Preview: Mission Hills Grizzlies vs. Crenshaw Cougars

The Mission Hills Grizzlies will start the 2016 Football Season on Thursday Night by traveling North up the Five Freeway to the 405, then to the 101 North Freeway before finally arriving at Crenshaw High School. The Crenshaw Cougars have a storied athletic tradition, producing some of California’s greatest Prep Athletes over the years.

Last year the Cougars finished with an overall regular season record of 6-4 and tied for third place in their league. They’ll be trying to replace two play makers on either side of the ball in the forms of offensive play maker Marquis Lawson and Linebacker Derek Moore who both graduated last year. They’ll have a tough time replacing them with less than 25 players on the current Crenshaw roster.

The Mission Hills Grizzlies are coming off an excellent 2015 season where they finished the year with an overall record of 11-1. That one loss coming against the eventual CIF San Diego Section Open Division Runner Up, St. Augustine Saints in the Open Division Semi-Final game, losing 48-14.

The Grizzlies will have there work cut out for them to repeat last years success, as Junior QB Jake Tuttle is the lone returning starting offensive player. He’s a dual threat on offense having complied 1,862 yards on 130 of 200 passing attempts for 15 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Tuttle also rushed for 250 yards and three touchdowns. Mission Hills Head Coach Chris Hauser will have to mix in young players and get them up to speed fast as the Grizzlies have a brutal schedule this year.

If Mission Hills can stay focused and not get distracted by the HORRIBLE traffic they’ll face on the bus ride up to the game Thursday Night, then the Grizzlies shouldn’t have to much trouble with the Cougars and come back to San Marcos with the win.