Impact Players Are No Passing Fancy

Dropping back, sprinting out, handing off or throwing deep, Marmonte League quarterbacks are expected to do it all, and do it well. Never has such a quality group of passers passed through the league.

From state record-holder Chris Czernek of Newbury Park to UCLA-bound Scott McEwan of Thousand Oaks to three-sport stalwart Joe Borchard of Camarillo to emerging talents Casey Preston of Westlake and Ryan McCann of Agoura, their passing grades are expected to be no less than straight A’s.

The talented quarterbacks neutralize one another to an extent, however, leaving their supporting casts to determine what promises to be a competitive race.

Three non-quarterbacks in particular should make huge impacts because of qualities that might get them listed in their high school yearbooks.

Most athletic: Patrick Reddick of Newbury Park.

Most dominant: Bobby DeMars of Westlake.

Most versatile: Jud Southwell of Thousand Oaks.

Reddick is an acrobatic receiver and the league’s best defensive back. Last season he helped the Panthers to a 13-1 record and the Division III final by making 61 receptions for 1,122 yards and intercepting six passes.

Only 5 feet 9, 165 pounds, but extremely fast, Reddick is the only returner of four receivers who were on the receiving end of most of Czernek’s 4,362 yards and 45 touchdowns.

This season Reddick will return punts and kickoffs. The idea is to put the ball in his hands as much as possible.

“As pure athletes go, nobody in the league is close,” Newbury Park Coach George Hurley said.

“We’re asking him to do a lot. He’s not coming off the field.”

DeMars (6 feet 4, 235 pounds) is the latest in a succession of concussive Westlake middle linebackers.

After making 121 tackles last season, he has committed to USC.

“He just stops people cold,” Westlake Coach Jim Benkert, whose last three middle linebackers--Vince Bruno (Pacific, Western Illinois), Mike Talbot (Army) and Eric Guenther (Illinois)--are playing football at Division I schools.

Southwell (6 feet, 205) will move from outside linebacker to the middle--the featured position in Thousand Oaks’ 4-3 defensive alignment. The senior also plays slotback and last season was second on the team with 25 receptions and averaged 6.2 yards on 34 carries.

“Jud is an incredible worker who loves to play football,” Thousand Oaks Coach Mike Kelly said. “He’ll be on the field most of the time.”

In a league where several teams can move through the air, Reddick’s explosiveness, DeMars’ ability to seal off the running game and Southwell’s contributions on both sides of the ball could prove the difference in close games.

Westlake and Newbury Park played in the Division III semifinals last season, with the Panthers winning, 22-15, in the final minute.

Thousand Oaks was eliminated in the quarterfinals after finishing second to Newbury Park in the league. All three are ranked in The Times’ preseason Valley Top 10.

The most reliable passing combination in the league might be McEwan and Barrett Grindle, a 6-3 senior who had 40 catches last season.

McEwan, a 6-3 third-year starter who set school records with 1,854 yards and 13 touchdown passes last season, is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the state.

The same is true of Borchard, a three-year starter who passed for 1,965 yards and 14 touchdowns. His supporting cast is not as strong as McEwan’s, but Mike Anger, who had 43 catches for 685 yards lastseason, gives him an experienced target.

Preston, who passed for 1,356 yards in eight games last year, and McCann, who passed for 1,309 yards on a team that won only two games last season, also are dangerous.

The only teams with inexperienced quarterbacks are Royal, Simi Valley and Channel Islands, although Royal’s passer has a familiar name.

Braden Fien, a 5-11 junior and younger brother of Idaho quarterback Ryan Fien, has good mobility.

“Any comparison with his brother is unfair, but Braden did have a good summer,” Royal Coach Gene Uebelhardt said.

Simi Valley’s David Krewson (6 feet, 185) is one of the school’s top athletes, having played varsity baseball for three years. A foot sidelined most of last season.

Royal’s Ryan Nielsen, a highly recruited linebacker and tight end, and Simi Valley’s Chad Troxler, a linebacker and guard, are among the league’s best players, but neither team has enough overall talent to compete for the title.

Charles Merricks, Channel Islands’ quarterback the past two seasons, is not playing football in order to concentrate on basketball, leaving senior Nick Ciari and junior Bronson Lucas to battle for the job.

Most teams are starting from scratch with their running games. With 610 yards in 85 carries, Westlake’s Jon Weems is the league’s top returning ballcarrier.

Eleo Cuadra of Thousand Oaks had 508 yards in 75 carries, Agoura’s Jason Gordon gained (392 in 78), and Royal’s Bryant Phipps rushed for 374 in 73.

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AT A GLANCE

* THE PROVEN: Newbury Park quarterback Chris Czernek is as proven as they come. He set state records with 4,362 passing yards and 45 touchdown passes last season. Like Czernek, Scott McEwan of Thousand Oaks and Joe Borchard of Camarillo are in their third seasons as starting quarterbacks and are among the best in the state. Casey Preston of Westlake and Ryan McCann of Agoura are quality passers as well. Linebackers Ryan Nielsen of Royal, Bobby DeMars of Westlake, Jud Southwell of Thousand Oaks, Craig Knight of Channel Islands and Chad Troxler of Simi Valley are standouts. Two-way tackle Brian Nelson and Patrick Reddick, a receiver and defensive back, are proven winners who will try to give Newbury Park a second consecutive championship. The best kicker is Simi Valley’s John Gonzalez, who also is the Pioneers’ top receiver.

* THE PROMISING: Not a single tailback who opened last season as a starter returns, yet several talented runners who emerged at midseason will be in the lineup on opening night, including Bryant Phipps of Royal, Jason Gordon of Agoura and Eleo Cuadra of Thousand Oaks. Jon Weems moves from fullback to tailback for Westlake. Agoura’s Shayne Sobel, Westlake’s Joey Cuppari and Thousand Oaks’ Josh Casillas could become dangerous receivers.

* FAST FACT: Marmonte teams passed for 14,612 yards last season; quarterbacks who passed for 11,160 of those yards return.