Northern Division playoff recap

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Every once in a while, things turn out the way you expect them to and that was certainly the case during Friday’s first-round games. The favorites, such as St. Bonaventure, Saugus and Valencia, came out and handled business. So did Paso Robles and Atascadero. No big surprises. No upsets. The bracket is shaping up how I thought it would. Go figure. There were, however, plenty of surprising individual efforts. So, without further delay, let’s take a look at the best of the best.

Big day for Brown: One of the very first blogs I did here at The Times was about Chris Brown of Newbury Park. Back then, I said keep an eye on this kid, and I’m not one to gloat, but he’s proving me right. The junior running back rushed for 275 yards and three touchdowns for the Panthers in a 34-14 victory over Santa Barbara. Can I call them or what?

Hart and soul: Delano Howell of Hart did just about whatever he pleased against Thousand Oaks, finishing with 321 yards of total offense and six touchdowns for the second-seeded Indians in a 48-24 victory. The senior running back essentially ended the Lancers’ postseason hopes before they even began. Kevin Connelly did a good job covering the game for the L.A. Daily News, click here to read his accounts.

Mannisto mans up: Westlake narrowly defeated Camarillo, 23-20, due in large part to three field goals by Jordan Mannisto and an equally important defensive stand in the waning moments of the game. The senior kicker converted attempts from 40, 35 and 41 yards. Here’s what the Ventura County Star had to say about the game.

-- Sean Ceglinsky, guest blogger