Erik Boal
LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- Talk about a dramatic turn of events.
The head coach of 15 years retires at the end of the 2000 season and
eight News-Press All-Area selections are lost to graduation.
Add to the mix the 1999 team's defensive coordinator returning after a
year's hiatus in Northern California to take on his first head coaching
position and the possibility of a wide receiver/defensive back being
converted into the starting quarterback and you have a potential recipe
for chaos, right?
Well as drastic as the changes seem to be for the Flintridge Prep
football team entering its 2001 campaign, things aren't as topsy-turvy as
they may seem on the surface.
Yes, Glen Beattie -- who posted a 96-60 career record and guided the
Rebels to 12 consecutive CIF Southern Section playoff appearances -- is
gone and with him are marquee players such as Chase Atkinson, Chris Cole,
Antonio Harrison and Brian Shim.
But new Rebel Coach Marty Konrad -- who was a big part of the 1999
squad which advanced to the Division XIII semifinals -- is no stranger to
the program and neither are his core of assistants in Kenny Fisher, Tom
Fry, Ben Moran and Jim Ransford.
In addition, Flintridge Prep -- which posted a 7-4 record and advanced
to the playoff quarterfinals in 2000 -- returns the area's leading rusher
in senior Omar Dittu and a supporting cast of versatile players ready to
take their turn on center stage.
"We have only a handful of returning starters and a lot of young kids
with little or no game experience," Konrad said.
"Our first goal is to execute, offensively and defensively. As long as
we play assignment football, we'll be OK."
OFFENSE
The assignment of running the Rebel offense may fall into the hands of
senior Connor O'Byrne, who started last season at defensive back, in
addition to seeing time at wide receiver.
Should O'Byrne -- who is competing for the position with sophomore
Greg Sherman -- get the nod, it would mark the second straight year that
the Rebels have taken an individual who did not play quarterback the
previous year and given him the starting job.
Harrison -- primarily a defensive back and punt returner prior to 2000
-- guided Flintridge Prep's offense, which averaged 33.6 points per game,
last season.
"Tony was the perfect leader and I learned from watching him a lot of
the extra stuff, like coming early and staying late to take extra reps,
that goes into being a good leader," said O'Byrne, who amassed just 79
yards of total offense and one touchdown last season.
