Newbury Park has plenty of weapons and Hart’s respect

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With its comeback victory over Valencia last week, Newbury Park finally proved to all the doubters out there that it’s one of the best teams in Southern California. However, you get the feeling that not a lot of people are expecting the Panthers to topple second-seeded Hart tonight in the Northern Division semifinals.

The Panthers are playing in their first semifinal tonight since 1998, but the Indians are certainly not looking at them as underdogs.

‘I don’t know why some people thought they were the underdog [against Valencia],’ Hart Coach Mike Herrington said. ‘They should have been favored because they were the league champions. We know we’re in for a battle against them.’

QB Colby Cameron and RB Chris Brown -- he should play, despite on-going knee issues -- have been the heartbeat of the offensive attack all season for the Panthers, but if sophomore WR Phillip Muscarella repeats the kind of performance he had against Valencia, it could be an upsetting night for the Indians. Muscarella caught nine passes for 196 yards and three TDs and kicked a victory-clinching 32-yard field goal to spearhead last week’s come-backer.

Still, Hart’s got it’s own 1-2-3 punch with QB B.R. Holbrook, RB Delano Howell and WR Brian Felt. Howell is the most lethal of the combination, and he’s rushed for 345 yards in two postseason games. Last week against Paso Robles, the Stanford-bound RB became Hart’s season [1,895] and career leading rusher [4,157]. Something not easy to do while playing for a traditionally pass-first program.

Whichever defense can find a way to limit the other team’s offense will be getting a play date with either St. Bonaventure or Saugus at the Home Depot Center next week.

-- Austin Knoblauch

-- Special thanks to www.hartdad.com for record information