Bell-Jeff Football Has a Shortage of Guards

BURBANK —  An old, gray Ford Escort pulls out of the parking lot at Brace Canyon Park after a Bell-Jeff football practice, carrying about one-third of the Guards’ team.

No, the players aren’t stuffed into the car like circus clowns or lying on each others’ laps. There are only five players in the car.

But considering there are only 16 players regularly at practice--19 on the rare days when everybody shows up--if that car gets into an accident the Guards are in trouble.

“We really are struggling with numbers,” first-year Coach Ken Berry said. “But I don’t want to sound like we’re crying. We don’t want anybody’s sympathy.”

Bell-Jeff has an enrollment of about 500 students. Other area schools with similar enrollments, such as nearby Village Christian and L.A. Baptist, have twice the number of players out for football.

Despite the shortage on numbers, Berry actually cut six returning players over the summer.

“They weren’t willing to make a commitment,” he said. “I can’t justify letting them come out if they aren’t fully committed. Even if we go 0-10, if I can look myself in the mirror then I can live with it.”

Berry and his players agree that they would rather be thin in numbers than have guys with bad attitudes.

“Some guys would always come up with all kinds of weird excuses about not coming to practice,” said sophomore Robert Yezegelyan. “We need guys with big hearts and who would sacrifice for the team.”

The lack of personnel makes conditioning of primary concern since Berry estimates nine players will not leave the field during games. Some players--such as Yezegelyan, who at 5-6, 140 will be playing on the line, and Chris Tincher, an all-league defensive lineman last year who will play fullback--have been forced to play out of position.

The Guards were 1-9 last season and scored only 26 points. Their lone victory came against Pius X, which didn’t score all season and has become an all-girls’ school. But the players still have high hopes.

“A lot of people have been saying we aren’t going to be good,” senior running back David Montes said. “But we don’t listen to that. We’re just going to wait until the season comes and we’ll prove it right there.”