Carl Scudder is in his fourth year as the head football coach at Granite Hills High School.
Scudder took over the program to build a new foundation that best fit his playing style. Because of this, it has been a work in progress.
Scudder’s vision for his football program did not happen overnight. For three years, Scudder and the other coaches had to shape the new and older players into the best athletes that fit his team’s playing style. This year something new the team is implementing is dedicating more time to watching films to see how the other team’s habits and playing style.
Scudder had to break habits that were not favorable to his playing style. During Scudder’s first season, the team went 2-8. The team went 1-9 in each of the second and third seasons.
However, year number four has been a big turnaround for the football program. The football team started the season with three straight wins before falling to 3-1.
The first game of the season was against Parlier, a huge blowout 47-0 win.
The second game against McFarland followed that same trajectory with the Grizzlies winning 61-28. During that game they broke four school records. Those records were 557 yards on offense, 397 rushing yards by running back Tyson Vinson, most points scored in a game, and a 102-yard interception return for a touchdown by Diego Garay.
The third game was another great game against Mira Monte with the final score ending 35-10. The Grizzlies were 3-0 as they entered the league part of their season.
The Grizzlies hit a bit of a wall in their last game, losing 28-20 to Corcoran.
“It was our own mistakes that caused us to lose the game,” senior Antonio Moreno said. “Football is a team sport. If the game was lost, it was because the team wasn’t playing at its best.”
When coach Scudder was asked about the loss and what they could do to improve he kept it very simple.
“Play better,” he said.
The team will look to bounce back when it plays at Orange Cove on Sept. 27. The team returns to play at Jacob Rankin Stadium for its Homecoming Oct. 4 against Farmersville.
Here is the Granite Hills football team’s schedule for the rest of the season:
- Sept. 27 at Orange Cove
- Oct. 4 vs. Farmersville
- Oct. 11 at Orosi
- Oct. 18 vs. Strathmore
- Oct. 25 vs. Lindsay
- Nov. 1 at Woodlake
