Westlake Is History as Camarillo Rolls

It is a case of history repeating itself.

Nearly 130 years after rancher Casper Borchard settled the Conejo Valley and Camarillo area, his descendant, Joe Borchard, settled the question of Ventura County football supremacy.

Borchard, a 6-foot-4 senior quarterback, led Camarillo High to an astonishing 47-13 victory over Westlake in a Southern Section Division III semifinal game Saturday night before 9,000 at Westlake High.

Camarillo (13-1) plays Notre Dame in the final next week, the Scorpions’ first championship game since 1984 when they defeated Ventura for the Coastal Conference title.

“This proved we’re still getting better every week,” Borchard said. “I can’t say enough about my line, my receivers and our defense.”

After staging second-half comebacks to win four key Marmonte League games, Camarillo found itself in the unfamiliar position of holding a 33-7 halftime lead behind Borchard’s 134 yards passing and 93 rushing.

Borchard threw only once in the second half, and finished 10 of 15 for 153 yards and two touchdowns.

“Joe’s running ability and leadership really showed up in the second quarter when the game was still in doubt,” Camarillo Coach Carl Thompson said.

Westlake (10-3) remains only semi-tough, having fallen last season in a semifinal to Newbury Park.

“The roof fell in during the second quarter,” Westlake Coach Jim Benkert said.

A 56-yard interception return by linebacker Eugene Jackson with 33 seconds to play in the second quarter gave Camarillo a 33-7 halftime lead. It was Jackson’s sixth interception of the season and third he has returned for a touchdown.

The play followed Borchard’s most impressive sequence. He capped an 80-yard, eight-play drive by shedding several tacklers, scrambling to his right and finding Mike Anger in the left side of the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown pass.

Three plays earlier, Borchard took a hard hit at the end of a 15-yard run. He shook it off and ran 57 yards on a quarterback draw on third-and-nine.

“That wasn’t the play-call, but I saw a hole and took off,” he said.

Camarillo took a 20-7 lead one minute into the second quarter on a one-yard run by Joe Hallowell that finished a 56-yard march.

Camarillo’s 20-point second quarter was followed by two more touchdowns in the third. John Howe ran 62 yards for a score on the Scorpions’ first possession of the half and added a 27-yard scoring run for a 47-7 lead.

Howe had 157 yards and three touchdowns in 17 carries.

Jon Weems scored on a seven-yard run for Westlake’s last score and on a 12-yard run in the first quarter. Weems had 61 yards in 11 carries.

Westlake’s Casey Preston, who had 3,383 yards passing and 37 touchdowns, was 11 of 27 for 98 yards--leaving in the third quarter with a knee injury.