Proving Ground a Mixed Bag

Making a varsity football debut under the lights on Friday night is a gut check for any player, but particularly for an unproven quarterback trying to fill the shoes of last year’s standout.

For some, the countless hours of preparation pay off.

For others, center stage provides a reminder that hard work is not always rewarded with initial success.

Predictably, the region’s rookie signal-callers experienced both sides of the emotional coin Friday, with Newbury Park’s Nick Czernek riding the crest of the wave, St. Bonaventure’s Chris Lombardo taking a nasty spill and several others performing between the two extremes.

Czernek, whose brother Chris passed for more than 8,000 yards in 1995-96 for the Panthers, was impressive in a 32-28 victory over visiting Sahuaro High of Arizona.

A junior, Nick Czernek completed 17 of 34 passes for four touchdowns and hooked up with seven different receivers. His 22-yard scoring strike to Jake Farrel with fewer than three minutes to play gave Newbury Park a comeback victory.

“I was excited and a little nervous but once I completed the first pass, the jitters were gone,” Czernek said. “The game really helped me gain trust in knowing where and to who I can throw the ball. I know my receivers will catch it.”

Czernek was most flustered after the game, when the media descended on him.

“It was really weird having three reporters asking you questions at once,” Czernek said. “I used to watch my brother deal with that and wonder what it was like. Now I know.”

While Czernek was soaring, Lombardo was hitting a low in the High Desert. He threw three interceptions in St. Bonaventure’s 42-16 loss at Paraclete.

Last season, senior quarterback Teohua Sanchez passed for 3,027 yards and 28 touchdowns in a no-huddle scheme and led the Seraphs to the Southern Section Division X title.

Friday, Lombardo threw an interception that was returned 20 yards for a touchdown on St. Bonaventure’s first play from scrimmage. Lombardo’s second pass was intercepted and returned 41 yards for a touchdown. Paraclete led, 14-0, less than two minutes into the game.

“I was pretty mad and pretty embarrassed,” said Lombardo, who completed six of 16 passes for 100 yards, three interceptions and a touchdown. “I just forced the throws and didn’t see the [defender].”

In 1994, Sanchez eased into the quarterback job by piloting a run-oriented offense. St. Bonaventure Coach Jon Mack said Lombardo is being asked to do significantly more.

“We threw everything at him [during the preseason] and he seemed to get it all, but you can’t simulate game action in practice,” Mack said. “[The interceptions] happened so fast I don’t think he had time to settle down between them.”

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The Notre Dame-Alemany game on Thursday night provided a look at two other high-profile tyros: Alemany freshman slotback Deandre Scott and Notre Dame sophomore defensive lineman Travis Johnson.

Scott, who proclaimed himself the country’s best freshman player during the preseason, showed promise by catching six passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Scott, 5 feet 10 and 173 pounds, displayed skills beyond his 14 years and a toughness that will serve him well in the physical Del Rey League. After one reception, he absorbed a blow and used one arm to throw a larger defender to the ground.

Johnson, 6-4 and 230 pounds, made his hulking presence felt from the opening whistle. A transfer from Oak Park, he spent much of the game in the Alemany backfield.

“He’s big, strong and motivated and he was around the ball a lot,” Notre Dame Coach Kevin Rooney said. “He needs to learn that the easiest path to the ball isn’t always the best one, but his natural aggression and speed let him get there even if he goes the wrong way.”

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Friday was a good night for kickers with soccer backgrounds.

At Highland, senior Derek Brown gave Bulldog fans reason to celebrate the school’s first-ever home game when his 48-yard field goal into the wind with 43 seconds to play provided a 22-20 victory over Valencia.

For Brown, a soccer forward, the kick was a personal best, bettering a 45-yard field goal in last year’s playoffs.

Monroe unveiled Liz Nemeth, a left-footed, junior midfielder for the girls’ soccer team who made five of six extra points in her varsity debut. Monroe beat Hoover, 41-14.

Oxnard’s kicker, recruited from a soccer class, is so new that he’s not listed on the roster and Coach Wes Morimune needed three attempts to get his name straight. He’s Saul Aguilar, who made all four of his extra points.