Oaks Christian football team in good position for strong finish to regular season

Defenders who cross the path of Luke Baklenko might as well carry a bottle of maple syrup in their back pocket.

OK, not really. But facts are facts. Oaks Christian School's standout left tackle has piled up an astounding 41 pancake blocks through seven games, or nearly six per contest.

He smiles at the number, but takes the accomplishment matter of factly.

"I'm better than I was last year," he says. "It's good to see the hard work pay off in the results. I'm having fun. We're playing well. Looking to close out the season in a good way."

Baklenko, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound senior who is bound for Stanford University, is one of a number of standouts who just might have the Lions poised for a closing exclamation point to the high school football season.

Oaks Christian stands 5-2, including 2-0 in the Marmonte League, and appears headed to a league championship showdown with St. Bonaventure in the regular-season finale on Oct. 27 at Ventura College.

There's business to be conducted before then: The Lions host down-the-street rival Westlake on Friday night and play at Simi Valley on Oct. 21.

A team that started 0-5 a year ago and still battled its way to the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 title game, is seemingly headed to an intriguing encore in the weeks ahead.

Oaks Christian is ranked No. 26 in the state by MaxPreps, and — more significantly — checks in at No. 18 in the latest CalPreps rankings that would determine postseason placement.

Any finish in the Top 25 would likely earmark the Lions for the uber-competitive CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Oaks Christian is undaunted.

"That's what we want," said Baklenko. "We want to go up against the best possible competition. I think we have a good chance to win CIF and make it to state."

Confidence is high for the Lions, who have learned all about adversity and resiliency the past two seasons. The two losses this season have come to undefeated Chaminade in the season opener, 24-17, and Serra, 20-14, in a game that got away late.

"We're a team that has bonded together because we all have the same goals," said junior wide receiver Justice Williams. "We want to work hard, get better and win games."

Coach Charlie Collins' squad has assets throughout the roster.

Baklenko heads an offensive line that returned all five starters this season and has been the backbone of a balanced offense that has racked up 1,271 passing yards and 1,026 rushing yards.

Gage Dutcher and Jayden Thierry are other key starters up front.

"We've had a chance to bond pretty well these past two seasons," said Baklenko. "We kind of know what everyone else is going to do."

Baklenko has accepted the fate of an offensive lineman. Headlines go to the skill players.

"I'm not in it for the glory," he said. "To me, it's all about winning."

Nate Bennett has taken over at quarterback the past six games and has thrown for 778 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. Sophomore quarterback Axel Eason threw two TD pass in a win last Friday over Bishop Diego. Johnny Thompson has rushed for 649 yards, or 6.2 yards per carry, and represents a home-run threat with 10 touchdowns.

Williams (37 catches, 578 yards, 6 TDs), Chase Farrell (22 catches, 277 yards, 3 TDs) and two-way standout Jalen Lewis (16 catches, 172 yards, 3 TDs) are three prime targets.

Williams, at 6-4, 195 pounds, is the son of former St. Louis Rams tight end Roland Williams who played on the 2000 Super Bowl winner.

He's a large, strong receiver who has learned from his father how to "EAT."

That's E for effort, A for knowing and understanding assignments and T for technique.

"Those three things are the foundation of how I want to play football," Williams said. "My dad has taught me a lot and how to turn the page after games and get ready for the next week."

As an 11th-grader, Williams has blossomed into a college prospect.

"I'm more comfortable," he said. "I'm focused on doing my job every week."

The Oaks Christian defense relies on an all-for-one approach revolving around a pair of fast, aggressive linebackers.

Sophomore Christian Knoos has a team-leading 52 tackles, including 35 solos. Senior Matt Erhart is a tick behind with 45 tackles and 34 solos. Erhart shares the team lead with three sacks and has a team-best six tackles for losses.

"We've learned how to play with each other and rely on each other," said Erhart. "We study a lot of game film, so we're always well-prepared. It's a matter of taking care of our responsibilities."

Lewis, with 22 tackles and 18 solos, is a linchpin in the secondary. Joseph Marsh, Hayden Lowe and Nathan Moreno also have three sacks apiece.

Erhart is also aiming at finishing strong. First up: the drive for a Marmonte League championship. Then the CIF-SS playoffs.

"Looking forward to playing St. Bonaventure, since they got us last year (34-13)," said Erhart. "We played in Division 5 last year and will probably be a lot higher this year. We're good with the challenge. As a senior, I want to win a championship."

WEEK 8 SCHEDULE

Friday

• Pacifica at Rio Mesa

• Simi Valley at St. Bonaventure

• Channel Islands at Ventura

• San Marcos at Oxnard

• Camarillo at Oak Park

• Moorpark at Thousand Oaks

• Royal at Agoura

• Oaks Christian at Westlake

• Bishop Diego at Calabasas

• Fillmore at Carpinteria

• Nordhoff at Santa Paula

Loren Ledin is the Prep Editor for The Star. He can be reached at loren.ledin@vcstar.com or 805-437-0285.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oaks Christian football team in position for strong finish to regular season