A DYNASTY, IT IS HART MAY NOT LIKE IT, BUT HOW CAN YOU DISPUTE THE FACTS?Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA- Football dynasty. Coach Mike Herrington of Hart High grins sheepishly sheep·ish adj. 1. Embarrassed, as by consciousness of a fault: a sheepish grin. 2. Meek or stupid. sheep when he hears those words and his innocent blue eyes Blue eyes are eyes that have blue irises (see eye color), and may also refer to:
``Please don't use that term,'' he said. ``Being a dynasty is about the furthest thing from my mind. I just want to enjoy the experience of coaching and not worry about all that stuff.'' Well, like it or not, everyone else is calling Hart a dynasty. And why not? If the Indians (12-0) defeat Valencia (11-2) as expected in the Southern Section Division III
Division III (or DIII) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the United States. championship Friday night at College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. - Hart is 7-0 all-time against the Vikings, including a 26-0 victory last month - then dynasty it is. Hart is in a class of its own. In Herrington's 13-year tenure - in which his team is 143-25 - Hart has reached at least the semifinals eight times and has won four championships. The team is 19-2 in the playoffs since 1995 and has won 21 consecutive games, 53 Foothill League games in a row and 47 of its last 49 overall. So where is Hart's place in history? Looking back, Poly (now in Sun Valley but a football power back in the 1920s when it was located in downtown L.A.), never won four large-division titles in a row. Neither did powerful Birmingham of Van Nuys in the 1960s. Or San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. and Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley of Lancaster in the 1970s. Or Crespi of Encino and Canyon in the 1980s. Or Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, Sylmar or Taft of Woodland Hills in the 1990s. Canyon came the closest. The Cowboys won 46 consecutive games and three titles in a row. Their coach at the time, Harry Welch, who is back at Canyon this year, has a firm grasp on the then-and-nows of both programs. ``Hart's definitely up there with the very best,'' Welch said. ``There are so many variables that it takes to keep winning year after year, and the one thing Hart certainly has is a real consistent coaching staff. It's difficult to compare athletes and teams from different eras - like who's better, Mark McGwire Many of the region's best football teams have had a tendency to peak during the regular season and fade in the playoffs. That's not a knock on Noun 1. knock on - (rugby) knocking the ball forward while trying to catch it (a foul) rugby, rugby football, rugger - a form of football played with an oval ball rugby, rugby football, rugger - a form of football played with an oval ball anyone - after all, there's only one champion each year. One thing that makes Hart special is the team's consistency in the playoffs. Herrington is reluctant to acknowledge it. However, Hart's accomplishments are monumental in high school football terms. ``We've been very fortunate and we've tried to do things a little bit different each year,'' Herrington offered. ``A new wrinkle Wrinkle A feature of a new product or security intended to entice a buyer. here, a different play there.'' How they do it Hart doesn't necessarily have the best players every season. The team's elite starters are not the fastest and certainly not the biggest. And except for the last few quarterbacks - the previous three are playing Division I college football, and current starter Matt Moore has comitted to UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX - they don't always boast the gaudiest statistics. Hart has always emphasized team football: multiple receivers to keep defenses guessing, technique over brawn brawn n. 1. Solid and well-developed muscles, especially of the arms and legs. 2. Muscular strength and power. 3. Chiefly British The meat of a boar. 4. Headcheese. for the linemen, solid special teams (a quality missing from many otherwise superb teams), and swarming, gang-tackling defense. From 1991 to 2000, Hart had three full-time coaches in Herrington and his brothers Rick (defense) and Dean (offense). Dean left before this season to coach at Occidental College History The Birth of Occidental College Occidental College (commonly referred to as Oxy) was founded on April 20, 1887, by a group of Presbyterian clergy and laymen. but returned after the college season as the team's ``eye in the sky.'' Almost everyone points to the Herrington brothers, not the fact Hart has produced an All-Southern Section quarterback for 16 consecutive seasons, as the primary reason for the program's success. ``It's true. We don't have the best athletes,'' Moore said. ``But coach (Mike) Herrington is definitely outstanding. We just have some great coaching. They turn average players into all-leaguers. And good players end up doing some great things.'' Herrington estimates 20-25 Hart players have gone on to play Division I college football, an average of less than two per year. Moore (UCLA) and defensive lineman Chris Frome (Notre Dame) are probably the only two this season. Clearly, the system is more important than the players. The Indians score their points with a sophisticated four-receiver offense and crisp execution. Most opponents simply can't keep up. The offense, a variation of the run-and-shoot, was inspired by the Houston Gamblers of the old USFL USFL United States Football League USFL United States Futsal Federation . Moore lines up in shotgun formation The shotgun formation is a formation used by the offensive team in American and Canadian football. This formation is used by many teams in obvious passing situations, although other teams do use this as their base formation. and throws short passes about 80 percent of the time. Moore has passed for 3,073 yards - including almost 800 over the past two games - and 29 touchdowns, and he has rushed for six touchdowns. ``We try to move the ball quickly upfield,'' Herrington said. ``That's the one thing that hasn't changed.'' Best of the best? Some are calling this year's Hart team the best yet. No one has held Hart to fewer than four touchdowns in a game this season even though standout running back Tim Gregory broke his ankle midseason and hasn't returned. During the regular season, Hart defeated defending City Section champion Banning of Wilmington, Division IV semifinalist Westlake, Division III semifinalist Palmdale and Division III finalist Valencia. The Indians buried Redondo 48-7 in the first round, Golden League-champion Antelope Valley 38-9 in the quarterfinals, and defending Division III finalist Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach Manhattan Beach, city (1990 pop. 32,063), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1912. It is a residential and beach community with an oil refinery and nearby factories that produce transportation and electrical equipment, computers, and pottery. 35-6 in the semifinals Saturday. ``I think you'd get arguments from both sides about which Hart team is the best,'' Herrington said. ``The people from the 1999 team probably would say they're better because they went 14-0, but you just can't compare. The thing about high school football is the kids change every year, or at the most every other year. ``The way I see things, this is my 13th year and I just keep working. The truth is, this season, this team, all I wanted to do was put us in a position to win the league championship, then possibly the (Southern Section). That's all.'' Moore believes his team must win Friday before anyone discusses Hart's place in history. ``Things are going really well. The offense and the defense are both doing really good,'' Moore said. ``I think we're more confident than ever after Mira Costa on the road last week. Now it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a for us to really shine and show everybody because the championship game will make or break our season.'' Winning with dignity Many of the area's best football programs have had as many problems as victories. To the north, Antelope Valley has coped with discipline and academic eligibility difficulties. Same with Sylmar to the south. To the west, recruiting allegations and transfer issues have plagued Taft and Westlake. To the east, Crescenta Valley The Crescenta Valley is a small inland valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, with the convex portion facing roughly northeast and the concave portion southwest. of La Crescenta and Muir of Pasadena have had a tendency to fold in the playoffs. Even during Canyon's heydey, Welch had more than his share of turmoil and controversy. Hart has always been clean. Nearly spotless spot·less adj. 1. Perfectly clean. See Synonyms at clean. 2. Free from blemish; impeccable. spot  less·ly adv. , in fact. One of its few losses in recent memory was by forfeit because Hart innocently inserted an ineligible player late in the game during a rout over Quartz Hill. After Hart won the game on the field, Herrington discovered a paperwork snafu pertaining per·tain intr.v. per·tained, per·tain·ing, per·tains 1. To have reference; relate: evidence that pertains to the accident. 2. to the player and called the Southern Section himself to report the mistake. Other than that, the headlines have been about winning games and not off-the-field issues. ``We have a tremendous amount of pride for the football team and a lot of support,'' school principal Gary Fuller said. ``But everything we do, we do with integrity. We watch our students very closely, and if they transfer in - which only happens about once a year or so - we make sure they live where they say they live. We check everything out. Our kids are local kids.'' Burbank coach Frank Childress has watched his team lose decisively to Hart the past three seasons. He harbors no resentment - only admiration. ``I think deep down inside, the kids on our team kind of wanted to hurry up to make haste. See also: Hurry and get the game overwith when they've played Hart,'' Childress said. ``It's rough to deal with, and frankly, I've heard a lot of other coaches say they're afraid to play Hart. But Hart's got some great kids, they've always been polite and didn't try to run up the score. They're just a class act. ``Honestly, I hope to beat them one day, but we don't hate Hart. They're just a superb, amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. team.'' SOUTHERN SECTION DIV. III CHAMPIONSHIP Friday vs. Valencia COC See chip on chip. , 7:30 p.m HART FOOTBALL LEGACY Hart is 143-25 in coach Mike Herrington's 13-year tenure as head football coach- an average of 11-2 per season. Under Herrington, Hart has won four Southern Section Division III championships and reached at least the semi-finals eight times. YEAR RECORD (PLAYOFF FINISH) 1989 10-2 Div. III quarterfinals 1990 9-4 Div. III semifinals 1991 9-4 Div. II quarterfinals 1992 11-1 Div. II quarterfinals 1993 10-2 Div. II quarterfinals 1994 13-1 Div. II finals 1995 12-2 Div. II champions 1996 9-3 Div. II quarterfinals 1997 11-2 Div. II semifinals 1998 12-2 Div. III champions 1999 14-0 Div. III champions 2000 12-2 Div. III champions 2001 11-0 Finals on Fri. Total 143-25 CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 2 boxes Photo: (1 -- color) Ever wonder what a dynasty looks like? Here's the Hart High football team, which looks for its fifth Southern Section championship Friday night. John Lazar/Staff Photographer (2 -- color) ``The way I see things, this is my 13th year and I just keep working. ... I wanted to do was put us in a position to win the league championship, then possibly the (Southern Section).'' -Mike Herrington, Hart Football coach (3) MATT MOORE starting quarterback (4) KYLE MATTER Hart QB, '01 grad (5) KYLE BOLLER Kyle Bryan Boller (born June 17 1981 in Burbank, California) is an American football quarterback who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft out of California. Hart QB, '99 grad Box: (1) SOUTHERN SECTION DIV. III CHAMPIONSHIP (see text) (2) HART FOOTBALL LEGACY (see text) |
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