Garfield High School’s attention will be squarely affixed on the No. 1.

That’s the number on the jersey of Jordan standout Deshawn Beck, who will be the target of the Bulldogs in Friday’s 3 p.m. Eastern League football opener at Jordan.

It had better be if Garfield (2-2) wants to get off to a good start in league.

“Mr. Beck is a phenomenal athlete,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “I compare him to a Reggie Bush-type athlete. He’s going to be tough to corral.”
Nobody has so far.

The returning All-City player, who depending on the play, lines up at quarterback, running back or receiver on offense. Mater Dei didn’t do such a good job last Friday of corralling Beck, who rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 116 in a 23-20 Monarch victory.

Jordan’s 1-3 record is deceiving because the losses have come to Esperanza, St. Bonaventure (the state’s third-ranked team) and Mater Dei.

There are other Jordan standouts, including All-City linebacker Patrick Wooten, who led the City with 150 tackles last year and 16 solos against Mater Dei last week, and Rudolph Drayton, who had 13 solos last week.

But, it’s Beck who Garfield really has to concern itself with.

“We’re going to have to play sound football if we’re going to contain him,”

Hernandez said. “I know he’s going to get his yards. We’ll try and tire him out, although he didn’t too tired against Mater Dei.”

Garfield is coming off a hard-luck 8-7 loss at Paso Robles.

The Bulldogs drove to the Bearcat five-yard line in the closing seconds, but misfired on a 20-yard field goal with six seconds left that would have won the game.

The running of Jonathan Lopez, who carried 25 times for 102 yards, was a bright spot for Garfield. Quarterback Jonathan Lazo was 7-of-20 for 135 yards passing and scored the touchdown on a run. Bobby Vargas had three catches for 83 yards.

Defensively, Hector Cazales (seven solo tackles, five assists), Moses Saucedo (six solos, five assists) and Jonathan Valles (six solos, five assists) led the way for the Bulldogs. William Fonseca had an interception.

“I thought it was good for us to go up there and play somebody out of that section,” Hernandez said. “It was a great small-town atmosphere. The fans packed the place. They weren lined around the field.”