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The Acorn Camarillo Acorn Moorpark Acorn Simi Valley Acorn Thousand Oaks Acorn |
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The Acorn’s High School Football Game of the Week
Simi Valley Pioneers (0-7) at Calabasas Coyotes (1-6) Friday, 7 p.m.
Sean Moore, a middle linebacker for the Coyote football team, couldn’t hide his excitement for Friday’s home game against Simi Valley. “The whole team has been waiting for this game since the summer,” Moore said. That’s because former coach Lance Martin will make his return to Keith Ritchie Stadium. Martin announced to his Calabasas players with one day remaining in the 2008-09 school year that he was leaving—for the same job at Simi Valley. “He just left so shady,” Moore said. “He talked to us all the time about not quitting the team. Then he left us behind.” While some players like Moore have an axe to grind against their former coach, senior defensive tackle Jack Gerard said most Coyotes have “mixed feelings” about facing Martin. More important than revenge is earning a Marmonte League win, something Calabasas hasn’t done since 2002. The Coyotes (1-6 overall) have lost 48 consecutive league games. Squaring off against 0-7 Simi Valley gives Calabasas an excellent opportunity to snap the losing streak. “Besides Agoura, this is realistically our best chance to win this year,” said senior wide receiver Alex Hanover. Defeating Simi Valley would be a huge step in the right direction, several Coyotes said. “Everyone knows this is an important game,” Hanover said. “If we win, that shows that we’re not just a one-win team and that we can play with the big boys of the Marmonte.” Coyote head coach Larry Edwards said he thinks the Coyotes are playing well despite a losing record. The defensive and offensive lines have made the biggest progress, the coach said. Calabasas’ offensive line didn’t allow a sack against undefeated juggernauts Moorpark and Westlake. CHS has allowed only three sacks the past four weeks. “We feel confident,” Edwards said of his entire team. “We’re proud of the way our kids are responding each week. They’re practicing hard, and they’re playing hard in games. There’s no quit in them. They play just as hard in the fourth quarter as they do in the first.” Jake Hayes anchors the improving offensive line by manning left tackle. Center Michael Edwards, right tackle Richard McCuaig, right guards Chris Lee and Casey Karimi, and Moore at left guard patrol the line. Moore also leads the defense. “He’s one of the leading linebackers in the Marmonte, and he’s one of the best players we have,” Gerard said. “He has a real good feel for the game.” Emilio Perez, Rotem Drori, Hayes and Gerard have played well on the defensive line. Junior quarterback Kyle Zion is playing well and has a plethora of targets besides Hanover, the goto receiver. Other options include Shane Bick, Alex Veronos, David Sandler and Jay Saul. Saul, a senior, caught four passes against Thousand Oaks last weekend. Tailbacks Ty Kusakawa and Kevin Bensen are also part of the aerial threat. “It’s a big game,” Hanover said. “Everyone has a little more fire this week.”
“Everyone’s healthy and really excited,” Gerard said. “We’re ready to go and smash on Simi.” Players to Watch Outlook This is Calabasas’ best shot to end years of futility in the Marmonte League and to earn the varsity program’s first-ever Marmonte victory at home. Lance Martin, who left Calabasas to coach at Simi Valley before this season, returns to the CHS campus looking to keep both streaks intact. |
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