GRANADA HILLS – Kennedy head coach Kevin Kanemura walked in knowing the odds. His winless Cougars were undersized, outmanned, and missing two standout sophomores, both now wearing Granada Hills green. To hang with the Highlanders, they’d need something close to miraculous.

For half a quarter it looked like they had it. 5’10” guard Jacob Andrade stuffed 6’7″ Highlander center Rafael Masumyan (fresh off Armenian National Team duty) and Kennedy swiped multiple early steals, rattling a Granada squad that opened a little too loose. Midway through the first, the Cougars trailed just 7-6.

Then the avalanche hit. Jaysen Zaragoza caught fire from deep. Kristapor Kedikian turned into a one-man storm with steals, rebounds, and buckets fueling a 12-0 run that blew the quarter open, 19-6.

Granada coach Jonathan Bent, eyeing a deep playoff push, wasn’t fooled by the mismatch. His 4-1 Highlanders are still forming early in the season and he figured Kanemura’s squad would punch above their weight.

But Granada’s talent surged. Masumyan hammered home dunks, Mateo Achoyan took control late in the second, and Kennedy’s offense was suffocated under Granada’s relentless press. Every pass contested. Every shot swallowed.

The Cougars scraped together only 13 first-half points, and trailed by 22. Granada, with three transfers still waiting to suit up, looked deeper and scarier by the minute. “We were able to do what we set out to do,” Bent said. “Which is play good basketball.”

Masumyan detonated the third quarter with 13 points as the Highlanders rotated scorers at will. By the end of the period, it was 56-21, and the benches emptied.

Kanemura found a silver lining as he clung to the positives. “This was the hardest that we’ve played. The scoreboard doesn’t reflect any of that, but in terms of getting up and down the court, and getting after some things, the effort was really there.” The Cougars continue their hunt for a first win Monday against Lake Balboa Prep.

The Highlanders, meanwhile, looked every bit like a program coiled for a deep run. Fast, disciplined, and anchored by veteran leadership. “Kedikian and Achoyan have been with us four years,” Bent said. “They just play with that competitive spirit all the time. There’s a 50/50 ball? Those guys find a way to win it.”

Masumyan finished with 22. Kedikian packed the stat sheet: 12 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals in less than three quarters of play.

Granada Hills moves to 5-1 and now faces undefeated Bishop Alemany on Wednesday – a true test of how high this Highlander team can climb.

All photos by David Martinez