Tough as nails

Sean Westgate From Ray Nitschke to Dick Butkus, and Jack Lambert to Mike Singletary, no position on the football field exemplifies toughness more than linebacker.

To play linebacker effectively you've got to be strong, aggressive, smart and willing to stick your nose into the pile on every snap.

Oak Park High's Sean Westgate possesses all of the aforementioned traits, so it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that the Eagle coaching staff expects big things from the junior this season.

"He's a tremendous athlete," OPHS head coach Dick Billingsley said. "He's got all of the tools. He's got strength, speed, endurance. He's got the ability to see things, has great feet. He's just a natural athlete."

There are many fine athletes playing football at the local level, the coach said, but what sets Westgate apart is his toughness.

Prior to the start of his sophomore season, Westgate suffered a broken hand during practice. Rather than miss time rehabbing the injury, he opted to play through the pain. It was a decision that put the Oak Park coaches on notice that they had a special player rising through the ranks.

PLAYMAKER-Oak Park's Sean Westgate collected 70 tackles and three sacks as a sophomore. This season, he'll start at outside linebacker and will see time in the Eagles' offensive backfield, too. "Sean showed a lot of guts by doing that," Billingsley said. "He's got to tackle with his hands and carry the ball with his hands, all of those types of things."

Reflecting on the previous year, Westgate chooses to downplay the injury rather than pump himself up as some kind of superhero who played through tremendous pain.

"I dropped a couple of (interceptions)," Westgate said, "but other than that, it wasn't hard to get through."

Westgate, an outside linebacker in the Eagles' 4-3 defensive scheme, finished his initial varsity season second on the squad with 70 tackles while tying for the team lead with three sacks. He also had a blocked punt and a fumble recovery.

This year, Westgate is being asked to take his game to the next level. Not only will he serve as a team co-captain along with senior wide receiver Logan Ketchum, but he'll also see significant time in the Eagles' offensive backfield.

"We've worked a lot this summer at tailback with him, too," defensive coordinator Brian Crum said. "He's going to get some time at tailback, some time at fullback. He's one of our gamebreakers. We've got to be able to get him the ball."

While Westgate is quick to admit he's probably best suited to play linebacker, he said this summer he's prepared his body to handle the wear and tear of being a two-way player.

"You really can't slack off at all during practice, during sprints and all of that stuff," he said. "You've got to be conditioned . . . but still, I prefer defense because I'm better at it."

With the majority of the Eagle defense returning this season, Westgate said he expects the unit to be strong, especially early in the year when the Eagle offense-which features several new starters, including quarterback Darren McGee-is still jelling.

"Our defense looks good so far," said Westgate, who stands 5foot-10, weighs 185 pounds and carries a 3.3 GPA. "We have a really good secondary and our defensive line is very strong."

With a pre-conference schedule that pits Oak Park against larger local schools such as Calabasas, Newbury Park and Camarillo, the Eagles will have their hands full trying to match last year's seven-win output.

Throw into the mix a revamped Tri-Valley League slate that features consecutive games against Grace Brethren, Oaks Christian and Nordhoff, and Westgate recognizes it'll take an entire team effort just to qualify for the postseason.

But when asked if he had any games circled on his calendar, Westgate said there were only two: the season opener against Cathedral and the Oct. 20 showdown vs. Oaks Christian, a crosstown matchup that was canceled last year because of the wildfires.

"All of our seniors were really upset that they didn't get another shot at (Oaks Christian)," he said. "They all wanted to go back and play them."

True to his tough-minded nature, Westgate said he and his teammates have discussed how much publicity the Oaks Christian players receive on a local and national level, but when push comes to shove, he said, the Eagles won't fear any team, including the nationally ranked Lions. "We talk about it and all, but it's not an intimidation thing, not for us," he said.

Crum said Westgate is at the top of his game when the spotlight shines brightest, something the coach discovered during the linebacker's freshman season when he was elevated to the varsity squad for the playoffs and made several game-altering plays.

"He plays his best in big games," Crum said. "In the playoffs last year, he came up big for us . . . He's a guy who's got some real Division I potential."