Column: Westlake, Oaks Christian are launching pads for backup quarterbacks

When Westlake plays at Oaks Christian on Friday to decide the Marmonte League football championship, along with bragging rights in Westlake Village, pay close attention to the backup quarterbacks in each program.

They’re no ordinary backups, based on past history, and no one knows how long they’re going to be willing to stay backups.

------------

For the Record

Nov. 3, 11:02 a.m.: An earlier version of this article stated that there were seven former Westlake and Oaks Christian quarterbacks who are starting on varsity teams and that one of them is Nolan Easley of Moorpark. There are six such quarterbacks; Easley is a backup.

------------

In what has to be one of the strangest statistics from the 2014 season, by my count, there are at least 10 former Westlake and Oaks Christian quarterbacks playing high school football in Southern California, including six who are starting on varsity teams.

Coaches seem to look forward every off-season to seeing where Westlake and Oaks Christian backup quarterbacks end up transferring.

“It’s the way things are,” Westlake Coach Jim Benkert said.

Players want to play, and it’s understandable if they lose out on being the starter that they’re going to explore options. There have been so many defections from the two schools that they could form quite an all-star team.

“There’s certain schools everybody wants to be coached at and play for, but there’s only one football,” said Calabasas Coach Casey Clausen, a former Oaks Christian assistant. “It’s our job to be honest with them and tell them where they’re at.”

Oaks Christian Coach Bill Redell said he has helped quarterbacks leave his program for other schools if that’s what they wanted.

“We helped place four kids at four schools,” Clausen recalled.

The scattering of quarterbacks is almost certain to continue, because the current starters aren’t going anywhere. Oaks Christian’s starter is freshman Matt Corral, one of the best first-year varsity quarterbacks in Southern California. Westlake’s starter is Malik Henry, a junior who left Oaks Christian because he didn’t want to wait until Brandon Dawkins graduated in June.

Henry’s arrival after the 2012 season triggered multiple Westlake transfers over the last two seasons.

Among the former Westlake quarterbacks now starting are Wes Massett (Crespi), Tyger Goslin (Chatsworth) and Adam Carr (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame). Mike McCoy (Santa Ynez) and Tanner Darling (Simi Valley) are backups. The former Oaks Christian quarterbacks starting are Henry, Robbie Blosser (Venice) and Tristan Gebbia (Calabasas). Nick Juels (Newbury Park) is a backup.

It all brings back memories of 2008, when Nick Montana showed up at Oaks Christian from Concord De La Salle as six quarterbacks were competing for the starting job. That led to quarterbacks leaving and ending up at Newbury Park, Westlake and Chaminade, which led to even more movement.

If only schools could keep players in their own neighborhoods, they wouldn’t need to wait for a transfer from Westlake or Oaks Christian.

Clausen said college quarterbacks Michael Bercovici, Nick Isham and Brad Kaaya all were neighborhood kids playing in Calabasas leagues who ended up playing elsewhere.

“Those guys are living right up the street,” he said.

Westlake has a promising sophomore quarterback in 6-foot-3 Dax Blinn and a junior quarterback, Grant Bunker, who’s already won one varsity game as a starter. Oaks Christian junior Holden Thomas began the season as the starter until Corral came back from an injury and won the job.

Maybe they’ll decide to stay and be ready if needed. If not, pay attention on the sideline, because the backups are usually pretty good.

Twitter: @LATSondheimer