Chargers’ pass attack too much for T.O., Lancers decline postgame handshakes

Chargers’ pass attack too much for T.O., Lancers decline postgame handshakes

By Ryan Smith

Special to The Acorn

In Agoura’s 49-14 trouncing of Thousand Oaks Friday night, the Chargers’ air attack had clearly established itself—and the game’s outcome—midway through the first quarter. Unfortunately, the game story was more about unsportsmanlike conduct and T.O. head coach Mike Sanders’ decision to forego the team handshake with Agoura following the game.

It’s tough to say who woke up with a sorer arm on Saturday morning, Lancer QB Chris Owens or the officials. Yellow flags painted the field like cheese heads speckle the stands at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field as the teams combined for nine 15-yard penalties.

Owens aired it out 41 times for 233 yards with one touchdown pass. Owens’s favorite target, sophomore wide receiver Matt Luft, snagged 11 balls for 133 yards including a touchdown.

Braden Lepisto was the big play guy for Agoura. Charger quarterback Bryan Walker (17 of 28 passing for 261 yards and six touchdowns) connected with Lepisto eight times for 129 yards and two scores. Senior receiver Andy Christopher caught five for 85 yards and two touchdowns.

The Chargers scored 1:24 into the contest on a one-yard keeper by Walker. The touchdown was set up by Tyler Phillips’ fumble recovery and return to the T.O. 6-yard line.

Agoura scored the rest of its touchdowns via the air. Senior Matt Schmidt caught a 29-yard touchdown pass with 9:11 remaining in the first after Ryan Ptaszenski intercepted a tipped pass. Ptaszenski would also receive a touchdown pass from Walker.

At the end of the first, the Lancers (1-4, 0-3) pieced together their first successful drive, but were stopped on the one. The Lancers would not threaten again until the middle of the third quarter.

Down 35-0 in the third, Owens and the T.O. offense used receiver screens to Luft to move the ball against a stingy Agoura defense. The 6-foot-4 sophomore, who caught only two passes in the first half for 15 yards, broke one reception for 53 yards to set up Owens’s 4-yard naked bootleg for the TD.

Junior DB Joe LaPorta intercepted Walker on Agoura’s following drive. Two plays later, Owens connected with Luft on a 15-yard fade to make the score 35-14 with 4:36 left in the third.

With the Lancers starting to show signs of life and Agoura coming off a 24-0 shutout loss against Westlake in the previous week, Charger head coach Charlie Wehger used his starting offense for two more possessions, which resulted in two touchdowns and a 49-14 final.

"We needed to get a little bit back on track. I hope I didn’t leave them in too long," said Wehger when asked if he thought Sanders’ decision was a reaction to the lopsided score. "I mean maybe we could have pulled them one drive sooner, but when they scored a couple of times. . .this kid (pointing at an approaching Chris Owens) is a pretty good football player. He worries me."

Owens had walked from the other end of the field, where his team had just broke their post game talk, to shake hands with the Agoura coaching staff. A Lancer parent also apologized to the Agoura staff for the example that the post-game snub set for both groups of student athletes.

Sanders declined to comment on his decision. Wehger and Sanders talked for several minutes after both teams had left the field and that conversation culminated with a handshake.

Agoura hosts Simi Valley tomorrow night while Thousand Oaks plays at Calabasas. Both games start at 7 p.m.