Newbury Park Proves Worthy of Playoff Spot

Newbury Park High will no longer be issuing apologies.

Although Newbury Park finished second to Westlake in the Marmonte League, Coach George Hurley felt a twinge of embarrassment before the postseason began. The Panthers, after all, were only 6-4.

“I was almost apologizing for being in the playoffs,” he said.

But unseeded Newbury Park downed Righetti, 47-21, with surprising ease in the first round and stunned Buena, 21-14, last Friday in a Southern Section Division IV quarterfinal.

Buena, seeded No. 4, had been averaging 422 yards per game, but the Bulldogs’ 1,000-yard duo of Freddy Keiaho and D.J. Blackledge combined for only 176 yards rushing against Newbury Park.

“No more apologizing for being here,” Hurley said. “We’ve played as well as anybody could play. We belong.”