Coach of the year: Jim Benkert

There was a time last summer when it seemed as if Westlake was not merely just a year away but perhaps not capable of getting there.

The Warriors had only three returning starters on each side of the ball. Their defensive line was composed of two sophomores and two juniors with no varsity experience.

“We didn’t have any leadership on defense at all,” Coach Jim Benkert said.

Fortunately for Westlake, direction wasn’t a problem when it came to coaching. The Times’ coach of the year shifted hard-hitting senior Adrian Muguerza from free safety to linebacker before the season and instantly, Benkert said, “we were a better football team.”

Just ask Moorpark and Ventura St. Bonaventure. The Ventura County powers couldn’t keep up with the underclassmen-laden Warriors, who capped a 14-0 season with a 14-10 victory over Moorpark in the Northern Division championship game.

Benkert was every bit as valuable as star quarterback Nick Isham and receiver Nelson Spruce, guiding a team picked to finish anywhere from second to fourth in its league to its first section title since 2003.

“The kids never lost focus,” Benkert said. “By the last week, they knew they had something special.”

-- Ben Bolch