Calabasas, Agoura snag wins at tournament





DESERT STRIKE—Bryce Viole, a quarterback for the Agoura High football team, throws the ball during the Conejo Classic 7-on-7 passing tournament on June 20 at Thousand Oaks. Viole is an incoming senior.

DESERT STRIKE—Bryce Viole, a quarterback for the Agoura High football team, throws the ball during the Conejo Classic 7-on-7 passing tournament on June 20 at Thousand Oaks. Viole is an incoming senior.

When does football season start?

The answer: before summer even begins.

Local players and teams showed off their skills during the Conejo Classic 7-on-7 football passing tournament on June 20, a day before summer officially kicked off, at Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park high schools.

Thousand Oaks obliterated Newbury Park 40-6 in the championship at TOHS, an exhibition with the shared riveting suspense of a tricycle assembly manual. Kyle Peterson, Perry Martin, Max Stockstad and Kevin Howell snagged touchdown passes for Thousand Oaks in the final matinee.

Camarillo and Calabasas reached the semifinals, while Agoura defeated Royal 20-6 in the consolation final. Moorpark, which earned a share of the Ventura County Football Coaches Association Hogs Tournament title the previous weekend, participated in the Conejo Classic.

Mark Bates, head coach of Village Christian in Sun Valley, guided his team at the tournament; Bates is a former defensive coordinator and associate head coach at Oaks Christian.

It’s easy to make too much or too little of passing tournament results. Perspective is necessary.

“It’s not the whole game,” Agoura head coach Charlie Wegher said. “It’s part of the game.”

Thousand Oaks, however, has reason to feel upbeat.

Newbury Park won the Conejo Classic title last year at Moorpark College en route to winning the inaugural Camino League title and reaching the CIF-Southern Section Northern Division championship game in the fall.

“We feel real good going into this season,” Thousand Oaks quarterback Max Gilliam said.

Here’s a closer look at the local teams that participated at the Conejo Classic.

SLOW START,

STRONG FINISH

Agoura started the day warming up on Thousand Oaks’ junior varsity field.

Wegher stopped the action.

“Get that lacrosse ball out of here,” the coach said, pointing to a small white ball lounging in an unkempt patch of grass and dirt.

An assistant coach picked up the lacrosse ball and tossed it aside before practice continued.

Agoura waited two and a half hours before playing its first game because Ridgeview of Bakersfield failed to show up at the tournament. The Chargers struggled in setbacks to Valencia and Camarillo.

But the team found its mojo in the consolation bracket at Newbury Park, picking up wins against Mira Costa, Village Christian and Royal.

“At the beginning the energy wasn’t flowing,” Agoura QB Bryce Viole said. “In our last three games, everybody got pumped up. There weren’t any dropped balls, and our offense executed as it should have—and our defense played really well. It was all good.”

Viole, an incoming senior who is 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, showed nice poise in the pocket. He’s been a quarterback since he started playing tackle football in fifth grade with Agoura/Oak Park Chargers Youth Football.

Cole Miller, an incoming senior wide receiver/safety, played well at the Conejo Classic.

Zach Bartlett, an incoming junior safety and backup QB, led the Chargers with three interceptions at the tournament.

Middle linebacker Connor Harpole, cornerback Kyle Thoegersen, safety/slot receiver Morgan Koff and wide receiver/ safety Devan Dunmeyer also played well in the afternoon games.

The Chargers will get ready for the RockSolid Invitational on Sat., June 27 at Agoura. The passing tournament also features Oak Park, Newbury Park, Camarillo, Simi Valley, Grace Brethren, Crespi and Pacifica, and runs from 9 a.m. to about 2:30 p.m.

RockSolid, an Agoura-based company that sells soft-shell football helmets, is sponsoring the tournament.

Joey LaRocque, a former linebacker for Agoura and the Chicago Bears, is RockSolid’s founder.

“As the summer continues,” Viole said, “we’re looking to make sure everyone knows the plays.”

ADDITION BY

ADDITION

Casey Clausen said he was pleased with Calabasas’ performance at the Conejo Classic.

“We got some young guys some reps,” the second-year head coach said. “We have some freshmen out here. This is our last week of summer 7-on-7 stuff, so we’re just trying to come out here and get better. Overall, the kids moved around pretty well.”

Incoming junior quarterback Tristan Gebbia received the most snaps. Freshman quarterback Tripp Mitchell will patiently wait for his shot to start. Gebbia has received multiple Division I scholarship offers, including one from the University of Alabama.

Gebbia said passing tournaments keep his arm sharp.

“I’m working on reading coverages and learning where the ball’s supposed to be placed,” the gunslinger said. “You can take a lot from these things.”

Coyote receivers also made plays on the field. Incoming junior Keyshawn Johnson Jr. looked like he was in midseason form. Fellow returning juniors Mateen Johnson and Jermani Brown helped the Coyotes reach the tournament semifinals.

Brian Hightower, a 6-foot-3 transfer from Hillside High in North Carolina, settled into the area last month, but the incoming sophomore receiver looks like he’ll make an immediate impact in the fall. Fellow transfer Alec Stevenson, an incoming junior from Malibu, bolsters the defense at middle linebacker.

“We’re doing a good job of competing,” Gebbia said. “We want to win and we want it more than anything else. That’s a big improvement from last year. There’s a desire to do well.”

LET THE GOOD

TIMES ROLL

Nobody looked faster, bigger and more aggressive than the Thousand Oaks Lancers.

Kevin Howell, a shutdown cornerback and star wide receiver who will play Division I football, made his share of plays for Thousand Oaks.

Max Gilliam, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound QB who verbally committed to the Cal Golden Bears, zipped the ball through the stratosphere like Aaron Rodgers.

All the other Lancers also showed up to play ball.

Landon Alatorre, an incoming senior free safety, roamed the artificial turf gridiron as if he was the Terminator programmed to destroy Sarah Connor or, in this case, itinerant wide receivers. He didn’t get much of a chance to display his skills in the morning session. He deflected the only pass that crossed his path in the first 80 minutes of action.

“They didn’t throw to me once in the first game,” Alatorre said. “I’m getting bored out there.”

Alatorre, a returning starter, is a rangy, physical 6-foot-2 playmaker who enjoys camping and going to the beach in his free time.

“We’re flying around,” he said. “The tempo is good. Today, we came out fired up.”

Daniel Cervantes, an incoming senior slot wide receiver and tight end, is another Lancer to watch.

Cervantes, who is 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, had two touchdown catches in his first two games at the Conejo Classic.

“I feel a lot stronger and faster,” Cervantes said. “I feel more comfortable with the offense.”

Cervantes plays basketball, and throws the shot put and discus for the track and field team. He played one season of baseball as a freshman.

Perry Martin, a cornerback and running back, and Steele Ledford, a versatile kicker and wide receiver, had big days for Thousand Oaks.

Martin, an incoming senior, missed last season while recovering from a knee injury. Born in Texas and raised in Mississippi, Martin moved to Thousand Oaks in 2011. He’s an under-the-radar player whose speed could open up the fast-paced offense.

“I’m trying to get yards on offense and be physical on defense,” Martin said.

There’s no secret what Thousand Oaks wants to accomplish in the fall.

“We’re trying to win a (section) championship,” Alatorre said.

PANTHERS HEAT UP

UNDER THE SUN

The Panthers are young and hungry.

Newbury Park reached the tournament finale with a horde of speedy receivers and aggressive defenders.

Cameron Rising, a promising sophomore-to-be, and Sawyer Pierce, an incoming junior, shared time at quarterback. Pierce helped Newbury Park topple Hart in its opening matchup.

Darnay Holmes, who is one of the best prep players in Southern California, had the game-winning interception on the final play. Holmes is a wide receiver and shutdown cornerback.

“We started a little slow, but in the end we came through,” Pierce said of the win against Hart. “Darnay had the big pick. It was a fun game.”

Shane Sipes, an incoming senior receiver and safety, had an interception and a touchdown in the win against Hart.

“Getting wins is always good, but getting to know our teammates better and playing as a whole is really important,” said Sipes, who caught the lone touchdown against Thousand Oaks. “I know these are good tournaments to get better.”

Chris Brooks, a transfer from Calabasas, used his blinding speed to burn Hart defensive backs multiple times on fade routes. Brooks will be a junior wide receiver and kick returner in the fall. Tavis Valenzuela and Luke Smith hauled in tough catches.

Defensive coordinator Jason Klein said his defense looked solid throughout the tournament. His starting lineup is far from being set, however.

“We’ve got a lot of guys that we’re trading in at defensive back that are getting looks and making plays,” he said. “We have a lot of open positions. We had a lot of guys that graduated, so it’s like, ‘Who can go out and make the plays?’”

SCORPION IS

BACK ON TRACK

Colby Stevens is back.

Stevens, an incoming Camarillo senior, dazzled while running routes and snagging passes. He was shifty and elusive, and he showed great hands while being pulled, scratched and grabbed by opposing defensive backs. He got double teamed after the first two series against Valencia.

The Scorpion shared the glory with his teammates. QB Jake Constantine threw five touchdowns to five receivers against Valencia; Stevens, Casey Bash, Ryan Muscarella, Isaiah Otis and Elijah Alexander caught scoring strikes from Constantine in the morning exhibition.

“We focused on the ball and caught everything,” Stevens said.

Camarillo earned a trip to the semifinals against eventual tournament champ Thousand Oaks.

Stevens broke his leg in the fifth game of the 2014 season. He had 22 catches for 231 yards and three touchdowns before his injury. Fans should expect Stevens, who is also a dangerous runner, to produce at an even higher clip this fall while complementing a bevy of playmakers, including Frankie Tostado.

Stevens and several teammates have been training hard this offseason with Lorenzo Booker, a former NFL running back who played at St. Bonaventure. Stevens, who also stars for the golf team, played two years of basketball for Camarillo. He’s also active in a youth group at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Camarillo.

“I think we’ll have a real good team this year,” Stevens said. “We have a chance for CIF, as long as we stay healthy.”

MUSKETEERS

TRENDING UP

Nolan Easley, Moorpark’s incoming senior quarterback, might have found a new favorite target.

Dylan Barnes was on the receiving end of Easley’s passing clinic. Barnes is an incoming senior.

“We do offseason training together,” Barnes said of Easley. “We have good chemistry.”

Barnes helped pace the offense throughout the tournament. Receivers Zane Pope, Ryan Perez and Bentley Hanshaw also caught a plethora of passes. Tight ends Tanner Baker and Tyler Norman also made plays.

Though Moorpark’s offense sputtered in its quarterfinals showdown against Camarillo, the team’s playmakers looked sharp in the morning games, which included a loss to Calabasas.

“Today we’re actually down three starters and we’re still playing pretty well,” Easley said. “We played Calabasas strong and we were ahead a majority of the game. They just caught us at the end.”

The Musketeers appear poised to rebound in the fall. Moorpark’s linemen earned a share of the hogs tournament title the previous weekend.

“Our passing game was clicking and our defense was consistent,” Moorpark head coach Tim Lins said. “A lot of guys got to play today. We tried to spread opportunity around, and those guys played pretty well.”

Lins, who is entering his 17th season at the helm, said incoming senior running back Tyler Riehs impressed him on offense. Adrian Diaz, a cornerback, is a youngster to watch on defense. Diaz will be a sophomore in the fall.

“I thought we played pretty well,” Lins said. “I thought our offense, in the first three games, was pretty in sync. . . . I do see us getting better.”

FEEL-GOOD HIT

OF THE SUMMER

Royal head coach Kevin Flye didn’t expect to take home the Conejo Classic title.

“We’re not a 7-on-7 team,” he said. “We’re a running the football and playing defense team.”

The Highlanders managed to keep the scores close in most of their matches without starting quarterback Matt Sciumbato, an incoming senior. Jack Daghestanian, an incoming junior, and Jacob Ulman and Chris Hulin, both incoming sophomores, shared time throwing the ball.

“Days like this, without (Sciumbato), are great because we have to fight,” Flye said. “We’re not going to score a lot and we have to fight. It’s good for us.”

The Highlanders boast a deep roster, which means athletes will scrap for playing time.

Wesley Anusiem, an incoming junior, and Ryan Pench, an incoming senior, are wide receivers to watch.

The Highlanders’ tricky crossing patterns helped Pench get behind the coverage for a pair of 30-plus yard touchdown snags in the morning session.

The team features many seniors, but the youngsters will play integral roles in the fall.

“This year we have a lot of young guys that I think will step up pretty well for us,” Pench said. “We lost a lot of seniors last year, so these guys are stepping up and helping us out.”

Diego Reynoso, a first-year varsity player, had significant touches out of the backfield.

“We have a lot of seniors so there’s a lot of competition,” said Reynoso, an incoming junior running back. “The juniors are also really hungry. Everything is coming together.”

Flye said he’s eager to see his entire team come together on the field. Royal’s linemen earned a share of the Ventura County hogs tournament title earlier this month.

“We have our whole offensive line back except for one (player),” Flye said. “We do have to replace our running back, but we think we’re better on both sides of the ball.”


COLE MINER—Agoura’s Cole Miller hauls in a pass during the Chargers’ game against Camarillo.

COLE MINER—Agoura’s Cole Miller hauls in a pass during the Chargers’ game against Camarillo.

GUMBY—Kyle Thoegersen, a cornerback and wide receiver for Agoura High, makes a catch during the Conejo Classic last weekend.

GUMBY—Kyle Thoegersen, a cornerback and wide receiver for Agoura High, makes a catch during the Conejo Classic last weekend.

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