The Acorn's High School Football Game of the Week
Agoura Chargers (5-3) at Westlake Warriors (5-3) Friday, 7 p.m.
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers HAPPY TIME- Agoura quarterback Doug Shumway celebrates a touchdown with Nick Rubin during last week's win over Royal.

Fans attending Friday's football game between Agoura and Westlake high schools expect to see a well-played contest by two teams fighting for a Marmonte League title.

If history tells us anything, they can also expect to relive the spirit of Rod Serling.

The late writer and creator of "The Twilight Zone" would've been right at home watching the Chargers and Warriors play. The teams have recently had two finishes stranger than anything you may have seen on Halloween.

Three years ago Westlake beat Agoura 30-27 on what is known as "The Play."

With time expiring in regulation, Westlake's Jeff Rapoport scored the gamewinning touchdown on a kickoff, avoiding would-be tacklers, opposing coaches and fans along the way.

Agoura protested that Rapoport's knee was down, but to no avail. The Play was so bizarre that it was chosen as the play of the week on ESPN.

Following a 44-14 beat down at Westlake in 2005, the Chargers' luck didn't get any better last season.

With WHS up by three points in double overtime, Agoura running back Matt Bradley dove from the 2yard line for the potential game-winning score, only to have the ball pop out of his hands into the end zone. Westlake recovered, and after much debate, the officials finally ruled a touchback, giving the Warriors the win.

After the loss last year, Agoura head coach Charlie Wegher expressed his frustrations with another controversial ending.

"What can I say," Wegher said. "I've got a blueandorange monkey on my back that will just not get off."

The head coach, who played quarterback for the Warriors in 1982 when they won their first Marmonte League championship, has not beaten his former school in 11 straight contests.

After upending Royal High 2820 on the road last Saturday, the Chargers will now look to end their long losing streak at the hands of Westlake. Agoura's USCbound junior offensive lineman Kevin Graf said getting motivated to play the Warriors wouldn't be difficult.

"It'll be real easy to get focused in practice this week," Graf said. "I mean, it's Westlake. They are definitely our biggest rival."

For Agoura to win, senior quarterback Doug Shumway must play well once again.

Thanks to offensive linemen Austin Champlain, Nick Rubin, Chris Lees, James Barmasse and Graf, Shumway was able to rush 21 times for 169 yards and two touchdowns against Royal. He also passed for a pair of scores.

Agoura's defense will have its hands full with another quarterback playing well of late- Warrior senior Nick Owens. Owens has 1,250 passing yards this season, many of them to wideout Curtis Peterson, who has 42 receptions for 643 yards and six scores.

The Warriors have won three games in a row and moved to 4-1 in league after defeating Thousand Oaks 17-14 last week thanks to a 50-yard field goal by Jordan Mannisto as time expired.

WHS head coach Jim Benkert expects a hard-fought contest.

"We need to make sure we don't have a letdown after our win against Thousand Oaks," he said. "It'll be homecoming week for us, and there can be a lot of distractions during that time. They've got a real good football team there at Agoura, and we need to come in ready to play."