Freshman quarterback Hendrix Tucker has thrown for 415 yards and eight touchdowns through five games for Westlake High, and he's not even the starter.
Coach Rick Clausen has been rotating Tucker and starter Ford Green since the Warriors opened the season Aug. 21 at Newbury Park, building a two-quarterback system that is rare at the high school level. The approach, first reported by the Ventura County Star, paid off Sept. 18 when Green was held out while nursing a knee and Tucker stepped in for his first start against Tustin.
"I think you have to … You're one play away from needing (the backup). You've got to keep them engaged," Clausen told the Star.
The Warriors sit at 4-1 and have outscored opponents 168-98 through five games, according to MaxPreps. They opened with a 32-26 triple-overtime win at Newbury Park, where Green scored the go-ahead rushing touchdown in the third overtime and defensive back August Gibbs sealed the victory with an interception. Wins over Agoura (38-7 on Aug. 28), Chatsworth (49-14 on Sept. 3) and Laguna Beach (28-23 on Sept. 10) followed.
The lone loss came Sept. 18 against visiting Tustin, 28-21, snapping a 14-game regular-season winning streak. Tucker started that game and completed 13 of 27 passes for 196 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Clausen called Tustin "a potential Division 2 powerhouse full of college-bound talent" and said he got what he needed from a coaching perspective despite the result.
Through five games, Tucker has completed 26 of 45 passes with those eight touchdowns against just one interception. The rotation gave Clausen a quarterback he trusted when Green went down, rather than scrambling to prepare a cold backup.
Westlake holds the No. 2 spot in the Star's Super 10 rankings entering Week 5. The Warriors are on a bye.
Their Marmonte League opener is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. at Rio Mesa.
