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Coyotes make big plays in victory

The Calabasas football team, which plays at Oak Park tomorrow night, won its season-opening game, 21-10, vs. El Camino Real, in a game also played on the road last Friday night.

The Coyotes got a huge performance from senior wide receiver/kick returner Alex Rosenblum, who scored one 72-yard touchdown on a pass from junior quarterback Keith Barrett, and scored a second TD on a 95-yard kickoff return to begin the second half.

"He had a super game," said Coyote head coach Larry Edwards. "He’s going to be a big-play guy for us. We’re counting on him to make the big play." Rosenblum also kicks (three for three in extra points vs. El Camino Real) for Calabasas.

Rosenblum, Nick Maffe and Ezra Butler-Beaton are the Coyotes’ team captains this season.

"Hopefully they’ll look past his physical size and consider his ability," Edwards said of Rosenblum’s chances to catch the eyes of Division I football coaches as a wide receiver. Rosenblum is 5-foot-9, 170, and runs a 4.4 40-yard dash.

Another player already has captured attention. "He’s the real deal," the Coyote coach said of the 6-3, 250 outside linebacker Butler-Beaton, who’s gotten a look from PAC 10 schools Washington and Washington State so far.

"We executed well," Edwards said of his Coyotes. "The offense was able to control the clock and control the tempo of the game. We wanted to control the tempo and avoid making mistakes and do the simple things well."

The Calabasas coach said ball possession would be a key all season for the Coyotes. "Yes, if you can control the flow of the game, then you certainly improve your chances to win. And our defense just played outstanding Friday night," said Edwards.

"They really didn’t score on our defense," he added, noting that El Camino Real scored a TD on an interception return and a field goal after recovering a fumble deep in Calabasas territory. "The defense just did a great job keeping them from getting any momentum or any kind of rhythm in their gameplan."

About first-year QB Barrett, Edwards said, "It was his first varsity game and he did a fine job."

Barrett completed six of 13 for 121 yards, one TD and two interceptions.

In game one, Edwards was also pleased with the play of Steve Millar, a 6-1, 200-pound senior at defensive end, and Barry Dadon (6-3, 240) who played fullback on offense and linebacker on defense.

"There’s always things you can improve on," Edwards said about his team’s overall effort. "They’re just really small things but stuff we can get better at for Oak Park. We need to smooth out the rough edges." The kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Chargers get early

wake-up call

The Agoura Chargers football team had a tough season-opening game last Friday night when it faced the Buena Bulldogs and lost, 40-13, at Larrabee Stadium in Ventura.

"This loss certainly had a sobering effect on our team, which I think will be positive," said Agoura head coach Charlie Wegher. "I think they’ll realize that we’re definitely not as good as everybody says we are. Right now, I think we have the potential to be pretty good, but that’s going to be after some hard work."

Three players who Wegher praised, despite the decisive loss vs. Buena, were skill players upon whom the Chargers must depend throughout the season.

"Bryan Huston had an exceptional game," Wegher said of the Agoura tight end (6-1, 230). "He had some big plays for us." Huston had six receptions for 110 yards and one touchdown.

"Dustin Croick threw the ball well in the first half and (tailback) Mike Coons ran the ball hard—they were making it hard to run the ball and he still made some big plays for us running."

Coons (6-0, 200) was held to 35 yards on 12 carries due to the Buena defense. Croick was 12 of 22 for 181 yards and one TD. Agoura had a goal-line stand that stopped the Bulldogs on the Charger 5-yard line after a 12-play drive in the first half, which was another positive sign, said the Agoura coach.

But three interceptions and a failed fourth-down attempt hurt Agoura, said Wegher. "Those all turned into touchdowns," he said of the four subsequent Buena drives.

"We were hanging in there with them," Wegher said. "Had we not made those kind of mistakes, I think we’d of had a chance to win, we were moving the ball fairly well."

Agoura scored twice in the first half, but had only 14 plays in that half as Buena’s running attack, led by Alex Garfio (252 yards on 30 carries) had already begun to dictate the pace.

Wegher said his team would need to improve its own running game in the competitive Marmonte League after the Chargers only gained 51 yards on the ground vs. Buena.

"You can’t establish a tempo or a rhythm without a running game," Wegher said. "Our pass protection was fairly good and our receivers did a good job for us, but we need to be a bit more two dimensional."

Regarding tomorrow night’s 7 p.m. matchup vs. Camarillo at Charger Stadium, Wegher said, "They’ll always be big and physical and that’s good. We need to get better. That will give us the work we need to improve. That’s what the preseason’s about."

The Scorpions are expected to run the option on offense and be tough defensively.

"I made sure they noticed it," Wegher said when asked if his players knew the other seven Marmonte League teams won in Week One. "I think last week our kids were embarrassed. They thought we were pretty good but we came out and played a good team and got beat pretty soundly.

"I’m hoping it will have a positive affect on them," he added, "and they’ll focus a little more this week, and work hard and get a little bit more determination and do things exactly the way they’re coached to do it."

Lions score 63 in

season opening win

In what would eventually be a 63-21 victory for the Oaks Christian football team vs. Calvary Chapel in a game played at home last Friday, Aaron Ware, the Lions’ sophomore running back, would have stayed in the contest to start the second half. The game was 42-21 at halftime.

Ware had gained 223 yards and scored two touchdowns on 11 first-half carries. How many yards would he have gained if he hadn’t been injured with a strained hip muscle that will cause him to miss at least one game, Saturday’s contest vs. Village Christian at Kennedy High School, and kept him out of the second half of the season opener vs. Calvary Chapel?

"He probably would have run for 400 yards," said Lion head coach Bill Redell.

Luckily for Oaks Christian, Adam Richter (a senior running back who ran for 158 yards and a TD on 16 carries) is healthy for game two vs. Village Christian and Johnny Giangregorio, who led the Lions in running two years ago as a freshman, should return after missing Week One with a back injury.

Richter ran 61 yards for a TD on the game’s second play vs. Calvary Chapel.

"While Aaron Ware may be in a class by himself, those other two guys aren’t far behind," Redell said. Joey Halzle, the Lions’ junior quarterback was six of 12, and threw for 105 yards and one TD in the win.

On defense, Joe Guiliani (also the team’s back-up quarterback who played the fourth quarter vs. Calvary Chapel) made two interceptions. Redell was pleased with how his team played against Calvary Chapel QB Terry Mermer (6-5, 225), who threw for 210 yards but was 22 for 46 in the game. Last year, Mermer threw for more than 2,400 yards.

"After looking at the films of the game, I thought our defense played a pretty good football game," Redell said. "(Calvary Chapel) could throw the ball very well and offensively they weren’t too bad."

The Lions pounded out 565 yards of total offense; 460 running, 105 passing.

Redell praised Kyle McClure and Jon Adams for their efforts in the season-opener. As a defensive end, McClure recovered two fumbles and recorded two sacks. Adams played safety and excelled on special teams, as well. Chris Auten, a sophomore place kicker was nine for nine in extra points.

The Lions’ coach said Calvary Chapel didn’t provide the answers still needed regarding whether his team can contend with bigger, physical squads. He’s unsure whether Village Christian on Saturday will provide any answers. Still, he was satisfied with the effort.

"I thought for the first game, we played pretty well," Redell said. "We had a few too many penalties, we’ve got to work on that. But overall, I was pleased with the way the guys played."

Next Friday, OCHS will host Canoga Park before opening up the Tri-Valley League schedule vs. Santa Paula on the road on Fri., Oct. 4.

Eagles earn shutout

to start off 1-0

The Oak Park football team is 1-0 after a 28-0 win over Kern Valley last Friday in a game played at home.

The Eagles played well defensively, said head coach Dick Billingsley, and the offense did okay although four fumbles—all recovered by the Eagles in the option formation—leaves Oak Park with something to improve upon.

Also needing improvement is tempering the aggressiveness of the pass-rush, said the coach.

"Everybody was overly aggressive. We need to be controlled in our pass-rush," Billingsley said.

About the team’s running attack, Billingsley said, "Our run-blocking wasn’t real good in the first half, but was very good in the second half."

The Oak Park head coach was satisfied with all other aspects of the game vs. Kern Valley.

"You could tell the kids were ready to play," he said, noting that Oak Park took the opening kickoff and drove 78-yards for a touchdown on the first drive of their season. "Other than the option pitches, everything went pretty well."

Quarterback Peter Burns, a 5-foot-10, 150-pound senior, played the majority of the game vs. Kern Valley, but junior Nolan McNair (6-0, 155) also played and Billingsley said both will continue to get playing time.

"They both need game experience," he said, "and the only way you can get that is to switch them now and then." Billingsley said Burns looks better as a passer right now, but that McNair handles the option a little better.

The Eagles’ coach was pleased with his receiver corps for their catches, routes run and for their blocking. "This might be one of the best blocking years we’ve had from the receivers in a long time."

Mike Wildt and Clevant Derricks, both senior wide receivers, were praised by their coach.

The Eagle running backs, including tailbacks Anthony Monteleone, a senior who scored one rushing TD and one receiving TD, junior Mike Christensen and senior Danny Martinez, as well as fullbacks senior Colin Hamilton and junior Chris Clasby also played well, said Billingsley.

Monteleone ran for 65 yards on 13 carries and had three receptions for 91 yards.

Also playing well were senior linebacker Nick Ply, senior inside linebacker Kevin Walkow and offensive tackle/defensive end Spencer Johnson, a senior as well.

Still, the Oak Park coach said defense sparked the win over Kern Valley. "The defense spearheaded everything," Billingsley said. "We got very, very good field position because the defense played so well."

Oak Park didn’t punt the entire game.

Concerning the contest tomorrow night vs. nearby Calabasas, Billingsley said, "Our kids know a lot of their kids and we have a real respect for their team and their coaches. I wouldn’t call it a rivalry, but it’s kind of for bragging rights and that type of thing."

Lancers win as

seniors come up big

The Thousand Oaks Lancers football team is without quarterback Ben Olson (BYU), Dave Anderson (Colorado State) and Kevin Rex (Cornell) among other key players who graduated last year, and in the opener vs. Crescenta Valley, T.O. was without starting QB Brad Sievert.

Still, the Lancers won, 27-16, without Sievert, who broke his collarbone (non-throwing side) in a preseason scrimmage vs. Ventura and is expected to miss about a month of the season.

Corey Mazza came up big in the opening game.

Mazza, who had established himself as a big-time player last year, scored two touchdowns (on a screen pass from junior QB Chris Owens and an interception on the next play, good for 79 yards).

"Corey has been making interceptions and catching touchdowns for two years," said T.O. head coach Mike Sanders. "We expect those plays out of him and he stepped up at a crucial point in the game. Those are the plays you expect to have out of your seniors."

The Lancer coach was pleased with his team.

"Obviously you want to start your season on a plus note," said Sanders. "It’s good to be able to go out and make first-game mistakes and still come away with a win. With (Sievert) out, we had to make some adjustments. It gave us a chance to see some things we need to clean up."

Ryan Sandlin, a senior running back, should be back for today’s game vs. Buena at Larrabee Stadium in Ventura, despite slightly spraining an ankle in the season-opener vs. Crescenta Valley.

"I like playing Buena, it’s a great county game," Sanders said. "It’s another great program with a great coaching staff, and it’s good for us to keep testing ourselves to continue to improve."

Sanders hopes his squad can show the same strengths in Week Two as in the opener.

"Our special teams were very strong again with Jesse (Ainsworth, the place kicker and punter)," said Sanders. "Our defense played very well against a potentially potent offense. They’ve (Crescenta Valley) got a great scheme and a good coaching staff."

The Lancer coach said the T.O. offense has room for improvement and time to gel after the loss of last year’s QB, two receiving threats and a significant portion of the offensive line.

"Our offense wasn’t as consistent as I would like it to be," Sanders said. "But that’s understandable. But I was pleased with our play-action passing game and our screen game was really good, which is what we got most of our yards off of."

Though two of three field goals—all lengthy—were missed by Ainsworth, Sanders said long field goals should be a strong suit all year.

At defensive end, Ainsworth forced two fumbles and rushed the quarterback well (two sacks). Sanders named him Defensive Player of the Game.

The Lancer coach warned his players not to be too content with an opening victory.

"…Be pleased with yourself but don’t be satisfied because we’ve got a long ways to go," Sanders said.