Newbury Park, CA — Playing in his very first high school playoff game, Newbury Park freshman quarterback Brady Smigiel faced a 14-0 deficit in the first quarter. Come to think of it, the postseason contest was also a first for every member of the Panthers. The program's last playoff appearance was in 2017. So much for the early hole. Smigiel and Co. never flinched. Call them the Young and the Fearless. The standout freshman quarterback threw for 395 yards and five touchdowns and Newbury Park rang up 41 unanswered points en route to the decisive 41-14 victory over visiting Mira Costa in the opening round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 playoffs Friday night. Smigiel said the belief never wavered even when confronted with a two-touchdown deficit. "Honestly, I've never felt calmer when trailing 14-0," he said at game's end. "I knew, we all knew, that we just needed to play better. I overthrew some receivers early, but everyone was open. I knew the opportunity would be there." Smigiel also noted that he didn't have time to be nervous about his playoff debut during the week. He was battling the flu bug, and merely hoped to be well enough to play. "I was sick all week. I didn't have time to think about any nerves," he said with a smile. "I just wanted to be able to play." A pair of scintillating 78-yard completions on back-to-back possessions turned the game around in dramatic fashion in the first half. The first, after Newbury Park was pinned at its own 1-yard line, was a 78-yard hookup with Charlie Simmons that set up an 18-yard touchdown pass to Shane Rosenthal. The score cut the deficit in half. The second, after the Panthers had begun the drive at their own 7, was a long-distance connection to Rosenthal that tied the game at 14-14 with 1:16 remaining in the first half. The second half was all Newbury Park. Smigiel's 15-yard scoring pass to Simmons and 8-yard touchdown throw to Rosenthal opened up a 28-14 lead on consecutive possessions to start the third quarter. It was a joyous celebration at midfield for the Panthers after the final seconds ticked off. After all, it was Newbury Park's first playoff victory since 2014. The Panthers improve to 9-2 and will host Newport Harbor in the quarterfinal round next Friday. "I couldn't be prouder of these players," said coach Joe Smigiel, who is also the quarterback's father. "We had some adversity this week with sickness. At one point, I've got 27 players able to practice. "But these guys love and respect each other. They play for each other. They got the job done." Brady Smigiel finished 17 of 25 attempts with five scores and no interceptions. His 69-yard scoring throw to Rhys Kelly opened a 35-15 advantage. Smigiel, with his five touchdowns, now becomes California's all-time freshman leader in TD passes with 43. The previous mark was 40 set by A.J. Duffy of Moreno Valley in 2016. The freshman notes it's a team effort. "I've been playing with teammates like Shane Rosenthal for 10 years," he said. "We did this in youth football, and it's so cool to do this for our high school team." Rosenthal notched seven catches for 185 yards and three scores, and tallied a fourth touchdown on a 9-yard run. Simmons had five catches for 123 yards and one touchdown, and had one of the Panthers' three interceptions on defense. "The connection we have as teammates is so special," said Rosenthal, a sophomore wide receiver/cornerback. "Brady and I have such great chemistry. We believe in each other. We knew we could get it done today." Ditto, said Simmons, who said the Panthers aren't done yet. "This (victory) feels so great," said the senior wide receiver/linebacker. "So much has gone into this. So much hard work. We think we can win this division. We're excited for the opportunity."