Team of the Week: Grossmont College bowl-bound following turnaround season

Grossmont College has a rich football history.

In 23 seasons under the late Dave Jordan, the Griffins went 135-89-9 and won a pair of state championships. In 2005, Grossmont was named the national champion and Jordan the National Junior College Coach of the Year.

But recently … not so much.

Grossmont College was 1-19 over the 2023-2024 seasons and had not had a winning season since 2021. It had been almost a decade since the Griffins played in a postseason game.

That has drastically changed for the better this season. Grossmont College finished the regular season 6-4 and is headed to the Beach Bowl Saturday at West Los Angeles College (7-3).

“I came to Grossmont knowing the program was struggling,” said sophomore running back Darick Dubose Jr. “All of us pretty much did. But there was a new head coach and a staff with a lot of energy and ideas. It means a lot to have success and to be part of the turnaround.”

Freshman quarterback Melvin Spicer IV said it “means everything to be part of this.”

“We all feel that way,” he said. “When (coaches) recruited me, they made a point of how they won only one of their last 22 games. They said: ‘Here’s the challenge.’ It’s a special group. I love how we’ve overcome the adversity of being where we were.”

The architect of Grossmont College’s turnaround is second-year head coach Mason Mitchell. He has armed the Griffins with an uptempo spread offense and an unusual 4-2-5 defense.

More importantly, he has changed the culture.

“I love this team,” said Mitchell. “They recognized where the program was and embraced what needed to be done to make it better. Not only did they work, they spread the word to other potential Griffins in the area.

“There is a longstanding history of greatness here. Our goal is to honor that legacy and build on it. And from inside the community. We recruit heavily locally. Ninety percent of our defensive players are homegrown. We want to build a fence around the East County and say, ‘This is ours.’”

But Mitchell traveled to Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas to find two key offensive weapons — Spicer and running back Myles Norman.

Spicer was getting feelers from NCAA Division I programs as a senior last year when he suffered multiple serious injuries —  a torn pectoral muscle, five broken ribs and damaged cartilage — in the season’s third game.

“My offers dried up,” said Spicer. “But Coach Mace visited with his staff. I felt a genuine love. And I wanted to be part of the turnaround.”

Spicer has completed 212 of 360 pass attempts for 2,816 yards and 25 touchdowns and has rushed for 276 yards and nine scores. Norman, his high school teammate, leads Grossmont College in rushing with 541 yards.

The Griffins’ offense is based on moving the ball around. El Cajon Valley High School grad Dubose rushed for 461 yards, and Lincoln High grad Ayden Billups is the leading receiver with 853 yards on 58 catches. Four other receivers, including Norman, have at least 24 catches.

“Spicer does an excellent job distributing the ball,” Mitchell said. “Malcolm is the epitome of a Division I talent. Very mature, very competitive, a great leader.”

While the Griffins’ defense can shift into a number of different looks, freshmen Rashad Scott (Lincoln High School) and Lincoln Chukwuemeka (Crawford High School) set the tone. Both are defensive tackles; the 6-foot-2 Scott tips the scales at 265 pounds, and the 6-foot Chukwuemeka weighs 280.

“They force the issue while consistently being double-teamed,” said Mitchell, who doubles as Grossmont’s defensive coordinator and line coach.

Sophomores Sy Fanua (Mira Mesa High School) and Keanu Pettiford (Steele Canyon High School) and freshman Garret Luckinbill (El Capitan High School) rotate at the linebacker spots.

The secondary features corners Jonathan Smith (Morse High School)  and Jayshon Calhoun; safeties Adrien Chargualaf (Lincoln High School) and Paris Dixon (El Cajon Valley High School) and nickel Titus Toilolo. The Madison High School grad said he wants to stay local and play for San Diego State.

Mitchell talked about the current sophomores who came to Grossmont as his first recruits for the 2024 season.

“They helped change the culture and the morale last year,” Mitchell said. “It was a tough season going 1-9. But there were noticeable gains. Guys like Dubose. He’s been a stud for two years in a row. He’s Mr. Do It Right.”

Dubose was a quarterback during his four seasons at El Cajon Valley, which struggled until his senior season.

“I know what it’s like in a down program turning it around,” said Dubose. “There’s a huge sense of shared accomplishment.”

“Our motto is ‘1-0 this week,’” said Spicer. “We’re already talking about next season and setting some goals. We accomplished a lot this season. But none of us feel like the story is finished.”

Grossmont is one of two local community colleges playing in a California Community College Athletic Association bowl Saturday. Southwestern (7-3) will host Moorpark (6-4) in the Patriotic Bowl at 4 p.m.

Every week during the school year, U-T contributor Bill Center highlights one San Diego college team that’s making strides on and off the field. To nominate a team, email wcenter27@gmail.com