The Acorn’s High School Football Game of the Week

Westlake Warriors (7-0) vs. Agoura Chargers (5-2) Friday, 7 p.m.


TENACIOUS  DEFENSE-Westlake  linebacker  Bradley Wangerin, right, lays a big hit on Thousand Oaks quarterback Ryan Cloney during last weekend's 17-7 Warrior victory. In our Marmonte League games, Westlake has allowed only 41 total points. This week, WHS travels to rival Agoura.

TENACIOUS DEFENSE-Westlake linebacker Bradley Wangerin, right, lays a big hit on Thousand Oaks quarterback Ryan Cloney during last weekend’s 17-7 Warrior victory. In our Marmonte League games, Westlake has allowed only 41 total points. This week, WHS travels to rival Agoura.


Two Marmonte League rivals heading in opposite directions will lock horns Friday night when Agoura hosts Westlake in a matchup with major postseason implications.

For the Chargers, losers of their last two games following a 5-0 start, success against the Warriors will depend on getting back to the basics, head coach Charlie Wegher said.

“I don’t care who we’re playing,” Wegher said. “I don’t care if it’s Westlake, I don’t care if it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers. Right now we are going to do two things: We’re going to be physical and we’re going to be disciplined. That’s it. I don’t care who it is. That’s all we’re talking about in the (team) room right now.”

Wegher was unhappy with his squad’s performance at home last week against Royal, a game the Chargers lost 10-7 on homecoming night.

If Agoura doesn’t come up with a better offensive effort against undefeated Westlake, the Chargers could be in peril of not even qualifying for the postseason, something that would’ve seemed unthinkable just two weeks ago.

“If we lose this game, we’re probably going to be sitting home for the playoffs,” Wegher said. “Bottom line.”

Westlake hasn’t lost to Agoura since 1995, and with the way the Warriors are playing right now-getting major contributions from a variety of players-they’ll have both history and momentum on their side entering this contest.

“It’s on us to show our coaches that what they’re teaching us and what we’ve been preparing for will prevent us from losing and breaking traditions,” WHS senior defensive tackle Tyrone Duncan said.

At 6-foot-2 and 290 pounds, Duncan has been a big force in the middle of a Westlake defense that’s allowing only 11.7 points per game this season, lowest in the Marmonte League.

Duncan credits WHS defensive coordinator Mike Leibin and defensive line coach Ryan Dyer for having the unit ready to play each and every week.

“Coach Leibin goes over everything with us,” Duncan said. “He breaks down every single play of the opposing offense. There’s nothing left. He breaks it all down and teaches it to us.”

In past seasons, Agoura’s been known as a finesse team that can put up huge offensive numbers.

This year, however, when they’ve been successful, the Chargers have beaten up foes with big bodies in the trenches, a bruising running back in senior Matt Bradley, and a defense that features a strong linebacking corps.

“We have to mentally be ready for a tough game,” Westlake head coach Jim Benkert said. “For all the hype Agoura has had for putting points on the board, their defense is solid.

“Their offense sputtered last week, but their defense didn’t,” he said.

With the loss to Royal fresh on their minds, Benkert said he expects Agoura to come out focused and ready to play. Throw into the mix a onesided rivalry, a prolonged losing streak the Chargers would love to end and postseason hopes dangling in the balance, and all of the ingredients for a hardfought game appear to be in place.

“There are a great deal of playoff ramifications for them and for us,” Benkert said. “It should be one of those great Marmonte League games.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *