Castle Park High School head coach Hans Graham was among the San Diego Chargers’ High School Coach of the Week winners assembled on the field at halftime of Sunday’s NFL game between the Chargers and Denver Broncos.
It was an honor to be in such company as well as being recognized by the Chargers, according to Graham.
“It was awesome,” he said. “For me, it was a representation of the whole school. When your kids do well, it’s a reflection of the whole staff. The award is for everyone. We have a league banner, made it to the CIF semis and, with the coach of the week award, I’m all smiles.
“I can’t wait for the next football season to start.”
As a weekly winner, Graham received a $1,500 check from the Chargers to be donated to the school’s football team.
El Capitan High School head coach Ron Burner was named the Chargers’ 2014 High School Coach of the Year, and received an additional $2,500 check for the honor.
Burner’s Vaqueros will play in Saturday’s Division III State Bowl championship game at the StubHub Center in Carson.
Graham’s Trojans advanced as far as this year’s Division IV section semifinals, dropping a 49-14 decision to the eventual division champion Bishop’s Knights and former Park View Little League star Bulla Graft.
Graft scored the game-winning touchdown in the Knights’ 19-16 overtime victory against Mater Dei Catholic in the division championship game Dec. 5 at Southwestern College. He scored four TDs against Castle Park.
“We played ’em tough, it was 7-7, then a couple turnovers later it was 28-7,” said Graham, whose team captured this year’s Metro-Pacific League championship. “Bishop’s is well coached and Bulla is the real deal. He deserves all the accolades he’s received.”
While on the Qualcomm Stadium field, Graham had a chance to exchange greetings with Denver head coach John Fox, a former CPHS teammate and fellow Trojan alum.
Fox received what he referred to as a “care package” from Graham: a Castle Park T-shirt, hoodie and cap — “what all the coaches wear on the sideline,” Graham noted.
“I haven’t been back to that part of town in years,” said Fox, a 1973 CPHS graduate, who later went on to play football at Southwestern College and San Diego State University. “Go Trojans!”
Fox also has to be rooting for his current team after the Broncos defeated the Chargers, 22-10, to wrap up their fourth consecutive AFC West Division championship. As a divisional champion, the Broncos automatically qualify for the upcoming NFL playoffs.
With two games remaining in regular season play, Denver is still engaged in a battle with the New England Patriots for the overall top seed in the AFC. Both teams possess 11-3 records, though the Patriots own the tie-breaker based on a 43-21 head-to-head victory earlier this season.
The Chargers are still mathematically in contention for a wild-card playoff berth.
Fox retains fond memories of his playing days in Chula Vista.
“Back then, Southwestern College was the only thing out there,” he said. “It was just open land.”
The Broncos coach said his life was heavily influenced by his coaches at that time, among them Gil Warren, Jan Chapman and Bing Dawson. Warren led the Trojans to section titles in 1968, 1994 and 1996. Dawson has been the defensive mastermind at both CPHS and Olympian high schools.
“They had a lasting impression on me,” Fox said. “As a young man, they were such positive role models. That was the reason I wanted to get into coaching.”
