Moorpark searching for postseason magic once again
MHS opens playoffs at Atascadero tonight
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers GO GET IT- Moorpark High wideout Ryan Murry fends off Westlake defender Steve Hagy and snatches an Adam Barry pass out of the air during last weekend's loss to the Warriors. MHS faces a tough-nosed Atascadero squad in the first round of the playoffs.

The Moorpark High football team is hoping the third time is a charm.

During the last two years, MHS has lost in its section championship game. Tonight on the road against Atascadero High, the No. 1 seed out of the Pac-7 League, the Musketeers will start what they hope is another journey toward the championship game, which is being held this year at Home Depot Center on Dec. 8.

Once again, Moorpark, 4-3 in league and 6-4 overall, will come into its first-round playoff game fresh off a loss to Westlake High that would have earned the team a share of the Marmonte League championship. Instead, the Musketeers enter the postseason as the league's No. 3 seed.

"We kind of have the same feeling as we did last year," Moorpark senior quarterback Adam Barry said. "We were really bummed last Friday about losing to Westlake, but now the team has moved on. We are now preparing ourselves for the Atascadero game and what it will take to beat them and advance in the playoffs."

Barry said the Musketeers will have to show a lot of intensity, starting from the time the team begins its two-hour trip up north and ending in the final second of the game. Last week against Westlake, Moorpark fell behind 236 before it attempted a fourthquarter comeback.

"We need to show a lot of intensity right off the bat," Barry said. "If we are on offense, we need to score first. If we are on defense, we need to make a big stop. Taking their home crowd out of the game will be huge."

Moorpark head coach Tim Lins agreed with his signal-caller.

"Getting off to a better start offensively will be a pretty big key for us," Lins said. "We have to throw the ball more consistently than we did last week, and we need to run the ball well when we call on our running game."

Tonight Barry will make his 39th career start for the green and gold. Besides previously guiding the Musketeers to two championship appearances, Barry has completed 367-of-705 passes for 5,363 yards and 47 touchdowns in his three years behind center for MHS.

Barry saved his best for last, as the senior set personal season highs for completions (162), yards (2,229) and touchdowns (16) this season.

"The man took us to two straight championship games, so obviously he is a very good leader," Lins said. "He is a fine young man, and it's been a tremendous honor to coach him."

Getting points on the board will not be an easy task for Barry and MHS as the Greyhounds have only allowed 70 points combined in their last eight games. During that stretch, Atascadero's defense went 13 quarters without giving up a point.

The Greyhound defense is led by senior defensive back Jacob Norlock, who has 64 tackles, and senior linebackers Travis Hester and Trevor Holloway. Hester has 74 tackles, while Holloway has 48 tackles and seven sacks.

"They have a good defense and a very physical group of guys," Lins said. "And then those same physical guys on defense flip sides and play offense as well. We will have our work cut out for us."

Offensively, the Greyhounds like to run the ball, with 3,337 of their 4,161 total yards of offense coming by way of the ground game.

Leading the AHS rushing attack is junior Nick Tenhaeff. Tenhaeff has carried the ball 158 times for 1,390 yards and 16 touchdowns.

"Yeah, I'd say it's pretty important that we stop their run this week since they only pass about 10 percent of the time," Moorpark senior defensive lineman Casey Blum said. "In order to stop them, we will have to be more physical than they are on the line."

Lins agreed with Blum.

"Stopping the run will probably be the most important part of the game," Lins said. "They are going to try and grind it out and take control of the clock. We can't let that happen."

Blum said the team's mindset was right where it needed to be before the opening playoff game.

"Even though we didn't win league, we know that there is a lot of talent on this team," Blum said. "We are pretty focused right now, and this team knows it has what it takes to go far in the playoffs."

Moorpark's game will kick off at 7:30 p.m.

Sandoval injury update

After sustaining a neck injury last week against Westlake, MHS junior defensive lineman Corey Sandoval has returned home from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, Lins said.

Sandoval will be in a neck brace for the next few months, but will travel with the team for tonight's game.