Football: Can Westlake pass its biggest test?

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There are a number of compelling playoff games on tonight’s slate, not the least of which is the Southern Section Northern Division semifinal pitting #2-seeded St. Bonaventure against #3 Westlake at 7 o’ clock.

Westlake (12-0), ranked #13 in the Southland by The Times, is loaded with juniors and sophomores and was thought to be a year away from contending for a section title. That was before the Warriors trounced The Times’ #16-ranked Moorpark, 38-14, to win the Marmonte League championship November 13. Now Westlake is two wins away from its first CIF title since 2003.

Led by dual-threat quarterback Nick Isham, who has run for 589 yards and 12 touchdowns and passed for 1,881 yards and 30 touchdowns, Westlake is averaging 45.7 points per game. Tavior Mowry has rushed for 1,291 yards and 13 touchdowns and fellow junior Nelson Spruce has 1,115 yards and 17 touchdowns.

St. Bonaventure (11-1), ranked #10 by The Times, is on the road but has to be considered the favorite. It has won eight Section titles since 1999, including the last two Northern Division crowns. Quarterback Logan Meyer has thrown for 2,440 yards and 20 touchdowns, Devon Blackledge has rushed for 1,745 yards and 23 touchdowns and wide receiver Christian White has 37 catches for 611 yards.

Perhaps even more impressive than the offense is St. Bonaventure’s defense, which has surrendered 14 points over its last five games and sacked Newbury Park quarterback Jake Geringer six times in last Friday’s 39-0 quarterfinal victory.
After watching film of this week’s opponent, Westlake Coach Jim Benkert could find no glaring weakness on either side of the ball. ‘They look like a college team,’ he said.

Have the youthful Warriors come of age? They will find out tonight.

-- Steve Galluzzo