PLAYOFF PROFILES : Student Also Is a Teacher

Back-to-back overtime basketball playoff victories have justifiably caused excitement in Moorpark, but excuse point guard Brian Donahue for taking it all in stride.

Overtime is a way of life for the senior, who coaches an eighth-grade traveling team, officiates in the local youth league and carries a 4.0 grade-point average.

Donahue made two free throws to secure the Musketeers’ 71-67 overtime upset of Centennial on Tuesday in a Southern Section Division III-AA quarterfinal.

Moorpark (19-10) will play top-seeded Bishop Montgomery (23-3) tonight at 7:30 in a semifinal at Peninsula High.

Against Centennial, Donahue made 13 of 16 free throws and had 12 assists. He did not make a shot from the field, but that’s the least of his concerns. He likes to penetrate with the ball and either pass to a teammate or draw a foul.

Coach Tim Bednar’s only complaint with Donahue is that he doesn’t get the ball to his brother enough. Keith Donahue, a sharpshooting sophomore guard, has averaged 11.2 points and has 48 three-point baskets since becoming a starter before the beginning of Frontier League play. Keith scored 20 points against Centennial, including 18 in the second half.

“When Keith gets hot, he gets into a zone and I want Brian to find him,” Bednar said.

One thing Brian has found is his calling. When he works with young players throughout Moorpark, he gets a glimpse of his future.

“I want to be a coach, that’s for sure,” he said. “Right now, helping them helps my game. Teaching someone else also teaches yourself.”

Another reward is seeing his youth players cheer him on as he leads Moorpark into the semifinals for the first time in school history.

“I’ve had a little impact on those guys and it’s great when they come to my games,” he said. “Our fans are fantastic. I wish I could thank every one of them myself.”