HS FOOTBALL: Oaks' job is to eliminate Westlake big plays

In the Northern Division final, defending champion Oaks Christian is a heavy underdog at 7:30 p.m. Friday against visiting Westlake - one of the few instances in Oaks Christian's 12-year history that the seven-time section-champion Lions have not been a favorite.

Oaks Christian defeated Westlake 29-28 in last year's final on the same field, but Westlake has returned more top players, and the Warriors defeated Oaks Christian 43-21 on Oct. 6 in a Marmonte League game - one of the most one-sided losses ever for the Lions, who are 140-16 overall.

For Oaks Christian to pull an upset, the Lions must figure out a way to limit Westlake's big plays - no easy task considering the visiting Warriors, coming off a 62-0 quarterfinal win over Thousand Oaks, average nearly 48 points and 430 yards per game.

"Their offense does create of lot of big plays. It's a great offense, and they're going to score," Oaks Christian defensive back Jordan Payton said. "(Westlake quarterback) Justin Moore is a great player, so we have to match up, stay in our zone and be disciplined."

But can Oaks Christian improve enough to make up a 22-point difference in the rematch? A year ago, Westlake defeated Oaks Christian by 19 points in the regular season, only to lose in the championship game.

"After the first loss in October, I looked at the film, and we were playing too soft," Payton said. "On Friday night, we're going to bring it. We're going to show what we've got."