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Arms race
In the first installment of a two-part series, we'll take a look at the Marmonte League and its eight teams' projected starting signal-callers. Some of the league's quarterbacks have already locked up jobs, while others still have something to prove to their respective coaching staffs before they'll be named the No. 1 guy to start the season. Here's the way things shape up behind center as we head into the final days of July: Agoura Chargers senior Doug Shumway proved his toughness a year ago by playing most of the season with a partially separated throwing shoulder. "There were some weeks he couldn't even practice," Agoura head coach Charlie Wegher said. "He hurt it against Rio Mesa. He got sacked and went right down on (the shoulder). But he toughed it out." Despite the injury, Shumway completed 121-of-205 passes for 1,429 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in nine games as a junior. Wegher said the shoulder has healed, and a healthier, strongerarmed Shumway will enter the season as Agoura's starter. Junior Justin Arias will likely serve as the backup. Arias "is one of the best junior quarterbacks we've ever had," Wegher said. "I really feel confident in his arm. He's smart. If he was the guy, we would be fine." After rushing the ball for more than 1,200 yards in 2006, the Chargers plan on returning to their more familiar air-it-out offensive attack this season. Shumway's arm and decision-making skills will be tested. Calabasas According to Calabasas firstyear head coach Lance Martin, the Coyotes' starting gig has boiled down to seniors Serop Challian and Emon Saee. Challian served as Kevin May's backup last season, completing 33-of-62 passes for 394 yards with four TDs and four INTs. Saee saw playing time on defense during his junior campaign. Martin, who spent the last seven years as an assistant at Royal, said the two players bring diverse mentalities and abilities to the field. "Challian is more cerebral and has a great understanding of what's happening in front of him," Martin said. "He also has more experience at the position. "Saee has a bigger arm and is probably more athletic. There are different strengths for each of them." Saee missed some practice time in the offseason because of injury, and Challian's experience could make him the frontrunner to land the starting job. Regardless of which player starts, the Coyotes will need their quarterback to be a leader. "As a coaching staff, we're looking for someone to step up and lead," Martin said. "We're waiting for that to happen." Moorpark With senior signal-caller Adam Barry at the helm, the Musketeers appear to be in good hands. Since becoming Moorpark's starter during his sophomore season in 2005, Barry has completed 205-of-392 passes for 3,134 yards with 31 TDs and 14 INTs, including only four interceptions last year. More important than the numbers, though, Barry has posted a 21-7 career record at MHS and has helped guide his school to consecutive CIFSouthern Section title-game appearances. "He's been willing to do a lot of off-the-field work to improve his game," Moorpark head coach Tim Lins said. "He's got a tremendously strong arm, and he has worked to cultivate the different types of passes that a quarterback has to throw, other than just the longball." According to Lins, Barry has been contacted by multiple Pac10 universities, as well as Boise State and the University of Nevada, Reno. While the talent and positive results are certainly there, Barry and the Musketeers face this year's biggest question: How does a team replace superstar running back Darrell Scott, who transferred to St. Bonaventure, and a mammoth offensive line? Time will tell. Newbury Park At Newbury Park, where the ball is often put into the air 40 or 50 times per game, the starting quarterback is vital to the team's success. Like Moorpark, the Panthers have an established veteran behind center in senior Colby Cameron. As a junior, Cameron completed 195-of-384 passes for 2,398 yards. He had 23 touchdowns, including eight multiple-touchdown games, and 14 interceptions. Panther head coach George Hurley often says it takes at least two years for a quarterback to really start to understand Newbury Park's pass-happy offensive scheme. "Reading defensewise, he's much better than he was before," Hurley said. "The fog is kind of clearing a little bit, and things are slowing down. "When you first start out, everybody just moves too quickly. But as you progress in the system, things start to slow down and you can read defenses better." With a 6-foot-3 frame and a strong family sports lineage- his brother, Jordan, plays football at USC and his sister, Brynn, is a basketball player for the Trojans- Colby Cameron is catching the eye of college recruiters across the country. Playing behind an offensive line that Hurley calls "the best we've had since 1993" only increases Cameron's chances for a monster statistical season. Jeff Meinice will serve as Newbury Park's backup. Royal The Highlanders' quarterback battle may be the fiercest of the hot summer. Replacing the departed Michael Long will be either Trevor Shubert or Brian Blechen. Shubert, a junior, served as Long's backup a year ago, completing 10-of-29 passes for 94 yards with one INT. Blechen, a sophomore, led Royal's freshman team to a 10-0 record. While both players have similar body types- around 6foot2- they are different kinds of athletes, Royal head coach Gene Uebelhardt said. "Shubert is the more conservative, surgical-type," Uebelhardt said. "He's very, very smart with his reads. Blechen, on the other hand, is athletic and physical. "Their styles are pretty much opposites, but both styles are very good. Either one of them would start for most teams in the county." Uebelhardt said he wants to see Shubert and Blechen perform in the heat of battle before naming the No. 1 guy. "The person who will be the starting quarterback will be the one who runs the team the best in game situations," Uebelhardt said. "And quite frankly, those first three preseason games will be the ones that determine who the starting quarterback will be." Simi Valley Simi Valley head coach Todd Borowski is looking for a quarterback who can read defenses well and put the ball in the proper spots on the field, all while limiting turnovers and serving as a team leader. With that in mind, he'll hand the reigns of the Pioneers' offense to one of two juniors- Jared Zarhorek or Tim Farelli. Both Zarhorek and Farelli played on the SVHS sophomore team last season. According to Borowski, Zarhorek is great at sizing up defenses, while Farelli possesses a strong arm and is accurate when throwing the deep ball. "It's a battle between those two," Borowski said. "I always tell the kids that nothing is won or lost during the summer; it's won or lost when we put the pads on." With senior Langston Jackson, arguably the league's premier running back, lining up in the offensive backfield, the Pioneers' starting signalcaller will have a valuable asset at his disposal. Jackson's "definitely going to help either one of those guys progress," Borowski said, adding that a final decision on the starting quarterback won't come until the regular season is near. Thousand Oaks Lancer quarterbacks Kyle Triplett and Ian Shultis have been under first-year head coach Mike Leibin's microscope for months. Both have played well at times, Leibin said, but the starting job remains for the taking as the regular season draws near. "We've charted every single snap all summer with those guys, in games and tournaments," Leibin said. "Shultis graded out about 5 percent higher in completion percentage, and they were almost identical in touchdowntointerception ratio. For me, it's going to be a tough decision to make." Triplett is a senior who spent time as a backup quarterback last year for Thousand Oaks. He had one completion for 15 yards against Calabasas. Shultis is a junior in his first season on the Lancer varsity squad. Like Coach Uebelhardt at Royal, Leibin said he may wait until the non-league schedule is underway before making a decision on his team's starter. "The only way I'm going to be able to judge these two guys is to see them under live fire," Leibin said. Westlake Ryan Campbell, a three-year starter for the Warriors, has moved on to the Air Force Academy. Replacing Campbell will be senior Nick Owens or junior Ben Conlin. Owens, a lefthander, performed admirably as Campbell's backup a year ago, completing 16of-29 passes for 305 yards with five TDs and one INT. Conlin, who also serves as a catcher on the Westlake varsity baseball team, played on the WHS sophomore football squad a year ago, throwing for more than 2,000 yards and guiding the Warriors to an 8-2 record. Westlake head coach Jim Benkert said the starting job remains wide open. "It's a day-to-day competition," Benkert said. "They've both performed well at times, well enough to be the starting quarterback. At this point they've both been very good. That makes it a very tough decision for me because we can win with either one of them." The team's eventual starter draws a great first assignment, as Westlake opens the season Aug. 31 with a game on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Next week we'll focus on the area's Tri-Valley League schools. |
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