Oak Park Eagles (0-2) vs. Nordhoff Rangers (1-1)

— Friday, 7 p.m. at Nordhoff High School —




REJECTION—Oak Park High defensive lineman Luka Sarac blocks a field goal at practice on Tuesday. RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers

REJECTION—Oak Park High defensive lineman Luka Sarac blocks a field goal at practice on Tuesday. RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers

The Kanan Bowl pitting Oak Park against Agoura is special, without a doubt, but the rivalry between the Eagles and Nordhoff runs deeper.

In the past decade, Nordhoff is the only other team Oak Park has faced every year.

“It’s a fun game. We love going there,” said Oak Park head coach Casey Webb. “And they have great tri-tip sandwiches.”

The Eagles no longer battle former Tri-Valley League mates Carpinteria or Santa Paula, but the Rangers keep tradition alive. The teams are 7-7 in the past 14 meetings; the Eagles have won the past three rounds.

“I love beating Nordhoff,” Webb said. “Oak Park loves beating Nordhoff.”

Cam Fouts is finding his groove at QB for the Eagles.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound gunslinger threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns last weekend against Righetti, but he also tossed three interceptions. He said he’s determined to learn and recover from those miscues.

“You can’t win the game in one play,” Fouts said. “It’s about being methodical. It’s so easy to try to do too much. I’m very competitive, and I want to win in everything I do. The big thing is being smart. Take what the defense gives me.”

 

 

Fouts, who transferred from Westlake and played two seasons at Oaks Christian, notched a 4.1 GPA last semester. The honors student has been talking with Cornell coaches, and he’s putting UC Davis on his short list. His twin sister, Tatum, is on the dance team at Oaks Christian.

The quarterback will throw darts to Michael Holcomb, a wide receiver/strong safety who is coming off a monster game against Righetti. Holcomb, a junior, finished with nine receptions for 131 yards and one touchdown while registering a team-high nine tackles on defense.

Holcomb deflected praise like a pro.

“A big part of it is coaching and the players around me,” Holcomb said. “In a team sport, none of us could do this alone.”

Holcomb, an honors student who had a 4.33 GPA last semester, is active in ASB student government as the junior class treasurer. A track sprinter, he also spent two years playing high school basketball. His older sister, Kaycee, is a law student who prepped at Oak Park. She earned a scholarship in track and cross country to UC Irvine.

The Eagles’ are focused on Nordhoff, but they’re also looking at big-picture goals.

“We eventually want to win a CIF Division 10 ring,” Holcomb said. “We can do it by putting all the pieces together.”

Eight Eagles hobbled over to the training table last week, including receiver/safety Cole Mc- Creary. McCreary is out Friday.

Dylan Rodgers, a senior and two-way starter at right tackle/ defensive tackle, is one of many workhorses in the lineup.

Rodgers, the co-president of the Film Club who notched a 4.0 GPA last semester, said he’s looking forward to playing in front of a hostile crowd.

“I love the atmosphere there. That feeds our team,” said Rodgers, who’s also a “Back to the Future” fan. “I like their crowd. They’re loud. . . . Our (offensive) line has got to step up in the run game. We’ve been OK. We’ve got a lot to improve on. Everyone here is so resilient. Everyone on second or third string can play.”

Cooper Ahlers, a junior receiver/ cornerback who also plays lacrosse, has stepped up amid a flurry of injuries. He snagged four receptions for 72 yards last week.

“I was definitely a little nervous. I practiced hard, but I was definitely ready,” Ahlers said. “I’m excited for the next game.”

Ahlers plays alongside his twin brother, Collin, a safety/ special teams player who also suits up for the lacrosse squad.

A fast start against the Rangers is crucial.

“We can’t get down early,” Webb said. “Then our whole game plan gets thrown out the window.”