Royal’s Road to Ruin May End : Talented Senior Class Could Put Team on Winning Track

When Shaun Christensen took over as quarterback of the Royal High varsity as a sophomore two seasons ago, visions of the position’s perks danced in his head: glory, girls and other attendant fringe benefits of the job.

One thing he never counted on was being 0-for-the-Marmonte League entering his third year as the offensive leader of the Highlanders.

Following consecutive 0-and-6 league seasons, second-year Coach Tom West’s Highlander team faces an uphill climb to re-establish itself in the league, which features four schools rated among the Coastal Conference’s top 15 teams.

With Royal’s 0-12 record in league play, can anyone still be high on the Highlanders?

While West remains optimistic, he is also pragmatic.

“It definitely isn’t getting any easier,” West said. “We’re in one of the toughest conferences in the area, without question. I’m hoping the seniors will provide something we haven’t had in the past: leadership qualities.”

If experience translates to leadership for Royal, then West figures to be well-stocked at the skilled positions with Christensen, senior running backs Ralph Banks and Roger Greene, and wide receiver Manny Escobar all returning on offense.

So as strange as the notion seems to some, by virtue of the team’s potent offense, Royal rates consideration in the Marmonte race: at least in the eyes of other league coaches.

“Royal has some big-play kids, some real offensive threats,” Westlake Coach George Contreras said. “With Christensen and Blanks in the backfield, it only takes three or four plays and your down 21-0. If you fall asleep out there it’s all over.”

Coaching changes often cause problems for teams seeking to acclimate themselves to new systems, Contreras said.

“It usually takes two years just to instill the basic offensive and defensive concepts. The groundwork is laid during that first season,” he said.

“This is the crucial year for their program. Now it’s a matter of seeing which way Royal will fall.”

While Christensen, who also placekicks and punts, has garnered considerable attention for his versatility, Blanks has the kind of breakaway abilitythat forces opposing coaches to guard against the run as well as Christensen’s right arm.

“In Christensen they’ve got a great athlete, but I think Blanks is as good an athlete as there is in all of Ventura County,” Newbury Park Coach Ken Cook said. “If anything, I think Royal needs to get him the ball a little more than they did last year.

“They have the personnel to do well, they just need to start believing in themselves again.”

Royal also has to start believing in defense.

“We gave up 300 points last season,” West said. “We were unsettled as the new coaching staff took over, but by mid-season, we finally started to show some improvement. Defense is obviously a focal point for improvement this year.

“If we give up 299 points, I guess that will show some progress,” he laughed.

While West is able to take the team’s problems with a sense of humor, he is also aware that losing seasons often result in a rise in the coaching casualty rate.

“I can’t say I’m under any pressure from anybody but myself now. Self-imposed expectations put enough pressure on the team. We want to establish this program, but we’re realistic enough to know that success doesn’t happen overnight,” West said.

“But then again, we should be starting to show some signs of life by now.”

Several players are attempting to inject a little life of their own into the floundering program by resurrecting what West calls a “traditional” Highlander haircut.

“The Mohawks are something that were here when I first arrived as an assistant back around 1980. The seniors used to cut their hair to gear up for the game against cross-town rival Simi Valley, but they decided it might give us a little psychological edge during the rest of the season as well,” West said of his hirsute Highlanders.

“I don’t know what the school principal or the parents think of it, but if it helps, I’m all for it. We need any help we can get.”

Royal finished the 1985 season with an overall mark of 1-9, so West and his coaching staff feel that cautious optimism is well-advised.

“We know we’ve gone 0-12 in conference over the last couple of years,” assistant coach Joe Malkinson said. “We just need to get more balance out of our offense and defense.”

In preseason workouts, West seeks balance between hard work and attention to detail.

“This program is at a point where we really have to take things one day at a time. When you’re 1-9, you can’t too take much for granted,” he said.

West is hoping the Royal road to ruin ends with the 1986 season opener on the road against Ventura’s Buena High on Sept. 12.

“They’re similar to the teams in our league--big and strong with lots of speed,” West said. “But I have to look at it this way--after last season, if we can just win our first game then everything else the rest of the year has got to be an improvement.”