Smoke Aplenty Blowing Before the Fire : Hart: Mike Herrington is 2-0 against Warriors but says he fears a rout.

When Hart High football Coach Mike Herrington considers tonight’s showdown against Westlake at Newbury Park High, he can’t help but recall the last time his Indians played on the road against a high-scoring opponent.

The result was a 44-42 loss to Dominguez in the quarterfinals of last season’s Southern Section Division II playoffs. Neither team could stop the other in a game that saw six lead changes. Hart took a 42-38 lead with 2 minutes 54 seconds left. That was too much time.

Dominguez marched 53 yards in five plays and put up six more points with 1:29 left. Too much time? Almost. Hart was at the Dons’ five-yard line when time ran out.

“It could end up like the Dominguez game,” Herrington said before his team’s first road game since. “I hope it’s close. I hope we don’t get blown out.”

Hart and Westlake, ranked third and fourth in The Times’ area poll, have both forged 2-0 records on the strength of outstanding offenses. Westlake averages 45 points, Hart 41.5. Considering the fact that there are only 48 minutes in a high school game, fans might be advised to keep one eye on the field, the other on the scoreboard.

“We’ve got our heads spinning,” Herrington said. “I don’t know if we can stop them. We might be putting pressure on our offense just to keep scoring. (Westlake) is one of the best offensive teams in the (Southern Section) right now.”

Westlake’s top player is receiver Billy Miller, a preseason All-American who has 10 receptions for 192 yards and four touchdowns.

The Warriors are so deep at quarterback that Scott Spruill will not start though he is the area leader among Southern Section passers with 375 yards. Brian Shubin, who has completed nine of 14 for 153 yards and three touchdowns, is the starter, and third-stringer Steve Aylsworth could start for many area teams.

“They’ve got (several) guys that can beat you,” said Rick Herrington, Hart’s defensive coordinator. “Because of that, it’s almost impossible to double up on Miller.”

Or to key on the pass. Westlake, with the area’s leading offense, has 526 yards passing and 472 rushing.

The Warriors average 8.9 yards per carry, led by Jamal Harris (18.1) and Jason Victor (10.7).

“We know Miller will get four or five balls,” Rick Herrington said. “We hope it’s not 10 or 11.”

Hart linebacker Jeremy Seipel, who started at safety last season, was impressed with Miller in last year’s game, a 31-14 Hart victory.

“I remember (Miller) catching a deep fade in the end zone,” he said. “It was a corner route and he made a good catch on it. I will cover (Miller) on slants and short stuff. But he’s basically a long-ball and fade receiver.”

Those assignments will be shared by junior cornerbacks Todd Renfro and Tim Waddell.

Rick Herrington worries about the inexperience in his unit (only three starters are seniors), the 16 pounds per man the Indians give away on the line and the fact that Hart has allowed 746 yards, second-highest in the area.

However, three of four touchdowns allowed in Hart’s victories over San Fernando (41-18) and Thousand Oaks (42-14) were given up by the second-team defense.

Hart’s starting offense, as usual, has been impressive. The Indians have scored on 12 of 63 plays, a touchdown every 5.25 plays. Hart might need to maintain that pace to beat Westlake.