With Each Passing Game, Czernek Prompts Smith Comparisons

Chris Czernek, quarterback for Newbury Park High, is making a name for himself and that’s no easy task where he comes from.

At a school that has produced such outstanding quarterbacks as Wayne Cook and Keith Smith in recent years, living up to expectations can be difficult. But Czernek continues to show that he possesses the talent to be mentioned in the same breath with his prodigious predecessors.

Czernek and his corps of receivers shredded another defense Friday night. Czernek, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound junior, completed 22 of 32 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-8 nonleague victory over Buena at Newbury Park.

It marked the third consecutive game in which Czernek has passed for more than 300 yards, leading Newbury Park to three consecutive victories. He began Friday’s game as the state’s passing leader and has thrown for 1,104 yards and 13 touchdowns, completing 64 of 106 attempts (60.4%).

“We’re having fun,” Newbury Park Coach George Hurley said Saturday. “This is what we started to do five or six years ago. We’re committed to throwing the ball, so that’s what we do. Everybody should be good at something.”

The way Czernek has performed since taking over as starter last season, when he passed for 1,427 yards in 7 1/2 games, has drawn inevitable comparisons to the record-setting Smith.

“I’m going to be hearing nothing but that from now on,” Hurley acknowledged.

Smith finished his three-year varsity career in 1993 with a state-record 9,971 yards passing. As a senior, he threw for 4,244 yards and 40 touchdowns to lead Newbury Park to the Southern Section Division III championship.

Comparing Czernek and Smith, Hurley said: “They have different personalities and different skills, but they both throw the ball well and work real hard. Keith was a quicker athlete and a little bit thicker, but Chris is still young. He’s getting better every day.”

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Smith, a freshman quarterback at Arizona, and former Newbury Park receiver Leodes Van Buren will have their jersey numbers retired by the school at the Panthers’ next home game, Oct. 13 against Royal, Hurley said.

Only players who led the state in a statistical category are eligible to have their numbers retired, Hurley said. Jason Toohey, who led the state in receptions in 1992, was the first Newbury Park player to have his number--88--retired. Toohey was honored last season.

Hurley said he is making plans to have Smith (No. 12) and Van Buren (No. 22), the state receiving leader in 1993, along with Cook, the former UCLA quarterback, participate in the ceremony.

Smith will be in town that weekend because Arizona plays UCLA at the Rose Bowl.

“When you get a kid who leads the state in a category, I think that’s pretty impressive,” Hurley said. “That’s something that needs to be recognized.”

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La Canada tailback Sam Paneno is no dummy. The senior carries a 3.6 grade-point average in core curriculum classes, Coach Jim Clausen said.

Paneno also carries quite a load on the football team, as demonstrated by his rushing performance Friday in the Spartans’ 30-21 victory at Burroughs. The 5-11, 185-pound senior gained 329 yards in 27 carries and scored on runs of 35, 88 and eight yards.

“The kid is just coming on,” Clausen said of Paneno, who has rushed for 663 yards in three games for La Canada (2-1). “He has a great work ethic and he’s a tremendous competitor.”

Although Paneno has been putting up impressive rushing numbers, Clausen thinks the player’s future is on defense.

Paneno starts at strong safety and delivered some heavy hits in Friday’s game, Clausen said.

“Colleges are looking at him probably as a defensive back because he can run so well,” Clausen said. “[Recruiters from] Nevada Las Vegas came out to watch him last week. They liked him. I think before it’s all over, he’s going to get a few other offers.”

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Is there a quarterback controversy brewing at Sylmar?

Not as far as Coach Jeff Engilman is concerned.

Engilman said Saturday he is content platooning senior A.J. Coney and junior Chris Cervantes. The quarterbacks each passed for two touchdowns Friday in a 42-7 rout of El Camino Real at Taft High.

“I’m not settled on either one,” Engilman said. “Both of them are good quarterbacks. We’ll continue to platoon because I don’t think either one of them has stepped up above the other.

“I prefer a one-quarterback situation, but both of them add something to the team in different respects. Offensively, the team doesn’t seem to drop a beat with either one of them.”

Sylmar (3-0) has yet to be challenged this season, but Engilman isn’t entirely pleased with what he has seen on the field.

“At times we’re really good,” he said. “Other times, because we’re so young, we make so many stupid mistakes.”

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San Fernando Coach Sean Blunt woke up hoarse Saturday, but he was feeling splendid all the same. The Tigers, after losses to Hart and Westchester, broke into the victory column Friday, beating Poly, 35-9, at home.

“It feels a lot better to win,” Blunt said. “The kids played well. We had a lot of penalties, but most of them were for aggressive play. If we can maintain the aggressiveness without the penalties, we’ll be all right.”

The Tigers open Northwest Valley Conference play Friday night at rival Kennedy, which improved to 3-0 with a 39-8 walkover against North Hollywood.

Blunt said he spotted several Kennedy players who showed up at San Fernando’s game.

“A lot of our kids know their kids,” Blunt said. “After the game, that was the talk in the locker room: ‘Let’s get ready for Kennedy.’ It’s going to be a real big one.”

Kennedy Coach Bob Francola echoed that sentiment.

“The kids on both teams are motivated to do well because it’s a long year in the neighborhood if you don’t win,” Francola said.

Both teams gave the other something to think about Friday. San Fernando quarterback Keijuan Douglas, after two sub-par passing performances, threw for 122 yards and two touchdowns.

And Kennedy tight end Jason Ascencio, who hadn’t been a factor in the Golden Cougars’ first two outings, had four receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

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Passing Marks

The following is a list of the yearly high school passing leaders from the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County areas. Playoff statistics are included.

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YEAR PLAYER SCHOOL YARDS 1986 Jim Bonds Hart 3,153 1987 Darren Renfro Hart 2,808 1988 Tim Gutierrez Santa Clara 2,644 1989 Tim Gutierrez Santa Clara 2,939 1990 Ryan Connors Hart 2,833 1991 Ryan Connors Hart 4,144 1992 Keith Smith Newbury Park 3,318 1993 Keith Smith Newbury Park 4,244 1994 Steve McKeon Hart 2,925

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