For a half, it was a template for playoff football — physical and defensive.

The second half was another story.

But when that bizarre, turnover-laden half was over, Westlake High had escaped with a 23-20 victory — and Camarillo was facing a long off-season of wondering what might have been.

Westlake, 8-3 and the winner of six straight, advances to play St. Bonaventure in next week's second round of the CIF-Southern Section Northern Division playoffs. Camarillo finishes 7-4.

Westlake led 17-7 after a first half dominated by defense, building most of that margin with three Jordan Mannisto field goals. The Warriors then withstood a second half cluttered with six turnovers, four by Westlake, and a Camarillo comeback bid that saw the Scorpions erase most of a 23-7 fourth-quarter deficit.

In the aftermath, both coaches decried their team's miscues.

"They came and hit, they came to play, they came to win," said Westlake coach Jim Benkert. "We kind of held on.

"Our kids played to win, too, but we kept making mistakes. Little things led to big things. We were pressing because things weren't going real well."

Benkert, at least, could fall back on the bottom line, a victory. Camarillo's Dennis Riedmiller had no such consolation.

"They gave us every chance in the world to beat them," said Riedmiller, "and we didn't take advantage on offense.

"Our defense did a great job. We get the ball down on the 5 and fumble the snap, we get the ball down in the red zone and throw an interception — things we don't normally do all season.

"That's going to hurt for a long time."

Curtis Peterson's 29-yard reception of a Nick Owens pass gave Westlake its 23-7 lead with 3:01 left in the third quarter, and that was still the margin when Camarillo took over after an interception with 10:02 left in the game. Two plays later — passes from Marcus Sanchez to Kevin Kawamoto of 12 and 28 yards — the Scorpions had scored to cut the lead to 23-13. Two possessions later, Camarillo scored again — this time on a 6-yard Gary Glenn run with 3:01 left, and the margin was just 23-20.

Westlake went three-and-out on the subsequent possession, giving Camarillo one last chance from its own 41 with 2:22 remaining. But after one first down, the comeback bid fell short; Camarillo turned the ball over on downs with 1:07 remaining, and Westlake ran out the clock.

"We made some mistakes," said Peterson, "and we just had to back up our mistakes with some hard defense, and not giving up because we know Camarillo's a great team."

Mannisto field goals of 40, 35 and 41 yards — along with a 6-yard touchdown run by Cooper Shockley and two-point conversion pass from Nick Owens to James De La Cerna — gave Westlake the 17-7 halftime lead, erasing an early 7-0 Camarillo advantage.

The Scorpions built that lead with an 80-yard, seven-play drive capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez to Matthew Amerault. But on five subsequent possessions, Camarillo had just one first down and never moved beyond its own 37. Taking advantage of the resulting field position, Westlake's first-half scoring drives were of 4, 30, 28 and 44 yards.

"We had played well the last five weeks," said Benkert. "This is uncharacteristic, and I didn't see it coming. ... We didn't play a great offensive game, but there's a reason for that, and that's Camarillo."

Said Peterson, "We made some mistakes, and we just had to back them up with hard defense, and by not giving up, because we knew Camarillo is a great team."

Sanchez finished 20 of 41 for 299 yards with two interceptions, with Kawamoto (13 receptions, 219 yards) usually on the receiving end. For Westlake, Owens was 21 of 35 for 226 yards with three interceptions, Peterson had eight catches for 124 yards, and Cooper Shockley had 26 carries for 83 yards.

"We didn't play a great offensive game," said Benkert, "and there's a reason for that, and that's Camarillo.

Statistically, it was just about a draw, with Westlake finishing with 312 yards and Camarillo with 303.

"Two evenly matched teams," said Riedmiller. "I wish Westlake the best. I hope they go on and beat St. Bonaventure.

"It was a great season, and it's a shame (it ended this way) because I know there are some kids in that locker room who are feeling pretty bad."