The High Schools : First-Rate Job by Second Team Preserves Newbury Park Streak

Sick and tired of steroid talk dominating the sports pages?

Heard enough about that reserve forward who wants $12 million for three years or he’ll sit out?

Fed up with the philandering of sports superstars?

Then pull up a chair and listen to the refreshing words of Newbury Park High football Coach George Hurley as he reminds us what sport is all about in this homey little tale of a second-team defense that could.

The Panthers, you see, are a team with a proud defense. So proud and so tough that, in its first three games, the unit had not surrendered a touchdown.

And Friday night against Royal at home in a Marmonte League opener, the beat went on. Or beating, if you will.

For three-and-a-half quarters, Newbury Park built a 21-0 lead. As Royal took possession near the end of the game, Hurley put in his second-team defense for the final minutes.

“These kids work just as hard in practice,” Hurley reasoned, “let’s let them have some fun.”

That said, Royal began to march down the field. One first down followed another. And another. Royal was driving.

To be sure, the clock was in Newbury Park’s favor. But, with a few precious ticks remaining, Royal was on the seven-yard line, threatening to score.

A score would mean the end of the Panther streak.

“We wanted the shutout,” Hurley said. “We wanted it badly.”

On the sideline, Hurley’s defensive coordinator gave him a peculiar look, suggesting that it was time to send in the first team for one last stand. Hurley pondered the thought.

Then he dismissed it.

“You know them,” he said of defensive coaches. “They want nothing but goose eggs.”

No, Hurley left in the second team.

“We wanted it badly,” Hurley reiterated, “but not badly enough to not let those kids play. Our streak was very special and the situation was kind of scary, but those kids deserve a chance.”

It came down to one final play. Royal quarterback Ryan Fien dropped back from the seven-yard line and fired. The pass went into the end zone, where it was heroically swatted away by second-string safety Derek Parsons. The ball was caught by a Royal receiver on the deflection, but on the one-yard line, and time had run out.

The Panthers (3-0-1) had their shutout. The second team had its pride. And Hurley had scored a heartwarming little victory.

“The team was crazier than ever because this time it was a team shutout,” Hurley said. “This time, 22 guys got a shutout. So it worked out better.

“We could’ve brought in the first teamers at the end. But that’s not the way to play football.”

Add zany Panthers: Phil Pederson, normally a tackle, lined up in the Newbury Park backfield and scored on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Now Pederson is not light of foot. He weighs 265 pounds and stands 6-foot-1. But he’s down from his original weight of 279, Hurley pointed out.

As if that matters.

The ploy, reminiscent of William (The Refrigerator) Perry’s running for the 1986 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears, worked so well that it may be used again.

“It gets the kids excited, makes the game fun,” Hurley said.

Learning to love your work: At first, Moorpark’s Tony Upshaw was not too excited about the switch from wide receiver, his position last year as a junior, to tailback, where he currently resides.

All it took, however, was 12 trips to the end zone in Moorpark’s first four games to convince Upshaw of how sweet it is to carry the ball.

“Now, he loves it,” Coach Rob Dearborn said.

Upshaw (5-10, 180) has a dozen touchdowns for the unbeaten Musketeers, who are off to their best start since they opened 4-0 in 1962.

Upshaw’s success, though, comes as no surprise to Dearborn.

“He’s our best athlete, and you have to have the ball in your best athlete’s hands,” Dearborn said.

Upshaw, who bench presses more than 300 pounds, is mostly a finesse runner, according to Dearborn, but a runner who uses his strength creatively. Upshaw has broken an 86-yard scoring run in addition to the more commonplace touchdown jaunts from inside the 10, two of which he notched in Friday night’s 34-7 win over Nordhoff.

Put it all together and you have Musketeer fans waxing nostalgic of the days when John F. Kennedy was in the Oval Office. “Hey, that was before I was born ,” the 25-year-old Dearborn said.

A little help from his friends: For those who subscribe to the theory that relationships between officials and coaches are naturally adversarial, we bring you this tidbit from Thursday night’s Reseda-Chatsworth game at Chatsworth:

Early in the game, Reseda had the ball on a third-and-short-yardage situation when the Regents broke from their huddle and approached the line of scrimmage.

Reseda Coach Joel Schaeffer sidled up to the side judge, politely intoning, “Mr. Official, Mr. Official.” As Reseda lined up for the play, the official cast a hurried look at Schaeffer.

“There’s a long count coming up here,” Schaeffer said placidly.

The official hurried his eyes back to the field where Reseda quarterback Daniel Terry was barking out a long count.

Sure enough, a Chatsworth defender leaped offside.

The official threw his flag, moved the ball up five yards and headed back to his post by the Reseda sideline wearing a smile.

Said the official: “Thanks, coach.”

It’s enough to make the gruffest of coaches blush.