GRIFFIN LOOKS FOR REDEMPTION CORNERBACK SLATED TO LEAD TURNAROUND AT ALEMANY.Byline: Lee Barnathan Staff Writer Expectations swirl around Alemany High of Mission Hills senior Albert Griffin, but all he sees is opportunity for redemption. Griffin's motivation stems from last season, which was full of potential, distraction and, finally, disappointment. He transferred from a high school in Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern and entered a maelstrom Maelstrom, whirlpool, Norway: see Moskenstraumen. that was running back De'Andre Scott's feud with former coach Craig Schular. Alemany went 2-8 despite Griffin's six interceptions - two of which he returned for touchdowns - and his average of 12 tackles a game. He was the only junior on defense and one of just four nonseniors overall named to the Daily News All-Area team. He vows this season will be even more successful. ``It was a humbling experience,'' the 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back said. ``I came in with a big head. I was cocky and I got humbled.'' Griffin transferred to Alemany last year from Marin Catholic, a Northern California power that had won consecutive North Coast Section titles his freshman and sophomore years. He had heard Alemany was strong because of Scott's rushing and Casey Clausen's passing. And even though Clausen had graduated, Griffin expected a winning season. It didn't happen. Alemany's blocking for Scott was suspect at best. His yardage yard·age 1 n. 1. An amount or length measured in yards. 2. Cloth sold by the yard. Noun 1. dropped as teams keyed on him. Scott, who quit before the season but changed his mind, also fought with Schular, skipped practices, was suspended and, in the middle of the season, quit again and transferred to Del Rey Del Rey may refer to:
as a missionary he fearlessly confronts the “perils of waters, of robbers, in the city, in the wilderness.” [N.T.: II Cor. 11:26] See : Bravery of Santa Fe Springs Santa Fe Springs, city (1990 pop. 15,520), Los Angeles co., SW Calif., inc. 1957. The city lies in an oil and natural gas region and has diversified manufacturing. . Suddenly, Alemany had no leader. Schular turned to Griffin. Griffin was Scott's best friend on the team but Griffin kept his distance as best he could. He wanted to win and attract the attention of college scouts. ``I understood why he left, but I didn't like it,'' Griffin said. ``The school was giving him problems, and he was bringing them on himself.'' On the field, Griffin was in on virtually every play. In addition to his defensive duties, he led the team with six touchdowns, rushed for 319 yards and caught five passes. He was the team MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. , won all-league and all-Southern Section honors and was second-team all-state. ``He's an athlete,'' said Greg Biggins, director of recruiting for Student Sports Magazine. ``Nowadays, with limited scholarships, this is the kind of guy schools want.'' Biggins can't understand why Griffin has no offers. The fact Griffin is 6 feet tall, Biggins said, ``isn't that small when you're quick and explosive like him.'' Yet Griffin called the 2000 season ``bittersweet bittersweet, name for two unrelated plants, belonging to different families, both fall-fruiting woody vines sometimes cultivated for their decorative scarlet berries. .'' A month after it ended, he hit the weight room to prepare for his senior year. He again has high hopes. For one, the distractions are gone. Scott is at Pasadena City College and Schular was replaced by Ted Corcoran. Corcoran says Griffin is ``the linchpin linch·pin or lynch·pin n. 1. A locking pin inserted in the end of a shaft, as in an axle, to prevent a wheel from slipping off. 2. of our team. He's not coming off the field.'' That's fine with Griffin. He wants to do all he can to ``redeem ourselves from last year.'' TOP DEFENSIVE BACKS IN REGION NAME SCHOOL YR. COMMENT 1. Albert Griffin Alemany Sr. Hits like a linebacker 2. Bryan Wilson Granada Hills Sr. As fast as they come 3. Quintin Daniels Loyola Jr. A pure athlete 4. Jason Martin Jason Martin is a musician from Southern California. He is best known as a member of the indie rock band Starflyer 59, one of the first bands to sign with Tooth & Nail Records. Muir Sr. Committed to Arizona 5. Dennis Keyes Birmingham Jr. Awesome blend of size, speed 6. Chad Spear Westlake Sr. Also team's go-to receiver 7. Jason Spratt Montclair Prep Sr. Division I recruit 8. Marcus Everett ChaminadeSo. Unlimited potential 9. Joe Martin Paraclete Sr. Four-time champs' top defender 10. Chad Green Chad Elton Green (Born: June 28, 1975 in Dunkirk, New York) is a former switch-hitting, righthanded minor league baseball player. An outfielder, he attended Mentor High School and then the University of Kentucky. Birmingham Jr. So quick he's a blur 11. David Burney Sylmar Sr. The Spartans' key defender 12. Kasey O'Brien Westlake Sr. Loves to flatten WRs 13. Dan Moody Daniel James Moody, Jr. (June 1, 1893–May 22, 1966) was a U.S. political figure and Democrat. He served as the governor of Texas between 1927 and 1931, and is best remembered in Texas history as a reformer and an opponent of the Ku Klux Klan. 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. Sr. All-Pacific Leaguer 14. Aaron Perez Granada Hills Sr. Has nose for the ball 15. Victor Watkins Highland Sr. Expecting breakout season 16. Chris Hightower Valencia Jr. Among Foothill's best 17. Paul Pratt Taft Jr. Should be All-City selection OTHERS TO WATCH: Chris Berroud, North Hollywood, Sr.; Mavery Davis, Kennedy, Sr.; Ricky Elias, St. Genevieve, Sr.; Robert Hendricks, Canyon, Sr.; Tim Killings, Cleveland, Sr.; George Koval, Saugus, Sr.; Kyle Malinkowski, Newbury Park, Sr.; Mickey Mercado, Hart, Sr.; Paul Pratt, Taft, Jr.; Louie Procopio, Notre Dame, Sr.; Dylan Smith, Harvard-Westlake, So.; Johnny Walker, AV, Sr.; Steven Wright, Valencia, Jr.; Ryan Young, La Canada, Sr. -Compiled by Gerry Gittelson CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: (color) Albert Griffin says Alemany High's 2-8 record in 2000 was humbling. After an offseason of hard work, the defensive back is hoping for more success. David Sprague/Staff Photographer Box: TOP DEFENSIVE BACKS IN REGION (see text) |
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