Myerson the Magnificent
Agoura's goalscoring machine taking the Marmonte League by storm
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers THE REAL DEAL- Agoura High junior forward Sam Myerson is on pace to shatter the school's single-season record for goals. Myerson had 24 scores entering Wednesday's match at Westlake.

For 21 years Eric Maki has held the Agoura High boys' soccer record for most goals scored in a season with 30. That record is now in danger of falling.

Entering last night's game at Westlake High, Charger junior forward Sam Myerson had already scored a Marmonte Leagueleading 24 goals. Royal High's Paris Figueroa was a distant second with nine goals.

With seven games remaining beginning tomorrow night at Newbury Park, Myerson is looking to shatter the school record.

"To break the scoring record, that would be something," Myerson said. "I really want to break the record now, but when I first started playing at Agoura it's something I never thought would happen."

In fact, during the summer following Myerson's completion of the eighth grade, he wasn't even sure if he would try out for the AHS soccer team.

"I'd been playing soccer in AYSO since I was about 5 years old and I really liked it, but I wasn't sure if it was something I wanted to do in high school," Myerson said. "Jake Bernstein was a friend of mine that was already on the team, and he convinced me to try out and play with the team over the summer."

Once on the pitch, Myerson became an immediate offensive force.

"In my first preseason game for Agoura I was so nervous," Myerson said. "I didn't think I'd be able to do anything, but then I scored a couple goals. I remember my first goal was real funny. I ran back to the bench very excited, but everyone kept looking at me and each other as if to say 'Who is this guy?'"

It wouldn't be long until the entire Marmonte League knew who Myerson was. Agoura head coach Andrew Staiano was so impressed with Myerson's offseason entering high school that he decided to put him on the varsity squad as a freshman.

"Even as a freshman, you could see he was going to be a great player," Staiano said.

"He has an ability to create space on his own. He was way beyond his years of playing. He's a great finisher, and he's very deceptive. Some guys just naturally have it, and he's one of those guys."

Last year Myerson became Agoura's No. 1 scoring threat when he led the team in goals with 15 and points with 40.

Opponents started to take notice and responded by doubleteaming the second-year varsity forward. Myerson said he knows it's tougher to score with two guys on him, but he saw the defensive strategy as a compliment.

"In a way, it's kind of a good thing," Myerson said. "It means that opposing coaches are taking notice and they realize you're playing well. I was kind of used to it from getting double-teamed on my club team.

"Now I go into games expecting to be double-teamed, so it's not really a shock. We haven't played Calabasas High this year, but I'm sure they'll do the same thing."

Myerson credits his scoring outburst to Ryan Daniels-Stock and Daniel Kellada, who play on the front line with him as forwards.

"It's a lot easier for me to score goals this year because of those guys (Daniels-Stock and Kellada)," Myerson said. "I just play through them, and they're doing a great job of finding me on the field to give me opportunities."

This season Myerson has scored multiple goals in a game seven times and at least three goals on four occasions. Myerson's biggest scoring outburst came against Paraclete High in late December, when the junior netted four goals.

"He was born with a gift," Agoura assistant coach Walter Del Olmo said. "He's a definite Division I prospect, and he's got unlimited potential."

The Chargers, 2-2-2 in league play and 1043 overall, are hoping Myerson can lead them into the playoffs.

"We've got a good team this year, but we need to do a better job focusing for an entire game," Myerson said. "Sometimes we don't take things seriously while stretching, and then we start out flat in the beginning of the game."

Now in his third year at AHS, Myerson finally realizes that soccer may be his calling.

"This is the first year where I said, 'Okay, this is something I really want to do. This is something that I'm really good at.' I think that's why I'm having a better season."

Myerson will look to inch closer to the school's scoring record when the Chargers travel to Newbury Park on Friday. Game time is set for 6 p.m.