Chaminade

There were more than 17,000 high school sports transfers recorded last school year in California, and one of the most bizarre involved Chaminade offensive lineman Harout Agazaryan.

On a Monday in January, he checked out of Chaminade. On Tuesday, he began classes and football practice at Burbank High. By Tuesday afternoon, when his mother picked him up after football practice, he told her, “I don’t think it’s the right place for me.”

“You’re probably right,” she said. “How do you feel? Do you want to go back to Chaminade?”

“Yes,” he said.

On Wednesday morning at Starbucks, he met with Chaminade football coach David Machuca and asked to return.

By Thursday, he was back at Chaminade in the same classes. He felt awkward, but his teachers joked, “You missed me already?”

It took courage to ask for a second chance, and what a decision it has turned out to be. Five times this season, Agazaryan has been named a team captain by his coach. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound senior been a standout offensive tackle and defensive lineman.

“He’s been amazing,” Machuca said. “You talk about a kid that did a 360. He’s representing what I believe is important to being a captain — dedication, holding people accountable. He’s doing everything right.”

There’s so many lessons to be learned from Agazaryan’s experiences.

“The grass isn’t always greener where you go,” he said. “I discovered there’s not many places better than Chaminade.”

It was his parents who gave him the green light to transfer even though they wanted him to stay.

“Honestly, at the time, I had a lot of friends [at Burbank],” he said. “They were texting me every day. I wasn’t doing very good academically here. I thought I needed a restart.”

He quickly determined he was wrong. But would he have a chance to return to his old school?

One of the most important decisions he made was to have a conversation with Machuca before he left. So many times, students and their parents don’t even inform the coach they are leaving.

“I feel you have to leave on good terms because I know teammates that left last year that didn’t talk to coach Machuca at all,” he said. “I felt as a man, I had to talk to him.”

That earlier discussion made Machuca open to welcoming Agazaryan’s return as long as parameters were followed.

“I actually told him when he was leaving I’m really happy we’re at the point of having a conversation,” Machuca said.

The second chance has not been wasted.

“It’s been way better,” Agazaryan said. “I feel when I came back, my head switched. I was a way better person, better in the classroom, better on the field. I felt I was controlling my emotions more.”

Coaches have been complaining that it’s harder to coach players these days, because they know if someone takes something they say the wrong way, they immediately think about transferring to another school.

Agazaryan warns, “Don’t ever burn your bridges because you never know what will happen. Just because one thing bad happens doesn’t mean you should take your stuff off and leave. You have to build a relationship with everyone on the campus, then you’ll really be happy.”

You have to look long and hard for stability and continuity in this era of transfer mania, but Beaumont football coach Jeff Steinberg is proud to point out that 26 of his 27 players in the starting rotation have been at Beaumont since their freshman seasons. The only one that didn’t came as a sophomore.

That kind of loyalty and confidence in a program produces community pride and helps build community support every time Beaumont plays.

The team is 5-1 and is favored to win the Citrus Belt League and be a factor in the Southern Section Division 2 playoffs.

Linebacker Matt Casas is a tackling machine with 52 tackles. Beaumont owns wins over Cathedral and Chaminade. Its only loss was 21-14 to Vista Murrieta.

Imagine how many fans from the Beaumont area will show up to playoff games. Can you say sellout?

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

It’s getting close.

Chaminade Prep in West Hills expects to begin demolition soon of the 4.8 acres of buildings it acquired in 2018 that will become its.sports fields. Next year construction will begin on a baseball field, pool and training fields that could be completed by 2027, according to athletic director Todd Borowski. Both projects need final approval from the city before work can begin.

Buildings from the old shopping center have been abandoned and the property is fenced.

Chaminade has phases planned for construction that will include a pedestrian bridge to link its main campus across the street with the new fields. A new softball field will replace the current baseball field. There will be new campus classrooms and a new school entrance.

Here’s a video from the school explaining all the building that will soon begin.

Chaminade is the second Mission League school adding new sports fields. Harvard-Westlake is scheduled to open its River Park complex next year that includes a gym, fields, pool and parking.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

Running back Brian Bonner of Valencia High was handed the ball at the five-yard line and halted by Chaminade tacklers at the two. That’s when the pushing began. First there were three teammates, led by quarterback Brady Bretthauer, pushing the pile from behind. Soon there was five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 teammates offensive players joining in making sure Bonner recorded a touchdown.

“That was fun,” Bonner said. “I didn’t have to do any work. They just pushed me into the end zone.”

It was that kind of a night for Valencia (2-0) in a 34-20 road victory over Chaminade. The Vikings got physical. Bonner, who has committed to Washington, rushed for 159 yards in 21 carries and scored two touchdowns. Bretthauer completed 12 of 16 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another.

“Win the push. That’s what we are all about,” Bretthauer said.

Coach Larry Muir pulled off a trick play his team had been practicing all week. Named “Snake,” Bretthauer took the snap, faked a handoff on a fly sweep, faked a handoff on a reverse and found a wide open Nico Funez for a 41-yard touchdown in the third quarter for a 27-14 lead.

Caysen Badawi led Valencia’s defense with two interceptions. Chaminade got some big plays, including touchdown receptions of 83 and 50 yards from Beau Lindus, but the physicality of the Vikings up front along the offensive and defensive lines made Muir scream to the players in a postgame huddle, “Listen — we got physical.”

Chaminde drove 80 yards at the end of the first half with less than one minute left to cut its deficit to 20-14 at halftime. Marquis Jones caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Cameron Pooley, who had 267 yards passing in the game. Jones rushed for 82 yards.

Otherwise, it was the Bonner show. He had a 32-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. He had a 44-yard run in the second half in which he turned on his afterburners.

The duo of Bretthauer and Bonner is going to be difficult to deal with all season. Bretthauer’s ability to run and pass, and make decisions when to give the ball to the speedy Bonner, offers options on offense.

“I think he’s a million bucks,” Muir said of Bretthauer. “He does everything well. Every intangible he’s off the charts — competitiveness, leadership, work ethic.”

Valencia is the clear favorite to win the Foothill League and gets a matchup against Bishop Amat next week.

It was a night of intriguing scores. Sierra Canyon’s defense continues to produce shutouts. The latest was a 63-0 win over Oaks Christian. Orange Lutheran rallied for a 27-24 win over Rancho Cucamonga. Orange Lutheran and Sierra Canyon meet Sept. 18. Chaminade (1-1) will next play Servite (1-1), a winner over Murrieta Valley.