Change of pace

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers FLOOR GENERAL- Agoura High senior point guard Doug Shumway drives the lane against Royal during Monday's Charger victory. Shumway was also the starting quarterback for AHS this year. During practice last week Agoura High head boys' basketball coach Joe Riccio decided to install a full-court press into his team's defensive scheme.

Monday night against Royal High, the change paid off.

Down 23-13 at home to the Highlanders, Riccio instructed his Chargers to use the full-court press. The move provided dividends immediately, as AHS went on a 19-0 run en route to a 59-46 victory.

"In the huddle before the second quarter started, our coach told us we needed to step up on defense," senior forward Ben Ricard said. "We just started using a fullcourt press in practice, and I'm glad we did because it led to easy offensive layups.

"The best offense sometimes is a good defense."

The win gave the Chargers a 3-1 record in the Marmonte League and a 10-6 mark overall heading into Wednesday night's game against Thousand Oaks.

AHS was one victory short of its league total from a year ago.

Although AHS had started strong, Riccio decided to make the defensive change after watching his squad lose consecutive games in the Santa Barbara Holiday Tournament two weeks ago.

"We started out the season scoring at will, but in the Santa Barbara tournament we began to struggle on offense," Riccio said.

"I figured it was a good time to make a switch on defense. Once people started to buy into it, it became a feeding frenzy. Everyone saw that it could lead to easy baskets."

The move especially helped senior quarterback-turned-point guard Doug Shumway on Monday night.

With Agoura trailing 23-22 in the second quarter, Shumway stole an inbound pass and banked in a layup to give AHS its first lead of the game. Moments later, he blocked another inbounds pass and scored to add to his team's advantage.

Shumway, who scored 12 points against Royal, is averaging 9.3 points per game. He also leads the team in assists (61) and steals (40).

"Shumway brings a lot to this team," junior center Kevin Graf said. "This is his third year on varsity, so he definitely knows what he's doing."

Riccio agreed with Graf.

"Shumway is the most competitive player on this team," Riccio said. "He's our floor general, and when he sets his mind to something there's nothing he can't do."

The Chargers' leading scorer is Ricard.

Ricard, who scored a teamhigh 13 points against Royal, is averaging 16 points per contest. His 8.3 rebounds per game rank second on the team to junior center Michael Hatch, who's grabbing 8.8 boards per contest.

"Ricard has really improved since his junior year, and I attribute that to his play over the summer," Riccio said. "Not only did he practice with us five days a week, he also played with a traveling team that went all over the country. You can tell now that he is more experienced against higher caliber players."

Another player Riccio said is improving is Graf. Graf, known for his standout play on the offensive line for the Charger football team, is averaging 7.1 points and five rebounds per game. Against the Highlanders, Graf scored 12 points.

"Graf is another fierce competitor," Riccio said. "He never wants to come out of the game. His footwork needs to improve a little bit, but he's coming around."

The Chargers' second-leading scorer is senior guard Nathan Levy, who Riccio called the team's biggest surprise.

"Levy is the steadiest player on the team," Riccio said. "He plays great defense all game, and he can score inside and out. He plays 100 percent all the time. One thing I never have to coach him on is hustle."

Other players contributing for the Chargers have been seniors Adam Azoff, Cody Fusina, Steven Mehr, Peter Diaz, Adam Speciale and Ian Franzino.

Riccio said having many weapons is a big reason for Agoura's quick start.

"I've been coaching for eight years at Agoura, and I compare this team to my first one," Riccio said. "I've had a couple great players here and there on my teams, but only twice have I had two or three high-caliber players. In this league, you need at least three highcaliber players to win league."

Agoura hasn't won a Marmonte League title since claiming backtoback championships in 1994 and 1995. Ricard believes this year's squad has a chance to end the drought.

"Last year we had five juniors that really cared about winning and five seniors that didn't," Ricard said. "Now those five seniors are gone and we've had a fresh new start where everyone wants to win. I definitely think we're a solid team that can get first or second in this league."

Although Agoura would like a Marmonte League title, Riccio was quick to acknowledge Simi Valley High as the team to beat.

"They're tough," Riccio said. "They're fundamentally sound in all areas of the game. They're 10to-12 guys deep, and it's going to be very difficult to beat them."

The Chargers play at home against Moorpark Friday night, with game time set for 7:30 p.m.