Chargers beat Panthers, play Moorpark on Friday

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn RUNNING FOR YARDS-Joey LaRocque, center, of Agoura tries to break free from a tackle by Morgan Solis of Newbury Park during Friday night's game. Agoura dominated the game, 42-0.

Despite Agoura’s 42-0 win over Newbury Park last week, the coaches for both teams say the lopsided result has its silver lining.

Tomorrow night, Agoura will be home to face the Moorpark Musketeers and the Panthers are at Calabasas looking for a win against the Coyotes. Both games have a 7 p.m. kickoff.

The Chargers are 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the Marmonte League. Moorpark is 7-1 and 5-0 in the league after last Saturday’s 49-28 win vs. Thousand Oaks. Newbury Park is 2-6 (0-5) and Calabasas is 0-8 ((0-5) after losing to Simi Valley, 48-19.

Looking ahead to Moorpark, Agoura Head Coach Charlie Wegher said, "I know they’re going to be well coached as usual, a good defensive team and we need to come out and be on our A Game. We’ll just have to take a look at Moorpark, come up with a plan and get after it."

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn GOING DOWN-Braden Lepisto, right, of Agoura, makes a tackle during Friday night's game against Newbury Park. The Chargers will host Moorpark tomorrow night in a league showdown.

The team the Chargers will encounter include senior quarterback Cody Holland, senior running back Anthony Lopez and junior receiver/linebacker Daniel Wolverton, as well as a host of other formidable players coached by Tim Lins.

"Our running game’s starting to get stronger," Wegher said. "I think the past three games we’ve run the ball much better."

In those games, Agoura beat Thousand Oaks, 49-14, and Simi Valley, 35-0, before last week’s shutout of Newbury Park.

"That’s been a thing we’ve needed to do, be able to compete at the end of the season with Moorpark and certainly getting into the playoffs," Wegher said. "I’m happy with that."

As for his team’s performance against Newbury Park, Wegher said, "I’m really impressed with our defense. This is the second shutout in a row. This is a good offensive football team that we shut out and we’re proud of that.

"I thought (senior linebacker) Clay Matthews had a good game. (Senior wide receiver) Joey LaRocque had a good game. Our defensive front, all those kids, (senior defensive linemen) John Terndrup and Cameron Fraser, those guys did a good job."

Agoura’s initial touchdown came in the first quarter by LaRocque on a 26-yard run with 40 seconds remaining. In the second quarter the Chargers got two more TDs, the first on LaRocque’s 5-yard run with 4:59 on the clock and on a 35-yard interception return by senior linebacker Clay Matthews at 4:42.

With a 21-0 halftime bulge, Agoura doubled the score in the second half. In the third quarter,

LaRocque crossed the goal line from 4 yards out after catching a pass from senior quarterback Bryan Walker at 11:28. Walker took the ball on a keeper from the 15-yard-line at 3:18 and junior quarterback Cory Smits ran 23 yards at 9:55.

Newbury Park also has lost this season to Simi Valley, 53-26; Moorpark, 35-16; Royal, 43-35; and Westlake, 41-14.

"We got an opportunity to see a lot of people," said Newbury Park head coach George Hurley. "There’s always pluses, so we got a lot of people on the field.

I think that just about everybody got a shot to get knocked around a little bit so we can evaluate them and see how things are going and work from there. Come back and get better."

If nothing else, the lopsided score gave Hurley a chance to play his bench.

"I think a lot of people got an opportunity to play," Hurley said. "I feel real bad about a couple of kids that got hurt."

Junior offensive guard/defensive lineman Andrew Thompson left the game with a separated shoulder. "He played hard for us all year long and I feel bad for him," his coach said.

Junior offensive guard/defensive lineman Phil Bourassa sustained an injury to the bursa sac in his knee. "He may be back, we’ll see," Hurley said.

The Panthers began at quarterback with sophomore Jordan LaSecia and finished the game with senior Nick Crandall.

"(Crandall) didn’t play last year. So he’s a beginner. It’s nice to have two quarterbacks," Hurley said.

Regarding LaSecia, who was in a car accident on the way to catch the team bus, the coach said, "I am not sure his brain was entirely with the project here. He had some distractions. He almost missed the bus."

The Ken Papotta-coached Calabasas Coyotes, hungry for their first win this season, will attack Newbury Park with a team that includes seniors quarterback Keith Barrett, running back Obi Ikemefuna, tight end Eric Polansky and tight end/defensive end Rick Harrison.

Although on the road, Hurley hopes to be ready.

"We have a lot of bruised egos, I think," the coach said. "We’ll just have to gather the forces and come back after them. Start again."