Throw out the records- it's Royal-Simi week
Pioneers, Highlanders show mutual respect
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers BRIAN MOUNT/Acorn Newspapers SHOWDOWN- Royal quarterback Trevor Shubert, left, and SVHS running back Langston Jackson will both be in the spotlight tonight.

Although both the Royal and Simi Valley high school football teams are out of playoff contention, don't try telling the players their game tonight at RHS doesn't mean anything.

With the Pioneers holding a record of 2-4 in the Marmonte League and 4-5 overall, and the Highlanders coming in with a league record of 1-5 and a 2-7 overall mark, postseason dreams have vanished for the two squads.

When the two rivals line up against each other, however, you can throw the records out the window. The Highlanders and Pioneers will be playing for city pride, respect and, for a lot of the seniors, the final time.

"I don't have to tell my players anything this week," Simi Valley head coach Todd Borowski said. "It's 'Beat Royal Week.' We could be 90 and they could be 09, or vice versa, and this game would still mean something.

"Ten years from now the players aren't going to remember what our record was. They're going to remember who won this game."

Royal head coach Gene Uebelhardt agreed.

"Three years ago, when we won league, my son called me up from Dartmouth on the phone," Uebelhardt said. "He didn't care about the league title as much. All he wanted to know was if we beat Simi."

Borowski said even though the game is a big rivalry, there's a lot of mutual respect on the field.

"I have a lot of respect for (Royal's) program, and I think every year it's a great game," Borowski said. "I love how even though the game means a lot, both schools and fans always conduct themselves nicely."

Once again, Uebelhardt echoed his rival coach's statements.

"It's a big game, and it means a lot because there are some ladies who went to Simi and their husbands went to Royal," Uebelhardt said. "It wouldn't matter if it was tiddlywinks or football, people are going to come out and see it when these two schools play."

Pioneer senior and three-year starting linebacker Alan Steele would like nothing more than to win in his last game for SVHS.

"I've played in two of these games already, and I've never won," Steele said. "It would be nice to win, because that way nobody could ever say anything to me about Royal beating us because I would have beaten them my senior year."

It'll also be the last regularseason game for SVHS senior running back Langston Jackson, another threeyear starter. Jackson has carried the ball 448 times for 2,308 yards and 24 touchdowns in his storybook career at Simi Valley.

Jackson won't be the only running back ending his career tonight, however, as the Highlanders' Derek Morris will be wearing the green and gold for the final time. In two years, Morris has carried the ball 205 times for 1,237 yards and 14 touchdowns.

"It's going to be hard playing in this last game. It seems like just yesterday I was playing here for the first time," Morris said. "It hasn't hit me yet that this is my last game, but seeing how my seniors buddies reacted last year, I know it will be tough."

Royal standout Cameron Flye will also be playing his final game as a Highlander. The senior inside linebacker is on pace to lead the team in tackles for the third straight year and has registered 358 tackles in his career.

Uebelhardt said watching players compete for him for the last time is always hard.

"There's mixed emotions in the last game," Uebelhardt said.

"On one hand, part of me is sad because I want to see them on this field again and I know I won't. On the other hand, these young men are going on to the next stage in their life, and hopefully they can take something with them from this experience."