Oaks Christian beats varsity foe

LISA ADAMS/The AcornROLE MODEL-Coach Bill Redell gets an admiring smile from a youngster at a recent Oaks Christian football game in Westlake Village.

The Oaks Christian football team won its seventh game in school history without a loss, when it beat Fairmont, 28-14 last Friday night in Westlake Village.

For the Lions, it was the most important test of the season, as Bill Redell’s players faced a varsity team for the only time in its ten-game schedule this year.

Oaks Christian had played freshmen, or frosh-sophomore teams prior to last week, and tomorrow will play a junior varsity team at home, Santa Clarita Christian.

The Lions, whose final two games will be against frosh-sophomore competition, consist of primarily freshmen this year, with some sophomores.

"I think the kids, going into the game, because we were playing a varsity team, were really quite nervous," Redell said.

Still, the Lions went on top 14-0—before Faimont rallied back to within 14-12—behind the stellar play of sophomore quarterback, Adam Conrad who completed 10 of 15 passes for 175 yards, and threw for two touchdowns with no interceptions.

On the season, Conrad has thrown for 14 TDs.

Also standing out for Oaks Christian was freshman running back John Giangregorio, who ran for 183 yards on 17 carries and has surpassed 814 yards for the season, averaging almost 10-yards per carry with 12 TDs.

"I thought we responded really well," Redell said. "We realized by the second half, ‘Hey, we can play with these guys.’"

A 66-yard TD pass from Conrad to John Adams on the first play of the third quarter gave the Lions a 14-0 lead after having led by seven at halftime. Adams gained over 100 yards on four receptions, two of which went for TDs.

"It was a good game," Redell added. "I thought overall our kids played well."