Royal Punctuates Best Season in Trouncing Westlake

Although Royal High had earned the right, the Highlanders were in no hurry to shower after a 37-0 drubbing of previously unbeaten Westlake in a Marmonte League game Friday night at Moorpark College.

The Highlanders milled around midfield, sporting victory smiles that weren’t about to be washed off. Not after the Royal defense had completely shut down the area’s most powerful offense.

And, if the Highlanders still haven’t left Griffin Field, their home field, Westlake Coach Jim Benkert is willing to provide them with breakfast.

“You have to play football in the trenches, and we didn’t do that,” Benkert said.

Instead, Westlake was stuck in a trench all night, and it sunk the Warriors (8-1-1, 5-1-1) to a third-place finish. Thousand Oaks (7-1-2, 5-0-2) clinched its fifth league championship in six years with its 41-10 defeat of Agoura. Westlake blew a chance to win its first title since 1982.

Royal (8-1-1, 5-1-1), meanwhile, set a school record for wins in a season and finished second in the league.

The Highlanders also recorded their second consecutive shutout and school-record fifth of the season. Royal limited Westlake, which had been averaging 370 yards and 36 points a game, to a season-low 170 yards and handed the Warriors their first shutout.

Royal’s defensive front of Dan Campbell, Joe Navarro, Jason Evans, Matt Tomaszewski and Jeff Beaumont limited Westlake to five yards rushing and sacked quarterback Todd Preston four times. Preston, who had completed 63% of his passes this season, attempted a season-high 31 passes and completed only 14 for 165 yards.

Of 10 Westlake drives, five ended on punts, two on turnovers and three on downs.

Royal defensive back Mark Henrie enjoyed a fine evening, intercepting two passes and returning a punt 24 yards for a touchdown.

“We knew we had the league’s best defense and weren’t scared of them at all,” Beaumont said.

That was evident from the start.

Royal scored on the game’s first drive, traveling 73 yards in 13 plays. Richard Naranjo, who accounted for 43 yards, capped the drive with a one-yard run. Steve Prchal’s conversion gave the Highlanders a 7-0 lead with five minutes 40 seconds left.

Royal extended its lead to 13-0 when Henrie returned a punt 24 yards ith 9:17 left in the first half. On fourth and three from Westlake’s 12, Joe Navarro deflected Preston’s punt and Henrie scored untouched.

Royal added a 28-yard field goal by Prchal, his fifth in seven attempts this season, to take a 16-0 lead with 3:06 left in the half.

Westlake, meanwhile, struggled to gain 67 yards and four first downs. The Warriors’ only scoring threat came on their first drive when Preston completed his first five passes and drove Westlake to Royal’s 19.

But Tomaszewski and Beaumont sacked Preston for consecutive losses, and Westlake’s drive ended on downs when a Preston pass fell incomplete. Westlake’s ensuing three first-half drives ended in punts.

Quarterback Ryan Fien, who completed 12 of 19 passes for 147 yards, hit tight end Carlos Gonzales with consecutive scoring passes of 10 and 14 yards to extend Royal’s lead to 30-0 with 10:13 remaining.

Damien Geib added a 13-yard run with 1:16 left to close the scoring and punctuate Royal’s dominating rushing attack. The Highlanders, who entered the game averaging only 90 rushing yards a game, used Robbie Smith’s season-high 125 yards in 18 carries en route to a season-high of 224.