Newbury Park Christens Stadium With 20-7 Win

Westlake High football Coach George Contreras minced no words in describing what Newbury Park did to his Warriors Friday night.

“They kicked our butts both on the offensive and defensive lines,” Contreras said after the Panthers’ 20-7 win in a Marmonte League game at Newbury Park.

The Panthers, playing their first game in their new stadium, contained the high-powered Warriors and ate up large chunks of time with their running game.

Newbury Park had 300 yards rushing, 150 in each half, as it delivered a stunning blow to the Warriors’ hopes for a league title.

Westlake went into the game tied for first with Thousnad Oaks and Simi Valley at 3-1. But the Warriors, like the Panthers, are now 3-2.

Westlake is 6-3 overall, while Newbury Park improved to 5-3-1.

Tailback Sean McLeod led Newbury Park with 161 yards rushing on 30 carriers.

His one-yard run for a score with 54 seconds left in the third quarter gave the Panthers a 20-0 lead.

McLeod’s touchdown capped a typical drive for the Panthers. On this one, they went 72 yards in 15 plays, using up more than seven minutes of the third quarter.

Later, after Westlake’s Steve Sidler scored from a yard out to make it 20-7, the Panthers again used their running game to eat more than five minutes of the fourth quarter.

The run was such a dominant part of the Panthers’ offense that quarterback Jayson Merrill threw just two times in the second half.

It was a Merrill pass in the first half that resulted in the game’s initial score.

On the Panthers’ second possession, Merrill found Sean Grady alone behind the Westlake secondary for a 57-yard touchdown pass.

Eric Armao added the extra point and Newbury Park led, 7-0, with 4:21 left in the first quarter.

Westlake came right back and moved from its 23 to the Panther 4.

But on a fourth-and-two play, quarterback Brad Gossen was intercepted at the goal line by Jim Gaz.

Gaz returned the ball to the eight and from there, the Panthers went 92 yards in 6 plays.

The half-dozen plays were all runs up the middle, as the Panther offensive line manhandled the Warriors.

The culmination of the drive came on a 27-yard run by Mike Cox.

That gave Newbury a 14-0 lead less than two minutes into the second quarter.

Westlake, which came into the game averaging 39 points a game, was apparently rejuvenated at halftime.

The Warriors took the second-half kickoff and quickly moved down to the Panthers’ 28.

But Sidler fumbled and Gaz recovered for the Panthers.

That seemed to deflate the Warriors like the hot air balloon used at halftime to celebrate the Panthers’ new home.

Newbury Park then went on its 15-play drive to put Westlake in a 20-0 hole.

The Warriors did go 72 yards in eight plays for a score, but it proved to be too little.

“It’s hard to run an offense when the defensive tackles are in your backfield,” Contreras said.

Newbury Park Coach Ken Cook was surprised by the score.

“I was looking at them scoring 14 to 20 points,” Cook said. “I thought if if held them to that, we could win.”

Westlake 0 0 0 7 -- 7 Newbury Park 7 7 6 0 -- 20 NP--Grady 57 pass from Merrill (Armao kick)

NP--Cox 27 run (Armao kick)

NP--McLeod 1 run (pass failed)

W--Sidler 1 run (Topper kick)