GRANADA HILLS – As the sun finally dipped on a sweltering evening, Granada Hills head coach Bucky Brooks stressed a pregame message of staying even-keeled and not overreacting to Week 0. “The W is important,” he said before kickoff, “but tonight’s about seeing who reacts well to game situations.”

For North Hollywood, head coach Scott Faer entered the season with almost an entirely new cast. A banged-up offensive line didn’t help. His focus? Toughness. “Do we have grit?” he asked. “That’s what I want to see.”

The Huskies struck first. Starting at their own 44, quarterback Logan Grant came out firing and looked sharp, completing his first three passes before Gavin Zamora punched in a 6-yard touchdown. It was a brand-new mindset for NOHO. Gone was the ground-and-pound. This was “Air Faer,” and it caught the Highlander defense by surprise.

Granada answered with a vintage Brooks drive. The two-headed backfield of Dean Rosales and Michael Osuma methodically chewed up yards before Osuma tied it up with a 12-yard scamper late in the first quarter.

The Huskies showed more fight on the next series, aided by a late-hit penalty. Mark Lacob’s 42-yard field goal put the Huskies back in front, 10-7.

The game’s turning point came midway through the second quarter. Granada Hills, pinned at its own 11 and facing 3rd-and-5, looked wobbly. Head coach Bucky Brooks burned a timeout. Moments later, Osuma followed two-way star Jayden Garcia through a crease and ripped off an electrifying 89-yard touchdown run, to take the lead, 15-10.

“When you have a team like ours, that can get a little nervous, sometimes you just have to call a timeout to calm them down,” Brooks said afterward. Osuma’s dash ignited a fire in the Highlanders.

On the ensuing pooch kick, Evan Bart-Plange recovered a fumble, leading to a short score. Next, Troy Verso snagged an interception and raced 47 yards deep into Husky territory. Not to be outdone, Jusawn Davis blocked a punt that Bart-Plange snagged out of the air and sprinted 38 yards to set up another quick score.

As if all the exciting plays weren’t enough, Granada’s big defensive front, led by all-city nose tackle Garcia, bullied the Huskies, pressuring quarterback Logan Grant into mistakes and stuffing the run. By the time the dust settled, Granada had rattled off 43 unanswered points, cruising to a 50-10 lead early in the third quarter.

The Huskies refused to fold. Grant shifted to a quicker passing attack, mixing in the tough running of Chris Renteria, who capped a late drive with a 2-yard plunge. But the damage had long been done.

Granada’s ground game stole the show. Osuma and Rosales combined for more than 300 rushing yards and five touchdowns, earning co-players of the game.

Brooks praised his team’s selflessness after the win. “We’ve got a bunch of unselfish guys,” he said. “Rosales and Osuma are two of the hardest workers. They don’t care who gets the credit, and to see them step up tonight — really excited about that. Because what it does is set the table for everybody else.”

VST will heed Brooks’ advice and not overreact to week 0. The Huskies will look to grow into their new “Air Faer” identity when they face Village Christian next Friday, while the Highlanders attempt to build on the momentum of an emphatic statement win, facing a tough Venice squad next Thursday. One thing’s certain: high school football is back.

All photos by VST Senior Photographer Benjamin Becher