LOCAL: PREP EXTRA : ATHLETES OF THE WEEK.

ERRIN BENESH

Village Christian volleyball

Senior middle blocker

There's no doubt Village Christian will go as far as Errin Benesh takes them. The 6-footer registered 52 kills, 21 digs and 15 blocks in two nonleague matches last week. And that was before her 39-kill, 12-block, 21-dig effort in eight games during Saturday's Pasadena Poly tournament.

``She's just matured as an athlete,'' said her coach, Bill Schnobrich. ``She's hitting even harder and she's hitting it with a lot more consistency and accuracy. She's as dangerous from the back row as she is in the front row.''

Village Christian has won just two Alpha League titles in its history: 1986 and 1990. But Benesh has given the Crusaders the inside track to the third championship. Along the way, she could break her record for kills in a season (531). Colleges such as Purdue, Texas A&M, San Diego, Cal Poly and Long Beach State are bidding for her services.

KYLE BOLLER

Hart football

Senior quarterback

If it isn't scary enough that Kyle Boller threw for 410 yards and three touchdowns Friday in a 42-7 win over Thousand Oaks, consider this: Boller did not have a great game.

``Believe it or not, he played an OK game but didn't really have a fantastic game,'' said Hart coach Mike Herrington. ``If everything starts to click and the offense is hitting on all cylinders, watch out.''

Boller has passed for 825 yards in his first two varsity starts. Last week he burned Quartz Hill for 415 yards. ``He's just been outstanding,'' Herrington said. ``And (Thousand Oaks) was really teeing off on him, but he hung in there and got the job done.''

Boller sat behind starter David Neill a year ago, but he is still regarded as one of the top quarterback prospects on the West Coast.

BY THE NUMBERS

6: Area high school quarterbacks with a passing efficiency over 200.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

``I told him after the game that it was the finest game I've had a sophomore quarterback play. Then I told him it was the first game I've had a sophomore quarterback play.''

St. Francis High football coach Bill Redell, on John Sciarra's debut on Sept. 11

UP & COMING

MATT BUTCHER

Newbury Park High sophomore football player.

Butcher, a running back, has enjoyed two solid games to start the season. After rushing for 160 yards and three touchdowns in a 19-0 win over Burroughs two weeks ago, he came back with 60 yards and four touchdowns on just six carries in a 35-6 rout of Oxnard on Friday.

Besides having a nose for the end zone, Butcher is also a force on defense. He recovered a fumble and made six tackles against Burroughs.

HEAD 2 HEAD Matchup of the Week

JESSE MUNOZ

Saugus

Offensive tackle

At 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, there aren't many high school tackles as big as Munoz, a senior. He'll need every bit of that size against Johnson, one of the premier defensive linemen in the area.

Munoz won't be alone. Johnson is the type of player who draws a crowd, so expect Munoz to get lots of help from his fellow linemen. What Munoz can provide is a big body on Johnson. If Munoz stays low and keeps his feet, he can win some battles and create running space for Saugus backs.

TRAVIS JOHNSON

Notre Dame

Defensive tackle

They don't come much better than Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 260-pounder. He's so good that Saugus coach Ron Hilton plans to show his own players game footage of Johnson as a teaching tool. Johnson is quick enough to blow past blockers and strong enough to take on double teams. Even when he gets blocked, he is savvy enough to find a gap and plug it.

There aren't many linemen who can handle Johnson one-on-one, and Saugus is smart enough not to try. Saugus will give Munoz plenty of help.

7 p.m. Friday at College of the Canyons

STAT-LICIOUS

How has the City Section fared head-to-head against the Southern Section in football this year? Better than in '97, as illustrated below:

This season

Wins Losses Pts for Pts against

43 131 119

1997

Wins Losses Pts for Pts against

2 8 88 292

ON DECK: Highlights in the week of local sports

This week's must-see:

Calabasas at Alemany

Analysis: Two of the area's top girls' volleyball teams play for bragging rights in the Southern Section Division III-AA. Calabasas is ranked No. 4 in III-AA and Alemany is No. 5. However, Alemany star outside hitter Sasha Hernandez will miss the rest of the season after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during a recent tournament.

Vitals: At 6 p.m. on Thursday night at Alemany. Take 405 to San Fernando Mission Road, east on San Fernando Mission to school.

TODAY (22)

Prep girls' tennis: Chaminade vs. Flintridge Sacred Heart at Northridge Tennis Club, 3:30 p.m.

Prep girls' volleyball: Bishop Montgomery at Harvard-Westlake, 6 p.m.

Prep girls' volleyball: La Reina at Moorpark, 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY (23)

Prep girls' tennis: Palisades at Harvard-Westlake, 2:30 p.m.

Prep boys' water polo: El Dorado at Harvard-Westlake, 3:30 p.m.

College women's soccer: Claremont at The Master's, 4 p.m.

THURSDAY (24)

Prep girls' volleyball: Calabasas at Alemany, 6 p.m.

Prep girls' volleyball: Moorpark at Royal, 6 p.m.

Prep football: Sylmar vs. Hart at College of the Canyons, 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY (25)

Prep girls' volleyball: Brentwood at Harvard-Westlake, 6 p.m.

JC football: Valley at Bakersfield, 7 p.m.

Prep football: El Camino Real at Westlake, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY (26)

Prep girls' volleyball:: Royal Tournament, 8:30 a.m.

Prep cross country: Bell-Jeff Invitational, 9 a.m.

College football: Eastern Washington at Cal State Northridge, 3:05 p.m.

Prep football: Big Bear at Village Christian, 7 p.m.

SUNDAY (27)

College women's volleyball: Oregon State at UCLA, 1 p.m.

MONDAY (28)

Prep girls' tennis: Canyon at Hart, 3 p.m.

Prep boys' water polo: La Canada at La Serna, 3:15 p.m.

CAPTION(S):

5 Photos, 3 Boxes

PHOTO (1) Kyle Boller

(2) Errin Benesh

(3) Matt Butcher

(4) Jesse Munoz

(5) Travis Johnson

BOX: (1) HEAD 2 HEAD Matchup of the Week (see text)

(2) STATLICIOUS (see text)

(3) ON DECK: Highlights in the week of local sports (see text)