Critics Become Believers While Czernek Displays Sheer Ability

Two years ago Chris Czernek was a peach-fuzzed freshman, cutting out newspaper articles about Keith Smith, his hero.

Today Czernek is a peach-fuzzed junior, cutting up the single-season records set by Smith during Newbury Park’s 14-0 championship 1993 season.

“I used to dream about just talking to the guy,” Czernek said. “To think about breaking his records is unbelievable.”

Czernek took the scissors to Ayala on Friday, passing for six touchdowns and running for one in a 49-29 victory, putting Newbury Park (12-0) into the Southern Section Division III semifinals.

Not blessed with size, an exceptionally strong arm or tremendous scrambling ability, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound junior consistently throws the ball where it can be caught.

Poise has a lot do to with it. Czernek is as relaxed as a guy tossing spirals around the cul-de-sac before Thanksgiving dinner.

And he makes believers out of doubters. Ayala Coach Mark Pasquarella had been unimpressed with Czernek on film, and he felt that his defensive backs would blanket the Panther receivers.

“I just see a normal kid throwing the ball in the vicinity and his receivers jump and catch it,” he said last week.

After the game, in which the Panthers scored touchdowns on their first seven possessions, Pasquarella sang a different tune.

“That’s the greatest passing attack I’ve ever seen in high school,” he said. “It was unstoppable. That kid is a tremendously accurate passer.”

Czernek has 43 touchdown passes this season, breaking Smith’s record of 40, and his 3,980 yards are within reach of Smith’s mark of 4,244. Czernek averages 332 yards a game.

With 5,363 career yards and his senior year in front of him, Czernek could challenge Smith’s state record of 9,971.

And he’ll have the scissors going all the while.

“It’s more fun cutting out my own articles and having my own season,” he said.

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Czernek said that although he had been looking forward to playing defending Division III champion Notre Dame, there will be no letdown against Westlake, which upset the Knights, 28-21, Friday.

The Newbury Park offense struggled in an 18-7 midseason Marmonte League victory over the Warriors, and Czernek passed for a season-low 231 yards.

“I don’t think my head was in that game,” he said. “They took some things away from us, but we’ve worked on enough stuff now that if they take away something, we can go to something else.”

Newbury Park is the home team but the game will be played at Thousand Oaks High because it has a greater seating capacity.

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Anatomy of an upset: Normally mistake-free, Notre Dame committed four turnovers, including three interceptions, and Westlake was able to convert the miscues into points.

Twice, cornerback Jeremy Golden stepped in front of Notre Dame receiver Troy Garner and picked off Ryan Bowne passes. Golden suffered an injured knee in the first quarter but returned and made an interception on his first play back in the lineup.

Bowne had thrown only four interceptions in 199 passes coming into the game.

A fumble by Alvan Arzu at the Westlake eight-yard line late in the first half proved extra costly when Casey Preston immediately hit Jason Victor on a 92-yard pass play to give the Warriors a 14-7 lead.

Westlake’s key offensive play came on fourth and 19 from the Notre Dame 28 with six minutes to play and the score tied, 21-21. Preston dumped off a slant pass to Steve Aylsworth, who spun 360 degrees through a tackle by Bowne and dashed to the two. Jamal Harris scored the winning touchdown two plays later.

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The difference in this week’s City Section 3-A Division semifinal between Monroe and Reseda might be an ankle. Not any ankle, but the sore one of Monroe running back Jason Anderson.

In only four carries, Anderson rushed for an astounding 227 yards and three touchdowns in Monroe’s 34-21 regular-season victory over Reseda three weeks ago. He sprained an ankle in the third quarter, however, and the injury has not fully healed.

Anderson was held to 31 yards in nine carries in Monroe’s 25-22 quarterfinal victory over Bell on Wednesday. Without Anderson at full strength, the Vikings were forced to pass, which they did effectively.

Kenyatta Burris made 10 receptions for 120 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown catch with four seconds to play.

Jeff Engilman, whose Sylmar team defeated both Reseda and Monroe, believes the game will be closer this time.

“Reseda is the more physical team,” he said. “If they play solid, they could win.

“But Monroe has a phenomenal offense. You can stop them eight plays in a row, then boom, they go 65 yards. And they throw well too.”

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Engilman is in the uncharacteristic position of being idle during the semifinals, thanks to Narbonne’s 22-21 upset of Sylmar on Wednesday. The coach’s work is not done, however, not on a team with the Spartans’ talent.

“I’ll sit down with the seniors Monday and talk about college possibilities,” Engilman said. “There are several guys who should go Division I and others who can continue to play football.”

Engilman’s words should be heeded: He has sent 32 players to Division I, including seven who are currently playing.

Durell Price will take a trip to Ohio State, said Engilman, who believes Price would be better off attending a college outside Southern California.

“That’s my opinion,” he said. “He’ll concentrate on his studies more when he won’t have a chance to go home.”

Running back Gerrod Taylor and linemen Rene Zavala (6-3, 275) and Brandon Ortega (6-3, 265) are being recruited although all three have yet to take the Scholastic Assessment Test.