Column: Paul Knox lends coaching expertise to Los Angeles Dymally

The opening night of the high school football season found a familiar coach on the sideline.

Paul Knox, the man who built Dorsey High into a City Section power from 1985 until his abrupt dismissal in December, is serving as an assistant with Los Angeles Dymally, a second-year varsity program located between Locke and Fremont. It lost to Panorama, 21-20, in its season opener.

Juan McDavid, Dymally’s coach, calls Knox a mentor and friend. He won out in his pursuit of Knox after lots of other coaches sought to hire him.

“I’m lucky to coach with a friend that can help me and the kids,” McDavid said.

Knox, who won four City titles at Dorsey, said he chose Dymally because it was “an opportunity to start over and help kids that wanted to be coached.”

McDavid said his players didn’t know who Knox was before he arrived during the summer. But then McDavid told them, “There’s other schools that produced more pros, but no single coach produced as many as he has.

“That got their attention.”

Dymally was 2-7 last season.

Quarterback to sit out big game

There’s nothing good that comes out of an ejection, but the timing for quarterback Khalil Tate’s ejection from Gardena Serra’s 41-15 victory over Lakewood couldn’t have been worse.

Tate lost his cool after a late hit and was ejected in the first half. It means he will have to sit out Serra’s showdown game Saturday against No. 1 Corona Centennial at Oceanside High. It’s a rematch of last season’s Pac-5 playoff game in which Centennial won, 68-64.

“Tate needed to keep his cool and didn’t,” Coach Scott Altenberg said. “It’s a painful lesson but one I’m sure he won’t forget.”

Junior Jalani Eason will take over as quarterback against the Huskies.

Stellar performances

Junior Tyler Lytle passed for 424 yards and two touchdowns in Anaheim Servite’s 45-7 victory over Fountain Valley. Servite was one of six Trinity League teams to win opening games.

Sophomore Brevin White passed for five touchdowns in Mission Hills Alemany’s 61-7 victory over Garfield.

Nebraska-bound Patrick O’Brien completed 30 of 37 passes for 320 yards in San Juan Capistrano San Juan Hills’ 34-20 victory over San Clemente.

Junior Tristan Gebbia completed 15 of 20 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns in Calabasas’ 49-14 victory over Canyon Country Canyon.

Anthony Carswell accounted for five touchdowns in Long Beach Millikan’s 35-15 victory over Lynwood.

Nick Chapman passed for 375 yards and five touchdowns in Aliso Niguel’s 40-21 victory over Huntington Beach Marina.