRINGER, CHRIS D'AGOSTINO
and JERAMIAH SCHUH to curb the Eagles' running game. Linebackers BOBBY KELLY,
DAN CASTALANO and DANE IVES should be busy, too.

RATINGS GAME - Seems as though there are as many JC football polls as major
college rankings these days. Here's the latest JC breakdown. The Griffins are
ranked No. 11 in the nation, 6th in the state and 3rd in Southern California in
the most prestigious JCGrid-Wire ratings compiled in Santa Ana by JC football
guru HANK IVES. The Junior College Football Network-USA Coaches Poll ranks
Grossmont No.11 nationally, 5th in the state, and No. 2 in SoCal. The Griffins
are No. 6 in the state and No. 3 in SoCal according the Junior College
Athletic Bureau of San Mateo. The COA's California Community College Regional
State
Poll - the one that determines the state post-season playoff seedings - has
Grossmont ranked No. 3 in Southern California.

GRIFFIN GRAFFITI - The Griffins are No. 4 among Southern California offenses,
averaging 33.7 points and 435.7 yards per game. . . Widders was included
among the state's defensive players of the week as selected by FRED BAER of the
JCAB. ? GC sophomore TODD WATKINS is tied for 5th in the state for scoring with
30 points. . . . The Griffins own a 10-2 series advantage over the Eagles, and
have won the last three meetings by a combined 107-31 score . . .The UCLA
coaches are expected to attend Friday's practice. Colorado has also made
inquiries about several of the Griffins. . .The Foothill Conference was 9-9 in
preseason games this year, with Grossmont the circuit's only member to execute
a sweep - edging Riverside 17-10 and launching Long Beach 60-7.
(09-25-03)

Griffins turn away Olympians' effort for comeback

EastCountySports.com

SAN DIEGO - BOBBY KELLY was back in his old neighborhood and he wanted to
leave a lasting impression. Impact accomplished. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound
Grossmont College sophomore rang up a game-high 10 tackles and forced a critical San
Diego Mesa College fumble at the goal line Saturday night (Sept. 20) as the
visiting Griffins opened the Foothill Conference season with a 24-15 victory over
the rival Olympians.

"Yeah, this was a special game," Kelly exulted after the Griffins (3-0) won
their 30th regular-season game in their last 32 starts - a streak spanning four
years. "We could have folded, but we put our hearts into it."

And backbone.

"Nothing could stop us," Kelly added. "This is the most fun I've had playing
football in a long time.

"This is my neighborhood right down the street. But I had to go to Grossmont
because they are a better school with a better (football) program for me. And
they took me in with open arms. So I've got to play hard for them. I love 'em."

Kelly delivered a key hit with the Griffins leading 14-0 and Mesa on the move
midway through the 3rd quarter. On a first-and-goal play from the Grossmont
10-yard line, Mesa southpaw QB Blake Moorman fired a pass to Cleve Johnson who
made the catch and appeared to have clear sailing to the end zone. For some
reason, Johnson decided to dive into the Promised Land.

Bad move.

Kelly cut Johnson down like an antiaircraft missile, jarring the ball loose.
Grossmont corner JOHN GUICE was quick to recover the free ball for a touchback.

"That was a great play by Bobby," Grossmont sophomore safety MAURICE LONDON
said. "When (Johnson) dove, Bobby got a little piece of him and the ball went
flying. And No. 9, John Guice, jumped on it. That changed the whole momentum
right there."

Perhaps, but the Griffins were hardly home free. After TODD WATKINS nailed a
27-yard field goal extending Grossmont's advantage to 17-0 with 14:08 left,
the Olympians went on a scoring binge.

Reno White, a former Helix High track star, muffed the ensuing kickoff 2
yards deep in his own end zone. It didn't matter. By the time the Grossmont
specialists realized that White had recovered and was bringing the ball out, it was
too late. Even two Griffins defenders, who had an angle, couldn't catch the
fleet-footed White. Touchdown Mesa.
The unbelievable turnaround continued as the Olympians' conversion snap
floated over the kicker's head. Somehow, holder Alex Palacio scrambled and
retrieved the errant hike and returned it 35 yards for the two-point conversion.

The stunned Griffins had little chance to regroup. A deflected pass resulted
in a Mesa interception, giving the Olympians possession at the Grossmont
5-yard line. Two plays later Mesa had cut the Griffins' advantage to 17-15 with
12:47 remaining.

The Griffins eventually put the game away on a 4-yard touchdown run by KASHUN
McCLAY with 4:43 remaining. TRAVIS DOROSKI kicked the all-important extra
point to give the Griffins a 9-point spread.

"It's a good win, and I'm happy," Griffins coach DAVE JORDAN said

On a rare day when Grossmont's offense struggled despite amassing 491 yards,
the Griffins' defense spun a virtual shutout. Grossmont limited the Olympians
to 282 yards on 67 plays. In the second half, Mesa (1-2) mustered 130 yards
on 32 plays, but 42 of those hash marks were covered on a run by Terrell
Bankhead early in the 3rd quarter. Excluding Bankhead's burst, Mesa was held to 88
yards on 31 plays - a 2.8-yard average - in the second half.

"This thing is all about ratings, so we have to do a better job as far as
scoring and not scoring," Jordan said. "It's a shame that we have to try to score
that late in the game and I know (former Grossmont assistant and now Mesa
head coach Martin) Moss is mad. But that's what you have to do to get rated."

Jordan was referring to the final play of the game in which Grossmont
quarterback JARROD JACKSON fired a pass into the end zone on a first-and-goal from
the 6-yard line with a 9-point lead. It became a moot point - a virtual
non-issue - when the Grossmont receiver dropped the ball.

"It's not like we were winning 60-0," Jordan said. "How can they expect us
not to score when we have a chance?"

Jordan noted that the entry ticket to the Southern California playoffs is to
be ranked among the top eight teams in the region.

"(The pollsters) were down on us in the first game because we didn't kill
Riverside (winning 17-10)," the coach said. "It's incredible. (By) the fact that
we scored only 24 points in this game, we will probably drop four spots."

The various ratings will be online by Tuesday (Sept. 23) and the Griffins
will see if they fall from No. 11 in the nation, No. 6 in the state and No. 3 in
Southern California.

Although this was not the best of his three starts as Grossmont's

Tight end XAVIER CAMPBELL, a graduate of Concord De la Salle, caught 5 passes
for 84 yards, while Santana alum CHRIS MAZZI made 5 receptions for 50 yards.
JOSEPH GRIFFIN hauled in 3 passes for 31 yards. McClay led the Griffins in
rushing with 104 yards on 19 carries despite missing one quarter with a groin
pull.
(09-20-03)


Grossmont's Jarrod Jackson (4) gets a first down against Mesa Saturday night. (photo by Nick Pellegrino)

Griffins shoot for sixth-straight win against Olympians

EastCountySports.com

SAN DIEGO - It should be a free-wheeling affair when Grossmont College visits
crosstown rival San Diego Mesa College in the Foothill Conference opener for
both teams Saturday (Sept. 20) at the Olympians' Merrill Douglas Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.

The Griffins are off to a fast start - bowling over Mission Conference
members Riverside City College (17-10) and Long Beach City College (60-7). Yeah, the
Mission is mighty. But the Griffins aren't impressed. At the moment, their
concerns are on the Foothill Conference, which has risen in respectability over
the past few years.

"Some way, somehow, Mesa always manages to play us tough regardless of the
records," Grossmont coach DAVE JORDAN said. "They (the Olympians) have as good
an offense as anybody we'll see all season. We are the team they want to beat,
and it's up to us not to let them do it."

The Griffins own the Foothill Conference's second-leading offense averaging
408 yards and 37 points per game. Mesa is right on the Griffins' heels, pouring
out 392 yards and 29.5 points per outing. Should be a wild one - a real crowd
pleaser.

Jordan, however, would just as soon hold the aerial fireworks to a round of
sparklers.

Grossmont played a near-perfect game in drubbing Long Beach City last week,
while the Olympians were grinding Glendale 38-33.

An interesting statistic in the latest winning efforts by the Griffins and
Olympians was Mesa generated 516 yards against the Gauchos, while Grossmont
collected 515 yards in vanquishing the Vikings.

"We can't rest on our laurels," said Jordan, who praised offensive linemen
ERIC ROMO, SAM DOWNS, JUSTIN ERNEST, AUNDREA LINDELL and ROBERT PATMON for their
superb work against Long Beach.

That line of protection helped freshman quarterback JARROD JACKSON
(12-for-20, 274 yards, 2 TDs), who earned state Player of the Week honors.

RATINGS GAME - The JuniorCollegeFootballNetwork.com All-USA Coaches Poll
rates the Griffins No. 10 in the nation, 5th in the state and 3rd in Southern
California. . . JCGrid-Wire of Santa Ana has Grossmont No. 11 in the nation, No.
5 in the state and No. 3 in Southern California . . . The Junior College
Athletic Bureau out of San Mateo ranks the Griffins No.6 in the state and No. 3 in
Southern California. And to think, the COA's all-important state and regional
rankings don't begin until next week.

GRIFFIN GRAFITTI - Versatile TODD WATKINS is the 7th-leading scorer in the
state with 25 points, which includes 13 kicking points . . . Running back
RAINBOW MAUGA, defensive linemen JEREMIAH SCHUH and DALLAS MAUGA, along with the
Griffins' offensive line were recognized as Players of the Week by the Grossmont
coaches . . . Mesa dropped a 25-21 decision to Los Angeles Valley in the
season opener in Van Nuys. The Olympians gave up the deciding touchdown with 11
seconds left. . . Mesa leads the all-time series 21-9-1, but the Griffins have
won the last five meetings. . . The University of Hawaii coaches attended the
Grossmont practices on Wednesday. Word is, even more prestigious colleges will
be checking out the Griffins at Saturday's encounter at Mesa.
(09-18-03)

Griffins bury Long Beach City with 29 first-quarter points, 60-spot

EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - Grossmont College's all-purpose sophomore TODD WATKINS said the
Griffins wanted to make a statement to all those pollsters out there who would
listen. Consider the message sent. Grossmont torpedoed the visiting Long Beach
City College Vikings before they could get an oar in the water Saturday (Sept.
13), swamping the perennial Mission Conference powerhouse 60-7 at Mashin-Roth
Memorial Field.

Unbelievable? Probably not. The Griffins (2-0) have grown accustomed to
living on the high end of the hog lately as in compiling three consecutive 9-win
seasons. Fact is, Grossmont is the only member of the nine Foothill Conference
teams to make it through the two-week preseason undefeated this season.

Despite winning their season-opener 17-10 at Riverside last week, the
Griffins dropped from a preseason rating of No. 6 to No. 13 in the prestigious JC
Grid-Wire national rankings. That free-fall feeling did not sit well with the men
in the Grossmont Green and Gold.

"We were prepared to play against a Long Beach team with a good reputation in
the (glorified) Mission Conference, and we were ready to show that we are a
good team, too," Watkins said.

What the Griffins achieved in rapid-fashion must have seemed like a blur to
the Vikings who were paddling in despair after Grossmont commanded a 29-0 lead
less than 11 minutes into the opening period.

"Our guys wanted it and we just got hot in that first quarter," Grossmont
coach DAVE JORDAN said. "We did just about everything a team can do (right). Plus
some, maybe. But thus is just the beginning. We have a lot of areas where we
need to improve."

Freshman quarterback JARROD JACKSON clicked on 12 of 20 passes for 274 yards
and TD passes of 21 and 12 yards to Concord De La Salle product XAVIER
CAMPBELL. Backup quarterback JORDAN ADAMS drilled a TD strike of 25 yards to
Watkins, stretching Grossmont's lead to 46-7 at the close of the first half.

"We were firing all cylinders today," Jackson, the Foothill Conference's
leading passer. "Our offensive line, defense, special teams - everybody
contributed."

Watkins made 4 catches for 78 yards and one TD, while booting a 44-yard field
goal and 5 PATs giving him 25 points in his first two starts. He could have
had more - as could the majority of the Grossmont starters - had Jordan not
begun emptying his bench late in the second quarter.

"We played everybody in uniform," Jordan confirmed.

The Griffins set the tone early as Jackson hooked up with JOSEPH GRIFFIN for
a 75-yard pass-and-run on the second snap giving Grossmont a first-and-goal
from the Long Beach 3-yard line. KASHUN McCLAY (11 carries, 73 yards) scored on
the next play and then rout was on.

"It's a long season, but we just want to keep it up," said Griffin,
Grossmont's leading receiver with 9 catches for 188 yards. "We have a great tandem of
receivers and Jackson is an accurate passer. We owe a lot to (offensive
coordinator MIKE) JORDAN's offense for putting us in the right position to make
plays."

Grossmont made a lot of plays while compiling 515 yards at Long Beach City's
expense.

Fullback RAINBOW MAUGA stormed for 45 yards and two TDs on 8 carries, while
his defensive end brother DALLAS MAUGA returned a LBCC fumble 29 yards for a
touchdown in the first quarter.

Safety MAURICE LONDON blocked a punt and intercepted a pass to set up
Grossmont touchdowns. Defensive backs JOHN GUICE and CHRIS MARKS made 7 tackles
apiece for the Griffins.

GRIFFINS GRAFFITI - The Griffins have won 16 of their last 17 home games . .
. GC's win over LBCC was only the third in 10 meetings . . . It's the seventh
time the Griffins have scored 60 or more points with a high-water mark of 72
in a 1967 victory over Buena Park's Cypress College engineered by former NFL
MVP QB named BRIAN SIPE.
(09-13-03)

Griffins home opener against pass-happy Long Beach City

EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - Grossmont College opens its home season Saturday (Sept. 12) by
hosting Long Beach City College of the majestic Mission Conference at Mashin-Roth
Memorial Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

The Griffins (1-0) posted their third straight season-opening victory by
knocking off host Riverside City College 17-10 last weekend. Long Beach (0-1) was
manhandled by Bakersfield 35-16. Don't get fooled by the final score. The game
was knotted at 7-all at halftime.

The Griffins are tough to beat in their home diggings, having won 15 of their
last 16 games. But this group has a bevy of new faces so tradition doesn't
carry a whole lot of weight.

JARROD JACKSON, a freshman out of St. Oswego (Ore.) has assumed Grossmont's
quarterbacking chores. He completed 19 of 35 passes for 253 yards and one TD,
making him the leading passer in the Foothill Conference after one week.

Much like the Griffins, the Vikings seem to do better passing the ball.
Quarterbacks Jason Washington and Justin Grimm combined to throw for 240 yards,
hitting just 11 of 30 against Bakersfield. Mike Willis caught four balls for 141
yards, but it's 6-foot-7, 205-pound Markee White that concerns the Griffins.

"The size and mobility that big kid has could cause us problems," Grossmont
head coach DAVE JORDAN admitted. "They'll probably try to throw the ball 50
percent of the time."

Look for the Griffins to turn up the defensive heat on the LBCC quarterbacks.

RATINGS GAME - The Griffins are ranked No. 6 in Southern California and No. 9
in the state by the Junior College Athletic Bureau and No. 13 in the nation
by JC Grid-Wire. JCFootballNetwork.com ranks the Griffins 15th in the nation.

GRIFFINS GRAFFITI - JCFootball.com is reporting that Grossmont safety MAURICE
LONDON has verbally committed to Arizona State where Griffin alums BRETT
HUDSON and JOSH GOLDEN are currently starters in the secondary . . . Jordan is
ranked 13th among the winningest active community college coaches in the nation
with a 112-87-9 mark as he begins his 21st season as GC's head coach . . . A
bit of irony is Grossmont and LBCC are both allowing 301 yards per game on
defense GC's JOSEPH GRIFFIN is tied for 9th among state receivers with 7 catches
for 100 yards . . . The Griffins are only 2-7 in the all-time series against
Long Beach. Grossmont claimed a 24-18 over the Vikings the last time they
ventured to El Cajon.
(09-12-03)

Griffs win at Riverside City with blooper highlight

EastCountySports.com

RIVERSIDE - It wasn't a work of art, but it was good enough to net a victory.
And that's just fine with Grossmont College head coach DAVE JORDAN - for now.
Despite being held to their lowest scoring output in three years, the
visiting Griffins tamed the Riverside City College Tigers 17-10 in Saturday night's
(Sept. 6) season opener for both sides.

The Griffins, ranked No. 6 in the nation by JC Grid-Wire, traveled a little
bit on all three avenues - special teams, defense and offense - to arrive at
this victory. But it was the special teams that provided the turning point early
in the 4th quarter. Punter CLAY PERKINS left his feet to save a high snap and
then booted a 45-yarder. That's when the "fun" began.

The RCC return man fumbled Perkins' punt at the Tigers' 33-yard line. The
ball began rolling toward the Riverside goal line. Not less than five players had
separate shots at recovering the elusive pigskin before Grossmont's MARIO
INFANTE finally fell on the ball at the Tigers' 5-yard line with 13:20 remaining
and the score tied 10-10.

One play later, KASHUN McCLAY barged into the end zone for what proved to be
the winning touchdown.

"Perkins did a nice job getting the punt off after that bad snap," Jordan
said. "It had a funny spin to it."

After the dust settled, Jordan obviously relished the results - even more so
after the Grossmont defense recorded the save.

The Grossmont trio of DAN CATALANO, CHANTI BLOOMER and SOSIUA SEKONA sacked
quarterback Michael Edwards on a 4th-and-2 at the Griffins' 23-yard line with
7:54 remaining.

Sekona then snuffed out the Tigers' final hopes when he recovered a fumble
caused by hits from safety MAURICE LONDON and linebacker BOBBY KELLY with 2:16
left.

"We had spurts of greatness, but overall it was a typical first game," Jordan
said. "Our best two offensive plays were called back by suspect penalties."

Indeed, the referee's flag nullified two plays of significance. But the
Griffins' best offensive play was picture-perfect - a 72-yard over-the-shoulder
touchdown catch by TODD WATKINS on a pass from quarterback JARROD JACKSON. The
connection gave the Griffins a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Watkins displayed his versatility later in the 1st quarter when he booted a
38-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead.

Jackson spread his 19 completions (in 35 attempts) among 11 receivers as he
totaled 253 yards. JOSEPH GRIFFIN was his main target with 7 receptions for 100
yards. CHRIS MAZZI had two grabs for 20 yards.

McClay led the Grossmont running game with 42 yards on a dozen carries.
RAJIVE OTAH collected 72 all-purpose yards.
(09-06-03)

Griffins start slate with traditionally strong Riverside City

EastCountySports.com

RIVERSIDE - Some of the greatest quarterbacks in Grossmont College history
have made their pitch against tradition-rich Riverside City College. We're
talking about record-holder GREG GLEASON and record-breaking Heisman Trophy
candidate JOE ROTH. Both of those guys left their mark long ago, and come Saturday
(Sept. 6) a new band of Griffins will take on host RCC at Wheelock Field at 6
p.m.

Grossmont is coming off its third straight 9-2 season, which includes a trio
of bowl game appearances.

Riverside, which finished 5-5 a year ago, was rarely blown out in head coach
Bill Brown's first year at the helm. Most impressive of the Tigers' conquests
were a 55-41 win over Pasadena and a 34-14 romp over El Camino.

But this den of Tigers is crowded primarily with freshmen - a fact that
hardly gives Grossmont head coach DAVE JORDAN any added sense of security.

"When we're healthy, we have a Division I team here," Jordan said. "But right
now, we have a multitude of injuries. Fortunately we have depth."

The key to the Tigers' offensive growl is 6-foot-5, 185-pound QB Steven
Oxley, a freshman from Plano, Texas.

"They have big offensive linemen, so they are capable of driving the ball up
and down the field," Jordan admitted. "So that is a concern."

The Griffins' will divide their quarterback chores between freshmen JARROD
JACKSON and JORDAN ADAMS. The backfield will consist of running backs KASHUN
McCLAY, RAJIVE OTAH and NANO PADILLO.

"Riverside is traditionally a strong team, so we have to be on top of our
game," Jordan said. "We can't afford to stumble coming out of the gate."

GRIFFINS GRAFFITI - Grossmont sophomore free safety MAURICE LONDON has been
named to the JC Grid-Wire Preseason All-America first team. Three Griffins -
wide receiver TODD WATKINS, linebacker BOBBY KELLY and offensive lineman AUNDREA
LINDELL - are honorable mention selections on that same team . . . Riverside
linebacker Hoang Mai has been selected as a third team preseason All-American
by JC Grid Wire . . . The Tigers own a 6-5-1 edge in a series that began in
Grossmont's first season (1962). RCC won that one, 16-0. The Tigers won the last
meeting 35-10 in 1993 . . . The Griffins have a 55-20 record over the past
seven seasons . . . Grossmont scored 35 points or more in all but one of its 11
games last year . . . JC Grid-Wire, most respected of all the rating services,
ranks the Griffins No. 4 in the state and No. 6 in the nation.
(9-05-03)

Griffins getting the accolades as scrimmage approaches

EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - Given that rankings at any level are little more than guesswork than a true measuring stick, two more polls have included coach DAVE JORDAN's Grossmont Griffins among their selections.

The Junior College Athletic Bureau's Southern California Preseason Poll ranks the Griffins No. 7, while JC Football Network.com rates Grossmont the 19th-best team in the nation. The latter poll is a bit different than Street & Smith Magazine's 2003 College Football Preview which ranks Grossmont No. 5 in the nation, No. 2 in Southern California and No. 3 in the state.

"This is JC football where you never know for sure," Jordan said. "Those polls are nice, and it's great that they think so much of us. But it's not going to help us win games on Saturday."

Grossmont will conduct its annual Green-and-Gold intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday (Aug. 30) at Roth-Mashin Memorial Field at 4 p.m. This is a fundraiser event with dinner following at 6:30. Outback Steakhouse is catering the event. A donation of $10 per person covers football and food. Proceeds go to support the football program.
(08-26-03)

Nationally-ranked Griffins prefer results over prognostication

EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - After posting their third straight 9-victory season, the Griffins were ranked No. 9 in the state and No. 12 in the nation in 2002. Only a last-second 20-19 loss to Palomar in the annual Southwestern South County Bowl denied the Griffins a national top five finish. That disappointment now behind them, coach DAVE JORDAN's Griffins figure to continue to hover in the high-rent district again this season.

Street & Smith's 2003 College Football Preview believes in the 2003 Griffins, who return only eight starters from last year's 9-2 crew. This nationally renowned magazine ranks Grossmont No. 5 in the nation, No. 2 in Southern California and No. 3 in the state. Those are some pretty hefty numbers for a club ravished by graduation.

"All that is pretty flattering stuff, but a lot of it is based on reputation," said Jordan, whose Griffins have compiled a 55-20 record over the past seven seasons. "But we like our football team. We have depth at almost every position, and our offensive line could be the best we've ever had."

Anchored by heavyweight brothers VICTOR LAUIFI (6-foot-3, 340) and VINCE LAUIFI (6-4, 355) along with AUNDREA LINDELL (6-2, 350), ROBERT PATMON (6-3, 300) and JUSTIN ERNEST (6-3, 275) in the trenches, the Griffins have reason to feel comfortable. Grossmont annually rates as one of the state's top offensive units. A year ago, the Griffins averaged 476 yards and 46 points per game during the regular season.

The way Street & Smith sees it, only Dixie (Utah), Joliet (Ill.), Pasadena, and City College of San Francisco are superior to these Griffins. Fresno CC is No. 6, Palomar is No. 15 and Chaffey is No. 22.

Despite what Jordan has seen on paper, he'll curb his excitement until after Friday, Aug. 15 when practice commences.

"You never know for sure until after those first couple of weeks of practice," he said.

Other returning standouts for the Griffins include free safety MAURICE LONDON (who has verbally committed to Arizona State for the 2004 season); WR-kicker TODD WATKINS (averaged 30.7 yards per reception and scored 109 points as a frosh); blue chip DL DAN WIDDERS (6-5, 260); running back KASHUN McCLAY (58 carries, 341 yards, 6 TDs); linebacker BOBBY KELLY (6-4, 215); wide receiver CHRIS MAZZI (averaged 14.8 yards per catch); DL ANDREW SPRINGER (6-3, 245); safety CHANTI BLOOMER; and corner DON COCHRAN (6-3, 195).

Top newcomers in the Grossmont huddle this year include: DL ROBERT HOLMES (6-7, 280); RB RAJIVE OTAH (Helix, 5-8, 180); NG DALLAS MAUGA (Helix, 6-4, 250); DL MICK DOWNEY (Santana, 6-3, 220); RB GARY FRANKLIN (Monte Vista); WR JASON FACTUAR (West Hills); and corner JOHN GUIESE.

The quarterback job shapes up as a duel between West Hills alum JORDAN ADAMS and JARROD JACKSON (Portland, Ore.). Neither has thrown a single pass for the Griffins, which makes this position a question mark.

"It's really too early to know exactly where we stand, but we like our chances," said Jordan, whose Griffins open the season at Riverside CC on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6 p.m.

SCHOLARSHIP TIME

Fifteen members of Grossmont's 2002 football team will continue their education and athletic careers at four-year colleges in the fall.

Wide receiver SEAN BOWMAN is ticketed for Wyoming, running back MICHAEL YANCY has caught Utah State's eye; linebacker JOHN CASTILLO and tight end TERRENCE HIBBLER are bound for Tennessee-Martin; linebacker CORDELL WILLIAMS will make his next tackle at Indiana State; and corner JORDAN ALFORD is trekking to Liberty (Va.) University.

Grossmont's scholarship train continues with OL AARON BISHOFBERGER (Murray (Ky.) State); LB CHAD MACOMBER (Humboldt State); TE RYAN MELLO (St. Ambrose, Iowa); DE PRINZ MILTON (Howard-Washington D.C.); WR JOSIAH CLARK (Azusa Pacific); QB MIKE CLARK and WR BRIAN SYZDECK to West Liberty (West Va.) State.

QB TANNER ENGSTRAND turned down several offers to remain closer to home as a walk-on at San Diego State.
(08-08-03)

• 2002 Coverage
• 2002 Schedule/summaries/standings
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