The Acorn’s High School Football Game of the Week

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers STOPPED SHORT—Agoura wide receiver Todd Dilando can’t escape a Newbury Park defender during the Chargers’ 30-23 loss to the Panthers last Saturday at Pacifica High. Agoura will try for its first league win at home Friday against Moorpark. With an army of green and gold clad Musketeers scheduled to arrive on campus Friday evening, Agoura has little time to lick its wounds following last weekend’s 30-23 loss to Newbury Park.

Playing at Pacifica High in Oxnard because of the brushfires, the Chargers spotted Newbury Park a 30-9 lead until late in the game when Agoura pushed across two touchdowns to pull within seven points before the final whistle blew.

It was a nice comeback, Agoura head coach Charlie Wegher said, but it was also a game in which his team didn’t play well enough in to win.

“I don’t think we played our best game against Newbury,” Wegher said. “I think there were some mental lapses. I think the two-day layoff in practice kind of compromised our intensity. And I think it was hard to rebound from all that distraction and give that game its due in terms of intensity and focus.”

Expect to see the Chargers crank the intensity level up a few notches for this game.

They’d better, because based on last weekend’s 50-28 thrashing of Thousand Oaks, Moorpark is for real.

“I’ve watched them on film and I think St. Bonaventure and Ventura are the top two teams in (Division IV), and I would put (Moorpark) third,” Wegher said.

Moorpark sophomore running back Darrell Scott has been unstoppable so far.

Scott leads the Marmonte in rushing (734 yards) and scoring (48 points). He’s averaging 8.6 yards per carry on the season.

Against a Ventura defense that is allowing 9.8 points per game, Scott rushed for 256 yards and three touchdowns. Last weekend he gouged Thousand Oaks for 245 yards and three more scores.

“He’s the real deal, I’ll tell you right now,” Wegher said. “He is good. We need to bring our A-game against the run, so we force them to throw it.”

For Agoura, 6-foot-6, 330pound nose tackle Steve Kennis could be a major factor in defending Scott, Dan Moran and the rest of the Musketeer rushing attack. If Kennis can chew up blockers, defensive end Eric Wells and linebackers Josh Irvin, Michael Leon and Kevin Clifford can make plays at the line of scrimmage.

Offensively, the Chargers are beginning to expect big games from quarterback Dominic Huerta, who currently ranks second in the league with 1,233 passing yards.

Huerta will face a Moorpark’s defense is fast and aggressive, Wegher said, a unit that tries to force the quarterback into making bad throws. Against T.O., the Musketeers applied constant pressure to Lancer signal-caller Ryan Cloney by blitzing from the inside.

J.T Wright continues to be an invaluable player for the Chargers.

Wright is averaging 147 receiving yards per game and has scored three touchdowns. In addition, the senior is serving as the team’s place kicker and punter. He is averaging 43 yards per punt and has connected on 3-of-4 field goal attempts.

Wright also has nine touchbacks on kickoffs.

“Putting every kickoff in the end zone, that’s huge,” Wegher said.

All three elements—offense, defense and special teams— must be clicking for Agoura to be successful against the Musketeers, the coach said.

“We have to hold them under 21 points,” Wegher said. “That’s a key thing, we’ve got to hold them to three touchdowns.”

Players to Watch

Agoura Moorpark

QB Dominick Huerta WR J.T. Wright

RB Darrell Scott

RB Dan Moran

OT DL Eric Wells George Halamandaris

DT Steve Kenis

Outlook Moorpark sent a message last weekend against Thou

sand Oaks that they’re a legitimate contender for the

league crown. If Agoura wants to be considered a serious threat as well, they need to find a way to pull this

game out at home. The Musketeers disrupted the T.O. passing attack by blitzing all night long. If they bring the

heat in this contest, Agoura must make them pay.

LB Daniel Vass-Goosby