`IT'S BEEN A GREAT RIDE'.

Byline: Chris Branam Daily News Staff Writer

They knew it was coming for a couple of years now, the announcement from John Elway that he was retiring from football.

But Elway's former high school teammates and coaches, who saw a Hall of Fame career in the making at Granada Hills in the late 1970s, were still surprised by the news that Elway is going to step away from the game.

``I was hoping John would give it one more go, but that's my selfishness,'' said Scott Marshall, a wide receiver at Granada Hills when Elway was the star quarterback. ``I just love watching him play.''

The end of Elway's 16-year career in the NFL - all with the Denver Broncos - is expected to be made official Monday, according to several news sources.

``I've been thinking about (Elway's retirement) for a long time,'' said Granada Hills co-football coach Darryl Stroh, an assistant with the Highlanders when Elway was there. ``I'm sorry to see it come. It's been a great ride. I don't know what I'm going to do on Sundays.''

Elway had become more than a former teammate for men like Marshall and Chris Sutton, who caught the winning pass in Granada Hills' legendary 40-35 win over San Fernando in 1977, which established Elway as a premier quarterback.

For them and other teammates like Larry Palmer, an offensive lineman, and Paul Scheper, a fullback, Elway has been their link to the game.

``Him playing is like me being out there,'' said Marshall, the dean of discipline and assistant football coach at Alemany High. ``This kind of finalizes it for me. Now it's a new generation. It's going to be a whole new feeling now that John's not playing anymore.''

Marshall said Sutton talked to Elway after this year's Super Bowl, and Elway indicated the physical punishment he's taken from playing football for almost 25 years had taken a toll.

``John said his body was tired,'' Marshall said. ``I know how I feel getting out of bed in the morning.''

Granada Hills renamed its football field after Elway last June, almost five months after Elway helped lead the Broncos to their first Super Bowl victory. Elway and the Broncos won the Super Bowl again this past season, and Stroh thought it was appropriate Elway's final game was a victory on sport's grandest stage.

``It's such a good time, to quit on top,'' he said.

It was Elway's drive to succeed, his extreme competitiveness, that made those who knew him believe his decision to retire would be difficult. Elway's distaste for losing - and not being able to play - has become one of his personality traits known by his peers.

``He loves (football) so much,'' said Jack Neumeier, Elway's head coach at Granada Hills. ``He's going to miss it.''

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PHOTO John Elway's high school teammates and coaches appreciated watching his NFL career.

Daily News File Photo