Westlake and T.O. do battle with league title on the line

Westlake and T.O. do battle with league title on the line

By Kyle Jorrey

jorrey@theacorn.com

Westlake and Thousand Oaks squared off yesterday in a match that most likely will decide this season’s Marmonte League champion.

With the Warriors sitting in first place with a league record of 8-0-2 and the Lancers in second with a record of 8-1-1, the winner of yesterday’s match will be hard to overtake in the season’s three remaining games.

"Our team feels like if we don’t win this game, we can’t win league," said T.O. star striker Jason Leopoldo before Wednesday’s matchup of the two rival high schools. "Everything is pretty much on the line and we prepared like it was all week long. We’re definitely ready to play."

Westlake won the first meeting, 2-1, on Jan. 8 in a match that was played in the pouring rain. Warrior goals came by way of T.O. goalie miscues and Westlake’s much-heralded defense was able to hold off.

Since that Super Saturday contest neither Westlake nor T.O. has lost another game, and in the process, the two teams have proven themselves the cream of the Marmonte League crop.

T.O. has won five out of six and defeated its last three opponents (Newbury Park, Moorpark and Agoura) by a combined score of 10-0. Westlake, also winners of five out of six, was coming off an impressive 3-0 defeat of third place Royal.

"I was really impressed with what I saw against Royal," said Warrior head coach Bill Propster. "We basically didn’t give them any opportunities to score, and that’s what I hope to continue to see."

Though both teams were well aware of the importance of yesterday’s match, the outcome may prove more critical to T.O. than to Westlake. That’s because the Lancers currently have a .500 overall record (8-8-1), and if that record drops below .500 it would eliminate them from any wild card invitations if they were to somehow drop to fourth behind Royal and Calabasas.

On the other hand, if the Warriors somehow slipped to fourth, their overall record (15-2-3) would almost certainly get them into the playoffs. In addition, Westlake is approaching its softer part of the schedule while Thousand Oaks begins its toughest stretch.

"These last few games are huge for us, we could realistically miss out on the playoffs if we didn’t play good soccer," said T.O. head coach Mark Tietjen. "But the guys know what is at stake, they know nothing is guaranteed to us yet."