‘We aren’t the biggest team, but we bring the fight,’ says Northwood’s offensive coordinator

Northwood quarterback Eugene Miyata with offensive coordinator Phil Roh (right) and assistant coach Mike Stewart after the Timberwolves won the CIF title Saturday. (Photo: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

Phil Roh pinpoints the reasons for the Timberwolves’ drive to a second straight CIF title.

Northwood High School’s football team, led by running back Adam Harper and quarterback Eugene Miyata, was tough to stop on offense and the defense also came up big in the Timberwolves’ drive to the CIF Division 8 championship.

It was Northwood’s second straight CIF title.

Harper scored three touchdowns and Miyata threw two touchdown passes in the Timberwolves’ 35-14 victory over Lakewood in the title game Saturday.

Coach JC Clarke has credited offensive coordinator Phil Roh for opening up the offense this season. He’s also praised the efforts of veteran coach Zaverio Brenner, the team’s offensive line coach and his defensive unit.

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Roh, a former head coach, at Northwood, said there are a number of reasons why the team was so successful. The Timberwolves, 13-1, play at Kennedy of Delano in the CIF 4AA Bowl Game Friday night.

“It starts with the student athletes and their collective commitment to the vision that Coach Clarke has established for the program,” he said. “We strive to get better every single day. The players, the coaches, the families, administration, we’ve all bought into it and we work hard to earn the right to say that at the end of each meeting, practice and game. When you have that kind of positive culture, success follows not too far behind and I mean that not just in terms of wins and losses, but in the stuff that really matters, like building up a community of integrity, hard work and sacrifice.

“We always try to communicate that life is bigger than just football. If football is the biggest thing in the lives of these players, then we’ve failed. Don’t get me wrong: football is important and fun, but football is just preparation for the more significant moments in life like when these players grow up to have their own families and careers.

“Football-wise though, it certainly helps to have the reigning CIF Division 11 Player of the Year (Harper) in the backfield. No doubt, he’s putting up record-breaking numbers and will, in my mind, be one of the best players to ever play at Northwood, but what people don’t see is that he, along with his brother Joseph, is almost always one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave practices.

“He’s about as reliable and trustworthy as you would want in a young person and he deserves all the love he is getting. I hope he gets a chance to fulfill his dream of playing ball at BYU. And the fact that we get Joseph back for the next two years is something to be grateful for. It’s a testament to the family.”

The offensive line, which includes Mo Wahby, Jan Abuelsad, Michael Lopez, Quintin Lynch, Tao Sun and Wolfgang Hernandez, has been a big part of the team’s success.

“The growth of our offensive line has been integral,” Roh said. ” Z’s done such an incredible job with them. He’s one of the best to ever do it and the kids adore him for the grumpy grandpa love he shows them. What gets lost is just how many athletes we have around Adam. Eugene (Miyata) has grown tremendously as a QB and he’s been so efficient with the football. He’s super smart and picks things up almost the moment we install it. Our entire signal system we implemented at one night practice. It’s pretty unreal. The same goes for the rest of our skilled positions.

“Having Andrew Penrod on the field is like having another like-minded coordinator out there. We give each other a look and we know what play we both want. Oftentimes it’s the same one. He would make a great coach one day because he knows and loves the game, but he’ll probably go on to find cures or solve some crisis of worldwide significance. And I’m not so sure how secret a weapon he is this far into the season, but Ahmad Kazi is a video game.

“We even have the reigning CIF Division 11 Defensive Player of the Year in Danial Kamel who comes in to do the stuff that almost never shows up in the box score, like help out in run blocking and pass protection. He’s our fixer. We have guys like that all over, there are just too many to name, like Ryan Kesler, Karim Yowkeem, Ryan Kim and Kaden Carter, who is only a junior. The cupboard is full.” 

The Timberwolves have been preparing this week for the regional bowl game.

“The team is excited,” Roh said. “We lost in the regionals last year so we are grateful for the opportunity to try again. We’re not taking it for granted. There are logistical things we have to deal with that can distract from the game planning and all that, but this team has a unique ability to rise up to any challenge that comes its way. It’s funny: we will never pass the eye-test. We aren’t the biggest team, but we bring the fight. And we’re hoping to do that again this week against a very tough Delano Kennedy team.”

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—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com