Football: Theo Howard makes an impact for Westlake

There was no disguising the fact that Westlake Village Westlake (3-1 overall) wanted to get the ball into the hands of Theo Howard during the first half of Thursday night’s nonleague game against visiting Santa Ana Mater Dei (4-0).

Rightfully so given his set of skills.

The 5-foot-11, 168-pound junior wide receiver was targeted several times before the break to help the Warriors take a surprising 17-6 lead at intermission. Howard had 46 yards on three receptions, including a one-yard scoring catch from Malik Henry, in the first 24 minutes.

Keep in mind, Howard is on a hot streak. Particularly so when it comes to recruiting. This last week, he picked up an offer from Michigan. Worth mentioning, UCLA was one of the first programs to step up its efforts and offer him a scholarship.

Odds are, during halftime, the coaching staff for the Monarchs will devise a better game plan to limit the effectiveness of Howard. If the staff doesn’t figure something out, and in a hurry, it would not be the least bit surprising to see Howard & Co. pull off the upset.

Sean Ceglinsky has covered sports in the Southland for the better part of the past 15-plus years. Follow him on Twitter: @SeanCeglinsky