Granada Hills

The streak is over for Coach Steve Thompson of Granada Hills High. Thompson, a former Chatsworth assistant, was 0-11 against the Chancellors in five years at Granada Hills. On Thursday, the Highlanders relied on the hitting of Ryan Braun and Erik Hagstrom, and the pitching of Jonathan Beal to defeat Chatsworth, 11-2, in a West Valley League game at Chatsworth.

Like a pot of black coffee left on the warmer too long, these plays, upon later examination, boil down to something very harsh and just as sobering. In Friday night's game between Carson and Granada Hills, the play came early in the second quarter. Call it an example of the Carson defensive mangling in microcosm. Granada Hills running back Jamal Farmer and quarterback Jeremy Leach misplayed a handoff on their own 20-yard line.

Jim Landress, a starting outfielder as a freshman on the Notre Dame High baseball team last spring, has enrolled at Granada Hills High and is seeking a hardship transfer that would grant him athletic eligibility. Landress, who batted .308 at Notre Dame and was the quarterback for the junior varsity football team, has filed a petition for athletic eligibility with the City Section athletics office. Classes began Tuesday at Granada Hills, a City school.

Jason Winn threw three touchdown passes as Granada Hills High rolled to its sixth consecutive victory, dominating host San Fernando, 49-7, Friday night in a Northwest Valley Conference game. Winn, a junior who is emerging as one of the region's top quarterbacks, completed 10 of 16 passes for 160 yards. He had touchdown passes of 29, 53 and 36 yards. Granada Hills (6-0, 3-0 in league play), which went 1-9 last season, was equally effective with its running game.

Granada Hills High had just dropped what Danny Asaoka believed was the biggest game of the season, the third game of the Highlanders' City Section 4-A Division volleyball semifinal match against University on Tuesday. However, the 6-foot-2 senior outside hitter responded with seven of his 22 kills in the fourth game to lead host Granada Hills to a 15-13, 15-10, 13-15, 15-10 win.

Jermoine Brantley swears it wasn't nerves, that it was perhaps something he ate or some bug he picked up around school this week. Whatever it was, the Granada Hills High senior was feeling a little queasy before Friday night's North Valley League showdown with Cleveland. No need to worry, as it turns out, because Brantley and Granada Hills used Cleveland's free-wheeling, pressure style to perfection, beating the Cavaliers, 88-82, at Granada Hills.

With an 83-78 win at Granada Hills on Wednesday, Birmingham High moved a step closer to a sweep in the Northwest Valley League's first round and a step closer to respectability, Braves Coach Jeff Halpern said. "I think today we put to the rest the doubt that we couldn't play with Granada Hills and San Fernando," Halpern said. "This team came out today and showed that they can play with anybody." Birmingham (14-1), ranked No.

For all those who think that the City 4-A playoffs are the biggest farce this side of the National Hockey League, take note of Gardena High's performance Friday evening. Gardena, which received its playoff berth only after winning a tiebreaker Monday, outplayed heavily favored Granada Hills for the first 3 1/2 quarters Friday before losing to the Highlanders, 14-7.

Granada Hills High went to its bag of tricks on its second touchdown drive of the fourth quarter to rally for a 14-13 victory over El Camino Real in a West Valley League game on Friday night at Granada Hills. Michael Chang scored for the Highlanders on a halfback-option pass from Robert Ortega with 13 seconds to play and Gilbert Chavez kicked the game-winning extra point. Gene Wei set up the touchdown, running a fumblerooski 36 yards to the El Camino Real 25.

All three Granada Hills High doubles teams advanced to the semifinals of the City Section individual tennis tournament with victories Wednesday at the Warner Tennis Club Jasmin Dao advanced to the semifinals in singles for the Highlanders, who already captured the City Section team title.