Newbury Park Makes a Stand

NEWBURY PARK — It resembled a roadblock on a dark highway, complete with barricades and uniformed guys ready to thump anyone attempting to cross.

Unbeaten Newbury Park High stopped Westlake on five possessions inside the 15-yard line and overcame six turnovers to clinch a share of the Marmonte League championship with a 20-7 victory Friday night at Newbury Park.

“The defense showed so much heart,” Panther Coach George Hurley said. “It wasn’t just 11 guys, it was 15 or 16 alternating out there.”

The Panthers (9-0, 6-0 in league play) held Westlake to 21 yards rushing, sacked Warrior quarterback Zac Wasserman five times and intercepted two passes.

Even offensive stars got into the act defensively. Jake Farrel, a standout receiver who plays defense only in passing situations, returned an interception 36 yards late in the first half to give Newbury Park a 7-0 lead.

Westlake (6-3, 5-1) drove inside the Panther five on three occasions in the first half, but came away empty each time. Linebackers Nate McArthur and Anthony Foli made key tackles, repeatedly stuffing Warrior fullback J.R. Ross, who once fumbled into the end zone for a touchback.

The second half began as if the teams might finally show the offensive fireworks that has enabled them to combine for an average of 720 yards a game.

Newbury Park went 62 yards in six plays to open the third quarter, the final 25 on a fourth-down pass play from Nick Czernek to Tyler Johnson, to extend the lead to 13-0.

Westlake roared right back, moving 55 yards in six plays with Travis Campbell taking a Wasserman pass the final 36 yards for a touchdown, also on a fourth-down play.

But Newbury Park’s defense came through again after Czernek threw his fourth interception late in the third quarter, giving Westlake the ball at the Panther 17. Paul Sanford batted down a fourth-down pass at the goal line intended for Joey Cuppari with 17 seconds left in the quarter.

Newbury Park then launched the game’s best drive, going 83 yards and chewing up nearly nine minutes. Czernek hit Sanford with a 20-yard completion on fourth-and-16 to put the ball on the Westlake 15, and Mike Simo scored on a three-yard run five plays later to make the score, 20-7.

Wasserman completed four passes on Westlake’s ensuing possession, but McArthur made an interception with three minutes to play, running it back 34 yards.

“This game was all about our defense,” said Czernek, who completed 19 of 31 for 242 yards. “We made some of the best defensive stands I’ve ever seen.”

Cuppari, who had scored 133 points coming into the game, was by his estimation only 70% effective because of a sprained ankle. The Westlake senior receiver had eight catches for 76 yards, but he fell several times trying to make cuts.

“I couldn’t cut and it showed,” he said. “But they played great defense. That was really it.”