North Hollywood tore through the competition during a perfect 10-0 regular season, outscoring their opponents 390-49. It painted a picture of a juggernaut untested by adversity, a bully that never got popped in the jaw. That all changed when head coach Scott Faer’s Huskies squared off against head coach Bucky Brooks’ Granada Hills Highlanders—a tough-as-nails squad that starts six sophomores but has the grit of a veteran prizefighter. “They played a hell of a schedule, so I knew 3-7 was not who Granada was,” Faer said. 

Granada Hills head coach Bucky Brooks touted how much his team had matured through early season challenges against tough opponents. “It’s all about leading us to playoff success.” True to his word, Granada Hills pushed the Huskies to the brink. Led by junior quarterback Jonathan Hernandez, whose legs sliced through the Huskies’ D for a jaw-dropping 244 yards , the Highlanders nearly toppled Goliath. But in the end, North Hollywood eked out a 36-30 victory that proved they’re more than just front-runners.

On the Huskies’ opening drive, senior Daylan Garcia, replacing injured senior Jagger Belson, stumbled out of the gate on his first run – stuffed for a loss. The Highlanders’ defense crowded the box and stopped super-senior Omar Muhammed, who barely made it back to the line of scrimmage. On third-and-long, a controversial pass interference call bailed out an erratic throw from senior Nate Arlauskas and gave North Hollywood new life. It was a catastrophic penalty for Granada Hills. The Huskies looked tentative coming out of the gate and the Highlanders gave them hope. Needless to say, Faer’s squad capitalized with Garcia barreling in for the first of two touchdowns on the night.

But Brooks’ Highlanders made clear right away this would be no rout. Granada Hills responded on a mesmerizing 61-yard Hernandez fake out and sprint that left the Huskies gasping and—for the first time all season—behind on the scoreboard. Granada 8, North Hollywood 7 after one quarter. How would the bully respond?

The Huskies’ typical bruising run game met fierce resistance. Muhammad earned every yard the hard way as Granada’s relentless defense dared them to pass. Facing a fourth-and-9, North Hollywood’s senior David Arriaza booted a beautiful punt that pinned Granada Hills inside their own 5-yard line. But a Highlander was flagged for running into Arriaza and, despite the penalty not giving the Huskies a first down, Faer accepted it. It was a gamble he wouldn’t regret as the Highlanders jumped offsides on 4th and 4, handing the Huskies another first down. A few plays later, Muhammed would scamper around the left end for a touchdown and put the Huskies back up 15-8. 

The frustrated Highlanders matched the Huskies in every facet of the game, but for the second drive in a row penalties had bailed North Hollywood out. Coach Brooks broke it down: “Big games are normally decided by DBOs. Don’t Beat Ourselves. So, turnovers, big-plays-allowed, penalties. And for us, penalties hurt us a lot.” 

Three plays into the Highlanders’ second drive, the elusive quarterback did it again. Tricking the overzealous Husky defense into pursuing the fake, sold brilliantly by senior Nasir Enilolobo, Hernandez disappeared into the scrum and scooted out the other side for a 65-yard touchdown sprint. The two-point attempt failed, keeping the Huskies on top 15-14. But North Hollywood’s team was mystified by Hernandez’s evasiveness and, for the first time this season, they were in a real dogfight. 

The Huskies response began as it always does, on the ground, but this time Faer had a twist. Seeing Muhammed and Garcia getting battered for every yard from a defense crowding the line, Arlauskas dropped back to pass and, despite missing his earlier attempts badly, floated a dime to senior Kelley Warburton down the right hashmark, shocking the Highlanders defense. With a step on his one-on-one defender, Warburton crossed the goal line for a 38-yard touchdown. After a failed 2-pointer the Huskies clung to a 21-14 lead.  

Yet another unnecessary Granada Hills penalty for a blindside block negated a 70-yard Hernandez run, forcing the Highlanders to punt. Things got worse when a shank left North Hollywood on the Highlanders side of the field with 38 seconds remaining in the half. Two plays later, Arlauskas hit Warburton again. This time Warburton did most of the work, cutting the ball back up the middle and darting for a 33-yard touchdown. Those “big-plays-allowed” had come back to bite Brooks’ Highlanders. North Hollywood kicked the extra point to lead 28-14 at the half. 

To open the second half, the Highlanders worked junior Jalil Hardie and Enilolobo into their running game, achieving some solid gains. Granada Hills’ steady drive was capped by a 23-yard touchdown run from Hernandez. With a successful two-point conversion, the Highlanders narrowed the score to 28-22 with 9:06 left in the third quarter.

In response, North Hollywood reverted to their ground-and-pound, orchestrating one of their patented long drives that consumed the rest of the third quarter. As the fourth quarter began, Garcia capped the drive with his second touchdown run from 6-yards out. The Huskies extended their lead to 36-22 with a successful two-point conversion.

Another unforced penalty cost Hernandez an electrifying touchdown sprint up the middle. Out-of-breath after running 70-plus yards, the Highlanders’ warrior-quarterback walked over to Brooks and simply got the next play call. On a subsequent fourth down run, the Highlanders were called for assisting the runner (essentially pushing Hernandez) forward for the first down. One play later, Granada turned the ball over on downs. You’d think they’d be dead. They weren’t.

The defense held strong for a final three-and-out, giving the Highlanders another shot on offense. When Hernandez swept around the left end to score from eight yards out to draw the Highlanders to within 36-30, there only remained 2:13 on the clock. With no timeouts remaining, Granada Hills’ only option was an onside kick. 

In dramatic fashion, North Hollywood fumbled the recovery, creating a 50/50 scramble for possession. Ultimately, the Huskies emerged with the ball, concluding a hard-fought game where neither team truly lost—it was simply that time ran out for the Highlanders. 

“We have a young team, but overall the effort was great. Just came up a little short,” Brooks reflected. “I think with a young team we’ll come back better. More determined (to win). And I think sometimes you have to have your heart broken, to come back and be a champion down the road.” There’s no doubt Granada Hills’ future looks bright with Brooks at the helm.

For North Hollywood, they proved Friday night they’re more than bullies. Bullies fold when punched. The Huskies punched back, proving they can win a close one.  Faer spoke afterwards about how hard his team worked to make this victory a reality: “We practiced our butts off (last week). Especially having three guys out. A lineman with a concussion, but he’s back next week. Two running backs/defensive backs (junior Josiah Taylor-collarbone and Belson-knee) are out so we’re thin.” Thin or not, watch out for the battle-tested Huskies as they face Palisades in Round 2. Faer likes how the Huskies matchup: “Palisades is more finesse, which plays to our strengths because our O-line is our D-line, so it’s not as tiring when you’re not getting pounded every play against a (Granada Hills).”

Palisades visits North Hollywood next Friday night at 7 PM for a round 2 showdown that’s a clash of styles.