Stewart still pushing ‘Strathmore USA’

SHS grad, former L.A. Times columnist in area promoting book

STRATHMORE — Strathmore High graduate Larry Stewart will continue his effort of bringing the story of his alma mater to the national stage.

“It’s an amazing story about my high school, Strathmore High School,” said Stewart, a 1964 SHS graduate.

About his effort to bring the story national attention, Stewart said, “I haven’t given up.”

The story Stewart was referring to was the Strathmore High football program’s rise from not even being able to field a team to winning a state title in 2017. Stewart was speaking to students at Strathmore High on Tuesday.

Stewart is in the area on a book tour, promoting his book “My Up-close View.” The book chronicles Stewart’s distinguished journalistic career, including his more than 30 years at the Los Angeles Times where he was best known for his Tv/radio Sports Broadcasting column. Stewart’s book also includes a chapter on the Strathmore High football team’s 2017 State Championship season.

Stewart originally worked on writing a script for a movie chronicling the Spartans’ rise to winning the state title. With apologies to Strathmore coach Jeromy Blackwell, who led the team to the title, Stewart said he had the idea of making Robert Garza as the main character of the movie and even had the idea of an actor like Andy Garcia playing Garza.

Garza played football at Strathmore High and played a pivotal role in Strathmore rising to winning state with his work in the community’s youth football program, which has been credited a great deal for the Spartans’ success. Garza has also served as an assistant coach for the Strathmore High football team.

Stewart admitted he thought Garza’s story was made more interesting by the fact he was injured chasing a pris

oner while working as a correctional officer and that’s another reason why he wanted to make him the main character.

But Stewart said he talked to producers of “Mcfarland USA,” the movie that chronicled Mcfarland High School’s rise to being a state power in cross country. Stewart said he was told by the producers making a movie about Strathmore would be too expensive as there would have to be a lot of site location filming done.

But Stewart said he’s also approached Bryant Gumblel, who he has covered, of HBO’S Real Sports and Sports Illustrated about giving the Spartans national attention. Stewart has also covered CBS’ top announcer Jim Nantz, who wrote the forward for Stewart’s book. Through that relationship the Spartans’ story was almost included in CBS’S Super Bowl pregame coverage, Stewart said.

Stewart talked about while he could have never dreamed of the career he has had, he was able to achieve his goal of becoming a sportswriter.

“I could go to any Dodger game and eat free hot dogs,” said Stewart about the perks of his career. “I had a dream job.”

He also said he can look back and see how fortunate he has been. “I had a great career,” Stewart said. “It was a pretty good career for somebody from Strathmore High School.”

Stewart also talked about how he stayed committed to reaching his goal. “In the back of my mind I thought if I get arrested or if I get in trouble, I’m not going to be able to obtain my goal.”

He talked about an SHS student during the time of when he went to Strathmore High who was an outstanding football player and a straight A student, but got into drugs and lost his chance at success.

“Don’t set your goals to high, too unattainable,” Stewart advised the students. He told the students he was talking to some of them who may want to play football in college.

Blackwell chimed in, saying when he took an aptitude test during his sophomore year in high school, it determined he could become a teacher or a comedian. “You’re a little bit of both,” Stewart told him.

Stewart also gave a plug for the College Showcase started by another friend of his, the late Terry Donahue, the longtime UCLA football coach. Donahue began the combine that’s held in Orange County every year to spotlight players who were overlooked at the Division I level. Coaches from nondivision I programs from all over the country come to the combine.