VENTURA COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLS / JOHN LYNCH : Westlake Survives Tumultuous Week

Westlake High this season has reached uncharted territory in the basketball playoffs under fifth-year Coach Gary Grayson, but Grayson never imagined the ride would be so bumpy.

The Warriors advanced to the Southern Section Division I-AA quarterfinals after holding off Redlands on Friday, 67-64, but as difficult as the game proved, the week leading up to it might have been tougher.

It started with the announcement that 6-foot-9 center Nick Alexander had been kicked off the team for disciplinary reasons. While still dealing with the effects of that decision, Grayson then booted team captains Billy Miller and Steve Aylsworth from practice on Tuesday.

Was the team going to self-destruct before its first playoff game? Grayson got his answer the next day.

“No one likes getting kicked out of practice and I was angry at the time,” Miller said Saturday. “But it was our fault. We were messing around. I think the whole thing might have helped. We practiced a little harder after that.”

Grayson, who received an apology from Aylsworth hours after Tuesday’s practice, noticed a change in his captains the next day.

“I knew Billy would respond. He was more serious than usual the next day at practice,” Grayson said. “I’ve been coaching at various levels for 14 years and I’ve thrown lots of guys out of practice. It doesn’t matter if it’s the star of team or the last guy on the bench.”

With discipline problems apparently resolved, Westlake needed clutch performances from Aylsworth and sophomore guard Jake Stewart in the game’s final seconds to turn back Redlands.

Aylsworth, who scored 26 points and had eight assists, made two free throws with 15 seconds left and Westlake leading by one. A 74% free-throw shooter this season, Aylsworth had missed eight of 18 attempts before converting his final two.

After a Redlands timeout, Grayson assigned Stewart to guard Nick Day (13 points, three three-point baskets). At 5-11, Stewart gave up five inches to Day, Redlands’ top outside shooter, but he prevented him from scoring.

“It’s a new season with the playoffs,” Grayson said. “I think we were able to refocus. Everybody on the team has dedicated themselves to that.”

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The Southern Section has announced sites for the next round of the boys’ basketball and boys’ soccer playoffs with four county teams drawing home games.

In basketball quarterfinals this Friday, Westlake plays host to St. John Bosco at Newbury Park High in a Division I-AA game, and Santa Paula meets Duarte at a site to be determined in a III-A game.

In Tuesday’s quarterfinals, Oak Park plays St. Bernard at El Segundo in a IV-AA game, and Santa Clara hits the road to play Pius X in a IV-A game. That site has not been determined.

In the soccer Division I quarterfinals Thursday, Simi Valley plays at Fountain Valley, and Royal travels to Edison. In the Division II second round Tuesday, Rio Mesa is home to Lakewood, and Buena plays at St. John Bosco. In the Division V second round Tuesday, Oak Park is home to Morro Bay.

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The Royal football program, which didn’t win its first Southern Section playoff game until last fall, suddenly has become a college football pipeline. Coach Gene Uebelhardt proudly points out that next fall Royal players will be on the rosters of teams in the Pacific 10, Big Ten, Big Eight, Western Athletic and Big West conferences. Throw in two players at Navy and Uebelhardt will be channel surfing on Saturdays next fall trying to keep tabs of all his guys.

Royal players in the Pac-10 include Ryan Fien (UCLA) and Jermaine Smith (Washington); Big Ten: Jason Wendland (Northwestern); Big Eight: Tim Ross (Colorado); WAC: Steve Zirnite (Fresno State); Big West: Jason Evans (Pacific), and at Navy, Mike Reddington and Ty Russell.

Uebelhardt expects three seniors from next fall’s team to go Division I: Linebackers Bryant Leppard and Levi Line, and running back/defensive back Christian Broussard, whom Uebelhardt said will be the most heavily recruited player in Royal history.

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Ventura County football coaches are inviting all recruits and college recruiters to attend a workout combine at Rio Mesa High on May 24 at 4:30 p.m., in hopes of bringing more exposure to county athletes.

The coaches will invite recruiters from dozens of West Coast colleges, including all the Pacific 10 and Western Athletic conference schools, plus Big Eight schools Nebraska and Colorado, which recruit the West Coast extensively. Invitations also will be sent to every Division III college in the state.

The Ventura County Football Coaches Assn., which hammered out details of the combine on Wednesday, expects about 60 to 70 seniors-to-be from the county’s 19 schools that play football to participate. College recruiters will test athletes in various drills such as the 40-yard dash, 185-pound bench press and vertical leap.

Combines for high school athletes have become part of the recruiting landscape in California since Cal-Hi Sports magazine staged one in Torrance two years ago. Ventura coaches wanted a local version so their athletes wouldn’t get lost in the crowd at a larger event.

“At the other combine there were literally hundreds and hundreds of players there. It was a true meat market,” Rio Mesa Coach George Contreras said. “We wanted a smaller one to get our kids a better look.”