Warrior players are focused, ready, not over-confident

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn VICTORIES LATER COME FROM PRACTICES NOW--Greg Newman of Westlake works on conditioning during a recent practice at Westlake High School. The season starts on Sept. 12.

Jimmy Miller, a senior tight end/defensive end, Michael Stuart, a senior wide receiver/defensive lineman, senior linebacker Greg Newman and senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter comprise a quartet that’s received preseason recognition for Westlake’s football team.

In High School Football magazine, published by Sporting News, Miller is listed as the third-ranked tight end in the Western region of the United States and Carpenter is listed as the ninth-ranked quarterback in the West. Both are listed in the "Top 100 players" in the region.

In "The Next 100 players," regionally, Newman is listed as a linebacker and Stuart as a defensive lineman.

The highly-touted foursome said that the Warriors are prepared for the season, focused on trying to repeat last year’s accomplishment of making it to the playoff finals, but not overconfident despite the preseason hype.

Miller (6-5, 245) has accepted an offer to study and play football at USC next year.

"We’ve been working real hard," Miller said. "We’re just trying to get set for Santa Paula, get ready for the first game and have a good season. Obviously we’d like to have the success that we had last year, but you’ve got to take it game by game. You can’t overlook anyone."

Newman is 6-foot-4, 235 pounds. He was a first team all-league, first team all-county and All-CIF selection as a junior.

"I’ve grown up with this team," Newman said. "The unity on this team is great. Everyone works hard at practice. We’re getting better every day. Playing that first game is going to be a very exciting night, but we still have things to work on."

Stuart is 6-foot-4, 225. He was selected Marmonte League Player of the Year as a junior in 2002.

"Our team is shaping up really well," Stuart said. "The captains are pushing the team hard and keeping them in line. We’re trying to get better day-to-day. We have Notre Dame and Hart coming up, that’s what we’re practicing mostly for right now."

Carpenter is 6-foot-3, 190. He threw for 3,146 yards for Newbury Park last year as a junior and was the Marmonte League’s Offensive Player of the Year.

"We’ve been working on certain things every day," Carpenter said. "We’re progressing. We have a lot of high-profile guys on our team, but just because they’re so-called ‘high-profile’ doesn’t mean that they can come out here and not work hard just like everybody else."

In the previously mentioned high school football magazine, Westlake is rated 17th in the Western United States. Hart of Newhall, the Warriors third opponent at College of Canyons on Thurs., Sept. 25, is rated fourth in the West.

So Westlake will be tested in the early non-league season.

"We have good chemistry because we’ve played together for a while," said Miller, who made first team All-State last year. "We all get along and we know what our job is and we don’t want to let each other down. We have a sense of pride in that."

Last year Westlake finished 11-3 overall and 7-0 in the Marmonte League.

"There’s no bad chemistry on this team," said Newman. "Everyone just picks each other up when someone is down."

Westlake plays Notre Dame, which finished 14-0 and won a CIF championship, on the road in week 2, Sept. 19. Stuart can’t wait for the action to start.

"I’m way looking forward to it. I’m all pumped up for it," said Stuart. "We’re not allowed to do full contact yet, we’ve to wait till the first game."

Carpenter agreed that the players are anxious to compete.

"In the lockerroom everyday you can see the tension build for Sept. 12, when we step on the field for the first time," said Carpenter. "We have high expectations and big goals but none of it will work out unless we continue to work hard."