Newbury Park Defense Does It All in 21-9 Win

Newbury Park High’s defense limited Channel Islands to 216 total yards and set up two scores in the Panthers’ 21-9 victory Friday night.

The win at Hueneme High kept Newbury Park in second place behind Thousand Oaks in the Marmonte League.

And Newbury Park can thank its aggressive defense, which held Channel Islands’ Renard Carn and Pharoh Milner, who had combined for 847 yards entering the game--to only 76 yards in 20 carries.

Newbury Park (5-1-2 overall, 3-0-1 in league play) scored early on an 11-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Jeff Buchanan’s one-yard run and Brad Hanson’s kick with 4:07 left in the first quarter.

Rosario Pena booted a 38-yard field goal with 1:32 left in the first quarter to pull Channel Islands (4-3, 2-2) to within 7-3. But Newbury Park’s defense set up another score when it pinned Channel Islands deep in its territory and took over after a punt to Newbury Park’s 48.

Seven plays later, quarterback Jai Johnston scored from five yards and Hanson’s kick gave Newbury Park a 14-3 lead with 6:25 left in the half.

Newbury Park again pinned Channel Islands deep in its territory after intermission and, after a 17-yard punt, took over at Channel Islands’ 24. Buchanan added his second touchdown, from 15 yards, on a fourth-down run with 7:47 remaining in the third quarter.

Channel Islands scored on a 50-yard pass from Mark Contreras--who was six of 17 for 106 yards--to Shawn Young with 9:50 left.

Channel Islands also drove to Newbury Park’s 14 on its next possession. But the Panthers forced Contreras out of the pocket on fourth down and his pass fell incomplete in the end zone.

Newbury Park’s Walter Thomas, a 5-foot-6, 145-pound junior, rushed for 115 yards in 25 carries and Buchanan added 53 yards in 13 carries.