GITTELSON BITS column

Grant's Winborn choosing between College of Canyons, L.A. Valley
BY GERRY GITTELSON
Columnist

Here's something different: Former Grant High of Van Nuys standout running back Fred Winborn is practicing with both College of the Canyons and L.A. Valley, alternating days until he decides which community college football team he wants to join.

"I think Fred just wants a change of scenery, so he asked if that was OK," L.A. Valley assistant Billy Parra said. "His father came in and assured us Fred would make a decision Monday about where he wants to play. The pads come on soon, so he's got to make a decision."

Last season, Winborn rushed for 2,172 yards and scored 32 touchdowns, including four on kick returns. He did not meet NCAA academic requirements.

-- D.J. Morgan, a returning sophomore running back at Taft of Woodland Hills, already has an NCAA Division I football offer from Florida, where former Taft coach Troy Starr works as an assistant.

Expect a big football season from Glenn Cappola, a senior linebacker at El Camino Real of Woodland Hills. He's healthy again after blowing out his knee in the third game last season.

The Longshore legacy will continue at Canyon High for at least one more football season. Nick Longshore, a former standout lineman for the Cowboys who was the first in a line that featured brothers Nate (Cal quarterback) and Ben (Utah State quarterback), has returned as a first-year assistant coach after finishing college at BYU.
Ramon Perry, a former three-sport star at San Fernando who was a two-year starting receiver at West Texas A&M (by way of College of the Canyons, then Pierce), has joined the staff at L.A. Valley College. Perry, who turned down a contract to join the practice squad for the Canadian Football League's B.C. Lions, continues to work out three hours a day. He's been invited to try out for the L.A. Avengers in January.

-- Eugene Phelps, a 6-foot-6 Taft forward who is considered among the San Fernando Valley's best dunkers, has been offered basketball scholarships by Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge.

Meantime, Northridge's newest signee is Matthew Wallace, a 6-2 guard from Inglewood who averaged 15.2 points. He is also an honor student.

-- Jeff Cortez, a former football coach at Lancaster and Paraclete of Lancaster, couldn't be happier about his new job as the head coach at alma mater Village Christian of Sun Valley.

"Village Christian wasn't just my high school. I was here for 13 years from K-12 - they call us lifers," said Cortez, 35. "It's been fantastic. The assistant coaches are great, and the players have been very receptive. We've asked them to change the summer schedule and put some more work in, and they're just soaking it in and working hard."

After finishing 9-3 last year, Village Christian will depend on the leadership of quarterback Rex Reinhardt, a three-year starter. The other key returning player is linebacker Colin Adams.

-- One underrated player Cortez left behind at Lancaster is Taveon Burke, a returning senior running back/cornerback who has attracted interest from Pacific-10 Conference programs.

"Taveon is an unbelievably skilled player," Cortez said.

Overall, the top returning player in the Golden League is probably Palmdale's Connor Bradford, a 6-4, 280-pound lineman who reminds some of alum Matt Leonard, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

-- Alemany of Mission Hills' football team continued its impressive series of summer performances Friday by winning the annual St. Francis tournament in La Canada-Flintridge. The Warriors went 6-0 (with four wins by 22 points or more), including a 38-16 championship victory over the host Golden Knights.

"I'm pleased with the summer, but there are no (CIF) trophies awarded for summer league," Alemany coach Dean Herrington said. "We're cautiously optimistic."

Herrington and St. Francis coach Jim Bonds played quarterback at Hart of Newhall, and they've remained good friends through the years.

"At least we didn't yell at each other this time," Herrington said.

Bonds said he's confident Herrington, in his second year, will boost Alemany (4-6 in 2006).

"He's a football guru, and he's also one of my best friends," Bonds said. "We've had our feuds, but it's like your brother - you argue one day, and then two days later you're out on the golf course together."

-- Crescenta Valley (6-1) is the area's last Little League baseball team still standing after qualifying for the Southern California Divisionals (12-under) in La Mirada, which began this past weekend.

The tournament champion qualifies for the Western Regionals in San Bernardino, followed by the World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

-- Erik Boal contributed.

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