By BRIAN REED-BAIOTTO, Sports Editor What would be the only thing better than to win an Angelus League and CIF championship if you played football at St. Francis? To do so with your best friend. That’s exactly what Blake Howard and Gabriel Grbavac are hoping to do, as the pair have led the Golden Knights […]
By BRIAN REED-BAIOTTO, Sports Editor
Senior D-End Gabriel Grbavac
What would be the only thing better than to win an Angelus League and CIF championship if you played football at St. Francis?
To do so with your best friend.
That’s exactly what Blake Howard and Gabriel Grbavac are hoping to do, as the pair have led the Golden Knights to a 6-0 record overall, and 1-0 in league.
St. Francis heads over to La Salle on Friday to take on the Lancers at 7 in an Angelus League showdown.
Both Howard and Grbavac are three-year contributors to coach Jim Bonds’ program.
Grbavac is arguably the area’s most athletic and dominant defensive lineman, and Howard could easily be considered one of the area’s most versatile players, along with his teammates Elijah Washington and Greg Dulcich.
The two have seen St. Francis win 24 of 30 games during their time on varsity and both are hoping to lead the Golden Knights to both Angelus League and CIF Southern Section championships.
But for the time being, La Salle is the next obstacle in their way.
Grbavac and Howard spent the entire offseason working out together, and the results both on the field and with their bodies have been dramatic.
Both Golden Knights’ come from quality families that are primary reasons as to why Howard and Grbavac have been successful on and off the field.
Grbavac leads the defense with 37 tackles, 4 sacks and 17 hurries. He’s now got 122 career tackles and he also spends some time at tight end to block as well as making his presence felt on special teams.
In fact, two weeks ago at Buena Park, Grbavac blocked a punt that Max Mota picked up and ran back for a score.
Grbavac was second in the area last season to La Salle’s Myles Cecil with 9 sacks.
His fitness, speed and football IQ are off the charts, especially for a kid who didn’t even think much about football as a boy.
But after being on the sidelines as a water boy at St. Francis and watching brothers Christian and Gordon excel for the Golden Knights, a plump Gabriel took up Pop Warner football.
He had to lose 30 pounds to be eligible to play and had just one tackle his first year, so there wasn’t an immediate sign that he’d become the terror (for opposing lines and quarterbacks) that he is today.
“Gabriel is a force on the defensive line. There is nobody that goes as hard as he does at every practice,” coach Jim Bonds said. “The speed in which he practices and plays at is 100 percent all the time. He’s in great shape and shed some (weight) in the offseason. His speed (get off), strength and football IQ are all reasons he’s successful.”
Grbavac credits parents Gordon and Senka for surrounding him with good people and allowing him to seek the best education possible as reasons why his life on and off the field are so satisfying.
“My parents have always taught me life lessons and I’ve always gone to Catholic schools, so I have good examples in front of me,” Grbavac said. “I’ve never known any other way, so I am really happy to be at St. Francis, and I’m trying to be the best student, teammate and person I can be, and for a school and program I love.”
Grbavac said he ate better and took conditioning more seriously as ways to get in the shape he’s currently in, and that he no longer gets tired easily, despite rarely coming off the field.
Senior WR-LB Blake Howard
Howard and Grbavac have cultured a relationship that has improved both as athletes and you can tell they appreciate their shared desire to be the best they can be.
“Gabriel is my best buddy,” Howard said. “We pretty much do everything together. We went to the gym together and worked hard to get better and faster. He is a great player and he’s always working hard.”
Howard does as much for St. Francis as anyone.
The senior makes his presence felt at wide receiver, linebacker, punts and kicking off, and Bonds said if he really needed, Howard could fill in competently at quarterback as well.
We jokingly call Howard the ‘baby-faced assassin’ because if you saw him in street clothes, you might think it would be more likely to see him on a skateboard in Newport Beach, than tearing up a football field.
But he is as versatile as anyone in the area, and his speed is something that impresses all.
But Howard is so much more than that, including a 3.8 student and just a quality young man.
He leads the Golden Knights with four receiving touchdowns, and he’s second to Greg Dulcich with 11 catches and 231 yards receiving.
On defense, Howard’s 34 tackles and 3 sacks are second to Grbavac.
Howard already is just four tackles from matching his totals from 2015 and 2016 combined, and he’s just 13 yards receiving from surpassing his sophomore and junior season’s combined.
He’s already doubled his receiving TD’s.
And here’s the most impressive part about the stats that both Howard and Grbavac are putting up.
So far, in 2017, the Golden Knights are blowing teams out by a margin of 251-82 and none of the starters played more than a couple quarters of football in the first five weeks of the season.
Had Howard and Grbavac been in for most, if not all of the action, their statistics as well as those for Elijah Washington, Greg Dulcich, Darius Perrantes, Kevin Armstead, Andrew Monarrez and others would have skyrocketed.
Howard’s parents Eddie and Monique both play a major role in why he’s such a quality and impressive kid, and he jokes that his mom is in charge of academics and his father looks over the athletics part of his life.
His sisters are both athletes as well.
Hannah, 19, ran cross country and track at La Salle, and Hillary, 15, plays volleyball, soccer and track up the road from St. Francis at Flintridge Sacred Heart.
“Blake is one of the most versatile player we’ve had in a long time,” Bonds said. “He’s gifted athletically and is very smart. He gets great grades. We ask him to do a lot of things and he’s able to do all of them well. His speed and strength really improved over the offseason.”
Grbavac credits Howard with pushing him to be a better player, and appreciates his friendship.
“Blake has always been a great friend of mine and a great kid,” Grbavac said. “I’ve known he’s a good athlete since my freshman year, but I can see how people might be surprised to find out how good he really is. He always works his (butt) off.”
Howard said he looked up to Jeremiah Martin a few years back, and really admired Daniel Scott from last year’s team.
Scott was the area’s best all-around football player and he is now at Cal-Berkeley.
Both Grbavac and Howard were quick to deflect most of the credit for St. Francis’ success to their fellow teammates as well as the coaching staff.
They both pointed out that St. Francis has a true brotherhood, even when things aren’t going their way, and how they’ve noticed opponents turn on each other when they fall behind in games.
As much as Howard and Grbavac appreciate being part of the St. Francis family, and how much they love their coaches and teammates, they are equally revered among the masses on campus.
“I appreciate the way they approach the game. They know when it’s time to be serious and when it’s time to have fun. They are two guys I’ve gotten to know over the last three years and I appreciate all the time and effort they’ve given our program,” Bonds said.
While both entertained our question about why St. Francis will go further in the playoffs than last season, Grbavac and Howard were only and firmly focused on La Salle.
The best compliment this writer could give Blake Howard and Gabriel Grbavac is that they fit the mold that Jim Bonds created over the past 17 seasons in that they represent their program, their school and their families with class, dignity and intelligence.
That is just how St. Francis rolls.
Quotable:
SF coach Jim Bonds on Grbavac: “Gabriel is a force on the defensive line. There is nobody that goes harder than him on every play in every practice and it’s great for the younger guys and teammates to see. The speed in which he practices and plays at is 100 percent all the time. His speed, strength and has a great football IQ and knows what to expect. He’s one of our tight ends and we’ve asked him to take on a little more last year. He does a nice job blocking. He’s a fun-loving kid away from football. He is the third of three brothers. Christian, Gordon and Gabriel, and I think Gabriel has the most ability.”
SF coach Jim Bonds on Howard: ”Blake is one of the most versatile players we’ve had in a long time. He could line up and play quarterback if we needed him to. He’s that talented. He’s a great kid and student. We ask him to play slot receiver, fullback, receiver, to linebacker, and he punts and kicks off. His speed and strength really improved in the off-season.”
SF senior captain Matt Barriga on Howard and Grbavac: “For Gabe, I think it’s really his energy that he brings and the way he is full speed all the time. He’s the type of guy that will always be getting everyone pumped up, and when you put Blake in that mix, there’s a lot of energy flowing. They are both two of the guys on the team that always bring it and you know you can always count on them to make a play. For Blake, I’ve been playing football with him since we’ve been about six so we both know how each other’s plays pretty well, and I think that’s a great thing to have. Blake is also one of the hardest workers on the field and he really can do it all, anything from kicking to blitzing up the middle he can do.”
SF senior captain Greg Dulcich on Howard & Grbavac: “They are hard-working guys, especially this year in the offseason. They pushed themselves to become the best all-around athletes they could be, with flexibility and speed, and they’ve become pretty unstoppable.”
SF senior captain Elijah Washington on Howard & Grbavac: “Both are really athletic. Blake can play any position on the field, and special teams. Gabriel is a beast coming off the edge. He is extremely dangerous and more flexible since losing the weight.”
SF senior Andrew Monarrez on Howard and Grbavac: “Blake and Gabriel are important assets to our team. The two of them have been working their tales off since Spring and haven’t taken a day off. Both three-year starters have impacted our program and they never fail to impress.”
Getting To Know Gabriel Grbavac:
Favorite Team: Patriots
Favorite Athlete: Pat Tillman
Favorite Movie: Blow
Favorite Musical Artist: Slayer
Musical Artist People Might Be Surprised I Like: ACDC
Famous Person Alive or Dead I’d Like A Conversation With: Conor McGregor
Getting To Know Blake Howard:
Favorite Team: Alabama
Favorite Athlete: Julian Edelman
Favorite Movie: American Sniper
Favorite Musical Artist: Eminem
Musical Artist People Might Be Surprised I Like: Blake Shelton
Famous Person Alive or Dead I’d Like A Conversation With: Jim Thorpe
2017 St. Francis Football Schedule-Results:
August 31: St. Francis 48, Mira Costa 21
September 8: St. Francis 42, Pasadena 0
September 15: St. Francis 49, La Serna 20
September 22: St. Francis 49, Saugus 20
September 29: St. Francis 39, Buena Park 14
October 6: St. Francis 24, St. Paul 7
October 13: St. Francis at La Salle at 7
October 20: St. Francis at Salesian at 7
October 26: Harvard-Westlake at St. Francis at 7
November 3: Cathedral at St. Francis at 7
Angelus League Standings:
St. Francis (6-0 overall, 1-0 in league)
Cathedral (5-1, 1-0)
La Salle (3-3, 1-0)
Harvard-Westlake (5-1, 0-1)
St. Paul (2-4, 0-1)
Salesian (1-5, 0-1)
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