NPHS keeps finding ways to win
Panthers prepping for semifinal showdown with Hart
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

What was the secret ingredient that helped the Newbury Park High football team serve up its first trip to the CIFSouthern Section semifinals since 1999? A whole bunch of Muscarella.

Phillip Muscarella, that is.

The 15-year-old sophomore, who didn't start playing football until last season, cemented his name into Panther playoff lore by making major contributions on offense, defense and special teams during last weekend's thrilling 29-28 second-round win vs. Valencia High.

At wide receiver, Muscarella caught nine passes for 199 yards and three scores. On defense he posted five tackles, including two for losses. And for the grand finale, Muscarella booted a 32yard field goal with 24 seconds remaining to lift his team to victory.

The game-winning kick was Newbury Park's first field goal conversion of the season.

"When they told me we were kicking the first field goal, I was surprised," said Muscarella, who also plays varsity soccer for NPHS.

"I tried not to get too nervous, because you mess up when you're nervous. Everything went well, though. All I had to do was kick it through. The other guys did the rest."

Muscarella's heroics, along with continued strong play from quarterback Colby Cameron, running back Chris Brown, the offensive line and wide receivers, as well as the suffocating Black Cat Attack defense, helped set up Friday night's CIF-SS Northern Division semifinal game against Hart of Newhall (11-0-1).

Friday's contest will kick off at 7:30 p.m. at College of the Canyons.

"We know Hart is a very good team," Muscarella said. "They've beaten a lot of our Marmonte League rivals, like T.O. and Westlake. It's going to be a big challenge."

Panther head coach George Hurley, who's guided his team to an 11-1 overall record, including a 5-0 mark on the road, has plenty of respect for Hart, but he's not going to concede anything.

"They have a very good quarterback and a super-duper running back," Hurley said. "But they're not unbeatable. We've seen them in the past when they were unbeatable, but this team is not an unbeatable team."

Containing Hart's Stanfordbound running back, Delano Howell, will be a top priority for the Panther defense. Howell has amassed 2,426 yards of total offense this year (1,895 rushing, 531 receiving) and has scored 30 touchdowns.

"Howell knows how to work with the ball, get into open space and break tackles," NPHS inside linebacker Brandon Born said. "We're going to have to find a way to get him on the ground."

Hart quarterback B.R. Holbrook is efficient with the ball. He's completing 59.4 percent of his passes and has a 22/6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Facing an offense that is very similar to the Panthers'- solid quarterback, explosive running back and a talented group of wideouts- Born knows there will be pressure on Newbury Park's starting five linebackers to play their best game of the season.

Still, the junior believes the linebacking corps, consisting of Cameron Roberson, David Gru, Chance Flaaten, Ron Tatham and himself, will be up to the challenge.

"We'd like to go in there and take control, take some of the momentum out," Born said. "For me, there's nothing better than hearing (the other team's crowd) go silent and our crowd going crazy. That's what we need to do."

Brown, the Panther running back who's put up 2,150 yards of total offense (1,799 rushing, 351 receiving), suffered a knee injury last week but is expected to play Friday night, Hurley said.

"He has a little bursa sac problem," Hurley said. "They'll drain (the knee) and he'll be fine."

For Hart, the injury news appears much better. According to several NPHS coaches, the Indians' leading tackler, UCLAbound linebacker Patrick Larimore, is expected to return to the field after missing the last two games with an injury.