The Acorn’s High School Football Game of the Week

MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers FEELING THE HEAT—Newbury Park quarterback Jordan LaSecla receives blindside pressure from the Royal defense. How wacky is life in Marmonte League football?

Consider this: Westlake, which started the season 1-5 and lost its first three league games, can still make the playoffs. And Newbury Park, at 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the Marmonte, still can’t make any postseason plans.

Last Friday night, the Panthers were a 29-yard field goal away from stretching their unbeaten league mark to 5-0 and guaranteeing themselves a spot in the playoffs.

But when the last-second field goal attempt was botched, the Panthers found themselves on the short end of a 14-13 score to the Royal Highlanders.

Even worse, Newbury Park now heads into the final two games of its regular-season schedule needing at least one win to guarantee itself a playoff spot.

A pair of losses to Westlake and Thousand Oaks in the next two weeks, and the Panthers could conceivably fall out the postseason race.

Rarely does a team find itself in such a predicament, but so is life in the Marmonte.

“We started saying six weeks ago that we had to win every game every week to be a league champion and go where we want to go,” Panther head coach George Hurley said. “Last week was a step backwards. Now we have to take the next step forward.”

If the Panthers are looking for some sympathy for their situation, they certainly won’t get it from Westlake.

The Warriors, devastated by injuries early on, have already been playing must-win football for two weeks.

“Since we lost our first three league games, our backs have been against the wall,” Westlake head coach Jim Benkert said. “We’re trying to crawl our way back into this thing, but we’ll need some help.”

Westlake’s revival has been fueled by an aggressive defense and a renewed commitment to running the football.

The Warrior defense has allowed an average of 10.5 points per game over the last two weeks. During the first six games of the year, the unit was giving up 29.7 points per contest.

Newbury Park’s offensive attack, which has averaged 30.4 points and 39.8 passing attempts per game, will present several difficult match-up problems for Westlake, Benkert said.

“We have to have a mindset that we have to score a lot, maybe take some chances that we normally don’t take,” Benkert said. “We need to be ready for a high-scoring affair.”

For the Panthers to slow down Westlake running backs Jeff Rapoport, who continues to nurse a sore ankle, and Derek Scammahorn, they’re going to have to show improvement in the defensive front seven.

In their last two games against Moorpark and Royal, the Newbury Park defense has allowed 525 total rushing yards.

“Stopping big, physical teams is something we’ve struggled with for the last five years,” Hurley said. “We think we’re doing a better job this year, but we’re still undersized, so we have to utilize quickness and good technique.”

Westlake offensive lineman Scott Matheson said he expects both teams to show up Friday night with the mentality that their seasons are on the brink.

“Every game is big because if we don’t win, we’re out,” Matheson said. “This’ll be like a playoff game, no doubt about it.”

Players to Watch

Westlake Newbury Park

RB Jeff Rapoport WR/CB Marlon Bills

QB Jordan LaSecla

WR Jordan Cameron

DL Jeff Miller WR Josh Baker

DT Tyrone Duncan

Outlook After starting the season 1-5, Westlake has reeled off two straight victories and enters this matchup with a

full head of steam. Newbury Park’s attempt for a

seventh consecutive win was spoiled last Friday vs. Royal when they couldn’t convert a last-second field

goal attempt. Another close game is likely.

WR/LB Travis Dickey