Westlake boys’ basketball squad struggles against Thousand Oaks

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers TOUGH SHOT—Westlake’s Mauro Ormedilla takes a leaning jumpshot over the outstretched arms of Thousand Oaks’ Wade Kegley. The Lancers won Monday’s game, 78-52, to remain atop the Marmonte League standings with Calabasas. The rivalry game was a rout from the opening tipoff to the final whistle.

After racing out to an 11-0 lead in the first quarter of Monday night’s contest at Westlake, the Thousand Oaks boys’ basketball team cruised to a 78-52 win over the Warriors in the first of two Marmonte League matchups between the schools this season.

Junior forward Jake Poppen led the Lancers with a seasonhigh 25 points.

Matt Luft, an all-county football selection, chipped in with 11 points for Thousand Oaks.

“It’s big to come into someone else’s house and go up big on them in the first half and keep it on the whole game,” Luft said. “A big part of that was Jake Poppen. He had a spectacular game.”

T.O. head coach Richard Endres agreed.

“He’s a very capable player,” Endres said of Poppen. “I’ve been waiting for a big game from him and he gave it to us.”

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers ALL EFFORT—Lancer forward Sean Taxter gets off the shot just before Westlake’s Jeff Schwalbach can get his hand on the ball. Westlake’s Nick Slezak’s 10 points led the Warriors.

Matt Pino had nine points, while Allen Scott and Erick Schneider each scored eight points for WHS.

Scott said his team didn’t match the Lancers’ intensity early on and gave up too many easy baskets throughout the game.

“We weren’t in it in the beginning,” Scott said. “We need to try harder next time and improve our transition defense.”

Head coach Tom Donohue said Westlake’s slow start—the Warriors didn’t score their first points until four minutes and 29 seconds had elapsed in the first quarter—wasn’t what he’d envisioned, but it didn’t necessarily mean his team was finished, either.

“It was a terrible start for us. I never expected to start like that,” Donohue said. “But I thought we were good enough to come back.

“We’re having a pretty decent season. We’ve been down before,” Donohue said. “So I wasn’t too worried about (the slow start), actually. But as the game progressed, it just seemed like they were a little more motivated, a little quicker, a little stronger, a little more confident.”

Prior to last night’s game against Newbury Park, Westlake’s record stood at 9-6 overall and 2-2 in league.

Donohue said despite a pair of early league losses, the Warriors’ ultimate goal remains the same.

“I just told them that it’s still early and we have to keep pace with everybody,” Donohue said. “Our goal in the beginning of the year was to win league, and it still is. I think it’s still possible.”

In order for the Warriors to make a push at the Marmonte championship, Donohue said, they’ll need to continue to get strong efforts from the likes of Adam Kolodney, Mauro Ormedilla, Schneider and Ben Kneller.

Thousand Oaks entered last night’s game against Simi Valley with a 15-2 overall record, and a perfect 4-0 mark in league play. The Lancers were tied with Calabasas for first place in league prior to the matchup vs. Simi.

TOHS got scoring contributions from 12 different players during the win over Westlake, proving once again that they are a well-balanced team and a legitimate threat to wrestle the Marmonte crown away from defending champion Calabasas.

“I think all but one of our players scored (against Westlake),” Lancer forward Sean Taxter said. “It’s hard for a defense to guard us when we do stuff like that.”

Taxter said the win over Westlake was a good way for his team to prove that they are for real this season.

“I think we did (send a message) to the whole league about what we can do,” Taxter said.