Westlake Warriors (5-2) vs. St. Bonaventure Saints (6-1)

— Friday, 7 p.m. at Ventura College —




GREAT SCOTT!—Westlake High’s Sean Scott Jr. tries to elude Calabasas’ Andrew Allen in the Warriors’ 20-14 loss on Sept. 28 at home. The Warriors will try to rebound against St. Bonaventure this week. MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

GREAT SCOTT!—Westlake High’s Sean Scott Jr. tries to elude Calabasas’ Andrew Allen in the Warriors’ 20-14 loss on Sept. 28 at home. The Warriors will try to rebound against St. Bonaventure this week. MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

When Tony Henney looks across the Ventura College football field on Friday night, the St. Bonaventure head coach will recognize many faces on Westlake’s sideline.

Westlake’s head coach for two seasons, in 2015 and 2016, Henney knows most of the upperclassmen on Westlake’s roster.

Henney’s known two Warriors, senior twins Ryan and Colby Downard, since they were cherubic 6-year-olds.

“They were ball boys when I was the coach at Nordhoff,” Henney said of the Westlake twins. “They’re great kids. I really love those kids.”

The Downards are now vital players on Westlake’s defensive line.

“I’m just doing everything I can for the team,” Colby Downard said. “So far, things have been going pretty good.”

The twins have helped Westlake’s defense pick up its intensity in recent weeks.

Despite back-to-back losses, the Warriors feel confident moving forward.

“We’ll bounce back and get it together this week,” said Ryan Downard, who had three sacks against Calabasas.

Westlake head coach Tim Kirksey said the defense played well against Grace Brethren and Calabasas, but the offense has struggled. The Warriors, who average 31 points in their five victories, have scored a combined 20 points the past two weeks.

Patrick Roberg, a junior, has slowed down since lighting up the scoreboard in a 34-0 rout of Moorpark on Sept. 14.

“He came out in the last two games, and it looked like the game’s going a little fast for him,” Kirksey said of the quarterback. “We’ll really refine what we’re doing. We’ll scale it down to 10 to 20 percent of our playbook, at best.”

Roberg said the Warriors won’t underestimate St. Bonaventure like they did against Grace Brethren.

“They’re going to come out and they’re going to want to kill us just like any other team that hates Westlake,” Roberg said of the Seraphs.

St. Bonaventure’s been on a roll this season. Its lone setback was to Highland on Aug. 31; Highland is ranked No. 2 in the CIF-Southern Section Division 10 poll.

“The kids have done a really good job of trying to improve every day,” Henney said. “We’re playing with a lot of effort. Kids are starting to believe in themselves, which is key.”

The Warriors must find a way to neutralize St. Bonaventure quarterback Kai Rojas, who has thrown for 801 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. The athletic senior, who has a scholarship offer from Navy, has also caught 15 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns while racking up 338 yards and five more touchdowns on the ground.

“Kai Rojas is probably the most impressive player I’ve seen on film yet in all the teams we’ve played,” Kirksey said. “I’m nervous about what Kai brings to the table.”

Henney said it’s no secret the Seraphs rely on Rojas, but it’ll take a team effort to beat Westlake.

“The rest of our group is going to have to step up to help him,” Henney said. “We can’t just be ‘The Kai Show’ and rely on him to make everything happen.”

Westlake welcomes senior receiver Terrell Vaughn. Vaughn, a Newbury Park transfer, has been practicing with the team, but he was limited to junior varsity games until Monday morning.

“I’ve been so heartbroken seeing him work hard every day and not get to play,” Roberg said of Vaughn. “He comes out here and works harder than anyone.”

“It’s going to be a treat,” Colby Downard said of Vaughn’s debut.

The road doesn’t get easier for St. Bonaventure, which faces Oaks Christian next week and Calabasas on Oct. 26.

“This is obviously the gauntlet of our season,” Henney said. “This is a great chance for us to see where we measure up against some of the most elite teams in Southern California.”

Players to Watch

Westlake
#39 DL Elijah Taylor
#14 DB Christian Martin
#13 WR Terrell Vaughn
#52 LG Erick Villegas
#71 LT Michael Maddox

St. Bonaventure
#19 QB Kai Rojas
#32 RB Justin Cantu
#12 WR Caleb Carfaro
#5 LB Russell Henderson
#25 LB Gabriel Martinez