SIMI VALLEY vs AGOURA

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Marmonte looks loaded again
League, which begins its schedule tonight, figure to be a tight struggle
By Loren Ledin, lledin@VenturaCountyStar.com September 29, 2006
Five Marmonte League football teams, led by No. 1 Moorpark High, are ranked among the top 10 in the CIF-Southern Section Northern Division.
Two Marmonte squads are 3-0 — and that doesn't include the defending champion Musketeers. Four more schools enter Week 4 of the high school season at 2-1.
As the Marmonte circuit begins its league season with four games tonight, it appears to be business as usual. The road to the playoffs looms as a six-week-long survival course and free-for-all.
"With the possible exception of Moorpark, which has great players who are well coached, I think the rest of us are going to be beating on each other," said Royal coach Gene Uebelhardt. "It will be just like last year, where we took turns beating everybody else. I've always thought ours is the best league in Ventura County, and nothing has changed this year."
Moorpark, led by running back Darrell Scott and a powerful offensive line, is regarded by rivals as the prohibitive league favorite. Calabasas, battling to snap a state-high 35-game losing streak, appears destined for the eighth spot. Every other place, including three playoff berths, would seem to be up for grabs.
"It appears to be as wide open as we've seen in awhile," said Agoura coach Charlie Wegher. "Moorpark certainly looks like the team to beat. But everything else is going to depend upon who plays the best over the rest of the regular season."
Moorpark (2-1), whose lone loss came in the season opener to highly regarded Canyon, begins its quest for a second consecutive league crown at Royal (2-1), beginning at 7 p.m. Also tonight, Agoura (3-0) visits Simi Valley (2-1), Newbury Park (1-2) ventures to Westlake (3-0) and Thousand Oaks (2-1) is at Calabasas (0-3).
Agoura and Westlake bring momentum into the league chase with impressive victories last week. The Chargers hammered Rio Mesa 26-7, while the Warriors stopped perennial strongboy Hart 28-27. Agoura, operating with a physical offensive line, settled on Matt Bradley last week as the starting running back. Doug Shumway, taking over the starting quarterback job with the suspension of Jordan Arias, has been strong and steady.
Simi Valley's Langston Jackson trails only Scott among the league's rushing leaders. With his 231-yard outburst last week against Burbank, Jackson has 408 yards, four TDs and is averaging 6.6 yards per carry. Simi Valley coach Todd Borowski isn't tempted to call his game with Agoura a pivotal matchup in the league race. "You know what? They're all pivotal," he said. "Every week, we'll be playing a game we have to win."

Other local football matchups Agoura (3-0) at Simi Valley (2-1)
Outlook: Before the season started, Agoura head coach Charlie Wegher said his squad would be balanced on offense. So far, so good for the Chargers, who've rushed the ball 101 times and passed it on 71 occasions during victories over Ventura, Camarillo and Rio Mesa.
AHS quarterback Doug Shumway has connected on 68 percent of his passes since taking over for Jordan Arias. The Charger ground game has been lead by Matt Bradley, who's averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
Against Simi Valley, Agoura's defense will need to key on Pioneer running back Langston Jackson, Simi's junior ball carrier posted 231 yards in Week 3.

New gunslinger in town Simi Valley quarterback Brandon Fricke transferred from Chico and is now starting for the Pioneers By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com
"It's been great having him this year," Borowski said. "He's got a strong arm and is very accurate, and has picked up the offense really quick. The one thing he's getting used to is the speed of the game, which is faster down here than it was where he played up at Pleasant Valley."
So far, Fricke's completion percentage has gone up every week for the 2-1 Pioneers. He's 19-for-39 passing for 213 yards on the year with only one in- terception. With Simi Valley having an outstanding running back in junior Langston Jackson, Fricke's had more time to survey the field and throw the ball.

MARMONTE LEAGUE
Moorpark's Darrell Scott is the premier running back in the league and arguably the best in the area. However, Simi Valley's Langston Jackson and Agoura's Matt Bradley are doing their best to make sure it isn't a one-horse race for the league's rushing title. Jackson and Bradley figure to be key tonight when the the Chargers travel to Simi Valley for a league opener at Simi Valley, and both are coming off breakout games in Week 3. Jackson gained 231 yards on 33 carries with three touchdowns in a 19-10 nonleague victory over Burbank.
Copyright © 2006 Los Angeles Newspaper Group

Press Prediction:Agoura 30, Simi Valley 18: Say, wasn't this supposed to be a rebuilding year for Agoura? Chargers defense has been solid. It needs to be against Simi Valley RB Langston Jackson, who has rushed for 329 yards in his last two games.

Agoura wins opener
BY LEE BARNATHAN, Special to the Daily News
SIMI VALLEY - Doug Shumway and the Agoura football team quickly discovered Friday night that the Marmonte League is a place where the statistics aren't so padded and the opposition is tougher.
Say goodbye to the first three weeks' accomplishments. Now is when you secure hard-fought wins and, quite possibly, reputations.
Against this backdrop came Shumway, a junior making his first league start and only his fourth varsity start, having taken over after Jordan Arias was suspended for violating school district policy.
Shumway marched the Chargers 70 yards in 13 plays for the decisive touchdown with nine minutes to play, giving Agoura (4-0) a 28-19 victory at Simi Valley in a league opener for both teams.
Shumway's actions came on the drive that followed Simi Valley's third touchdown, an 8-yard run by Pioneers quarterback Brandon Fricke. Shumway completed 6 of 7 passes for 46 yards on the drive, including an 8-yard touchdown pass to Matt Bradley.
"(Simi Valley) put seven (defenders) in the box, which makes it tough to run, especially when we're a four-wide passing team," Shumway said. "I changed to some quick passes and some screens." Shumway's heroics were needed, because Agoura was unable to move the ball very well. Except for a second-quarter scoring burst of two touchdowns in 21 seconds and a third score 3:02 later, Simi Valley (2-2) stopped Bradley from running freely, making Shumway the focal point. Simi Valley outgained the Chargers but was hurt by two lost fumbles and an interception.
Bradley, who ran for 198 yards and four touchdowns last week against Rio Mesa, ran for just 61 on 18 carries Friday, with two touchdowns.
Shumway, who completed 13 of 16 passes for 174 yards last week, completed 14 against the Pioneers but needed 24 attempts to do it. Still, he threw three scores, also hitting Parsa Moshiri for 21 yards and Daniel Shuman for a 34-yard score and a 14-0 lead.
Agoura's defense also stifled running back Langston Jackson. Jackson gained 60 yards Friday with a 13-yard touchdown - 171 fewer yards than last week.

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Shumway leads Agoura past Simi
By Lance O'Fallon, Correspondent September 30, 2006
Quarterback Doug Shumway threw three touchdown passes, including two in a 28-second span, leading Agoura High to a 28-19 victory over host Simi Valley in the Marmonte league opener for both teams on Friday night. Shumway, who completed 14 of 24 passes for 155 yards, had scoring strikes of 21 and 43 yards in the second quarter and his 8-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter sealed the victory.
Following a scoreless first quarter, Agoura (4-0, 1-0) went up 7-0 when Shumway threw a 21-yard TD pass to Parsa Moshiri with 9:39 remaining in the second quarter. After a fumble recovery by Eric Wells on Simi Valley's next possession, Shumway teamed with Daniel Shuman on a 43-yard touchdown pass with 9:11 left for a 14-0 lead.
Agoura increased its lead to 21-0 when Matt Bradley scored on an 8-yard run with six remaining before halftime. Matt McGinnis' intercetpion and 47-yard return set up the score.
Simi Valley (3-2, 0-1) only score of the first half came with 4:26 remaining. Quarterback Brandon Frickie threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Sammy Scherr to cap a six-play, 80-yard drive, cutting the deficit to 21-6.
Simi Valley came roaring back in the third quarter, out-scoring Agoura 13-0. After forcing Agoura to punt on its opening possession of the third quarter, the Pioneers marched down the field before Langston Jackson ended the drive with 13-yard TD run. During the drive, Frickie completed a 16-yard pass to Scherr on third-and-14.
Simi Valley trim the deficit to 21-19 when Fricke, breaking two tackles, scored on an 8-yard run with 3:09 remaining in the third quarter. Fricke's 3-yard sneak on fourth down kept the drive alive.
Agoura put the game out of reach on its next possession. Using over six minutes on the clock, the Chargers went 70 yards in 13 plays with Shumway throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to Bradley to complete the drive.
Shumway has completions to six different receivers, with Shuman grabbing three catches for 54 yards. Bradley had 61 yards on 18 carries.
Adam Fish had three sacks and Robert Mc Intosh had a fumble recovery for Agoura. Fricke completed 16 of 27 passes for 194 yards for Simi Valley. Jesse Swayze had four receptions for 76 yards and Jackson gained 66 yards on 17 carries. Copyright 2006, Ventura County Star. All Rights Reserved.

Beautiful Downtown Burbank Time!

*** "Sleeper?" ****




FOOTBALL PREVIEWS

(Week 3)
BURBANK vs SIMI VALLEY



WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday.
WHERE: Memorial Field.
RECORDS: The Bulldogs and Pioneers are 1-1.
LAST WEEK: Burbank lost to Chaminade, 46-6; Simi Valley defeated Oxnard Pacifica, 20-14.
OUTLOOK: The Bulldogs will be trying to rebound after struggling in their loss last week. Coach Greg Sobiech has been tinkering with the quarterback position, playing seniors Robert Linda (147 yards passing last week) and Keith Hoefel (137 yards) in the first two games. The two were constantly running for their lives against Chaminade, as the Bulldog offensive line had its problems protecting its quarterback. Burbank senior running back Marcus Hood has 26 caries for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Simi Valley, which plays in the Marmonte League, can run and pass, with senior quarterback Brandon Fricke and junior running back Langston Jackson leading the way. The Pioneers' only loss was a 14-13 setback to Buena.

SOMETHING INTERESTING: The Bulldog defense has been led by junior linebacker Korey Turk who has a team-leading two interceptions and 17 tackles — second best on the squad.

Press Prediction:The Deuce's pick'em winning percentage through 42 games is 69 percent

Simi Valley 35, Burbank 21:
Simi Valley RB Langston Jackson is right on the brink of breaking out for a big 100-yard rushing game. Overlooked is that Simi Valley has allowed only 14 points in each of its two games. By Derry Eads September 21, 2006

Final Results
Simi Valley 20, Burbank 10
-Burbank's Robert Linda kicked a 52-yard field goal with 7:12 remaining in the first half.
-Burbank's Keith Hoefel threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Linda in the third quarter.
-Simi Valley's Brandon Bednorski scored on a 2-yard touchdown run.
-Simi Valley's Sergei Danielian kicked field goals of 21 and 42 yards in the fourth quarter.
-Langston Jackson scored on a 28-yard touchdown run as time expired.

Thursdays Stars
By Star staff September 22, 2006
-- WILLIAM FRANKLIN, Oxnard: Rushes for 248 yards and three touchdowns to spark a victory over Buena.
-- THOMAS McCORMICK, Royal: Catches eight passes for 209 yards and one TD, and adds one interception in a win over Ventura.
-- LANGSTON JACKSON, Simi Valley: Rushes for 231 yards and one touchdown in a win over Burbank.
-- BLAKE KREUTZ, Ventura: Throws for 189 yards and two scores in a loss to Royal.
-- KYLE SHORTEN, Oak Park: Rushes for three TDs on runs of 37, 32 and 1 yards to lead a victory over Newbury Park.

Simi Valley, Jackson take action in second half
By David Lassen, dlassen@VenturaCountyStar.com September 22, 2006
The Simi Valley High football team's best attribute was resilience. But its greatest weapon was Langston Jackson. Jackson rushed for 231 yards and a clinching touchdown as time expired as Simi Valley beat Burbank 20-10 Thursday night at Burroughs High, overcoming a 10-point deficit and the loss of its starting quarterback. Simi Valley, aided by three takeaways by its defense, did all its scoring in the final 17:01 to improve to 2-1. Burbank is 1-2.
"We battled — that's all I can say," said Simi Valley coach Todd Borowski. "We were real conservative in the second half. Luckily, we've got No. 4 on our team." That would be Jackson, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound junior who had 32 carries and picked up the offensive load after quarterback Brandon Fricke went out. Fricke, leveled by a hit midway through the second quarter, was held out as a precautionary measure because of a possible concussion.
"Everyone got in a groove," said Jackson, who had 136 yards in the second half, "and we got it done."
Simi Valley's early struggles included two turnovers, as well as the loss of Fricke. "At halftime," said Jackson, "we were talking (about) the season we had last year, and the same things were happening. So we just tried to pick it up and not have that happen." Jackson had a 72-yard run to set up Simi Valley's first score, a 2-yard run by Brandon Bednorski with 5:01 left in the third quarter. He capped the scoring with a 28-yard touchdown as the Pioneers looked to run out the clock to protect their lead.
"We couldn't take a knee," said Borowski, "because there were five seconds left, and they'd get the ball back with time for a play. We've run that play a million times, and it was very successful. Our kids blocked it very well."
Simi Valley had tied the game at 10 on a 21-yard field goal by Sergei Danielian with 10:04 remaining, and took the lead on his 42-yard kick with 3:32 left. "He came up big in the end," said Borowski. "Very nice for him. He needs that." The go-ahead kick came after Adam Hernandez intercepted a pass by Burbank's Keith Hoefel with 5:34 remaining — the third straight Burbank possession ending in a turnover. Danielian's first field goal also followed an interception.
The turnovers were "way crucial," said Borowski. "We weren't doing very well up front tonight," he said, "and our defense kept us in the entire game. And then Langston, he's a kid that every time we give it to him, he can go."
Burbank led 3-0 at the half thanks to a school-record 52-yard field goal by Robert Linda with 7:10 left in the second quarter. Burbank had originally lined up to punt from the Simi Valley 35, but called time out and reconsidered. The Bulldogs extended the lead to 10-0 with 5:48 left in the third quarter, on a 25-yard pass from Hoefel to Linda.
The Pioneers finished with 305 yards to Burbank's 214. Jackson more than offset the performance of Burbank running back Marcus Hood, who carried 20 times for 129 yards.

Game 2 *** SIMI VALLEY vs PACIFICA ***

Press Prediction: Pacifica 20, Simi Valley 17: Pacifica's sophomore QB Vincent Moraga was solid in first varsity start. Simi Valley's speed makes this an intriguing game.

Real Score:
Simi Valley 20 Pacifica 14

Whadda 'bout Langston Jackson?

....Three Touchdowns and a whole lotta yards! Up, Up and away!



Simi Valley 20, Pacifica 14
By Mike Johnson
Adam Hernandez picked off a pass at Simi Valley's 15-yard line with 1:18 left to play to secure the win for the host Pioneers (1-1). A 10-yard scoring pass from Vince Moraga to Herman Young gave Pacifica of Oxnard (0-2) a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. Simi Valley's Langston Jackson scored on a 6-yard run just before halftime to tie the score.
Jackson, who rushed for 117 yards on 25 carries, scored on a 4-yard run on the first possession of the fourth quarter added a 12-yard touchdown run on the next series as the Pioneers took command.
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Simi Valley has right attitude to beat Pacifica By Loren Ledin, lledin@VenturaCountyStar.com September 16, 2006
After the Simi Valley High football team finally wrapped up its first victory Friday night in its newly renovated stadium, coach Todd Borowski liked his team's win, but loved his players' attitudes.
"We're such a young team, and you never know how they are going to react," said Borowski after the Pioneers' 20-14 non-league victory over Pacifica High. "But looking at their faces in our postgame huddle, they were sullen. Here they were, they had won the first home game in our renovated stadium, and they looked like they had lost.
"That showed me they care. They made some mistakes at the end, and they weren't happy about that. That's a sign they want to get better."
Langston Jackson rushed for 98 yards and three touchdowns, including scoring runs of 4 and 13 yards in the fourth quarter, and Simi Valley survived two late fumbles and a determined comeback by Pacifica to inaugurate its refurbished stadium with the six-point victory.
Pacifica wide receiver Raynard Pamilton hauled in two scoring passes from sophomore quarterback Vince Moraga, including a 69-yard catch-and-run with 2:26 remaining that made Simi Valley sweat out the win.
In the end, it was a outcome both sides could build upon. Youngish Simi Valley leveled its record at 1-1, got solid games from Jackson, quarterback Brandon Fricke (9 for 16, 94 yards) and its defense and built a 20-7 lead in the final period before preserving the victory on Adam Hernandez's interception inside the final 1:30.
Jackson, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound junior, said the Pioneers were motivated to win the first game played on the new synthetic surface at Bob Jacob Memorial Stadium.
"It was a big deal for us," he said. "We're pretty much a new team in our new stadium. It definitely feels good to win this one."
Pacifica, playing sound defense behind linebacker Masi Tuitama, also evened its season record at 1-1. But it may have taken a notable step forward.
Coach Donnie Rea lauded his team's tenacity in hanging tough, then scratching out a chance to win in the waning minutes. First the Tritons turned a fumbled punt by Simi Valley into a clutch pass play by Pamilton and Moraga. On fourth-and-22 from the Pacifica 35, Moraga hit Pamilton near the 50-yard-line, and the receiver sped into the end zone with 2:26 remaining.
On Simi Valley's next series, Pacifica recovered a fumble pitch at the Simi Valley 45 with 1:29 remaining. On the next play, Hernandez intercepted the pace to ice the win.
"We're turning the corner," said Rea. "Our guys battled to the end and gave us a chance to win. We hit the home run, and we fall on the loose football. We're one play away from winning this game."
Locked in a 7-7 tie after three periods, Simi Valley ultimately seized control with two short scoring drives.
Jackson finished off a six-play, 45-yard drive with a 4-yard off-tackle burst with 7:58 remaining. After recovering a Pacific fumble at the 28, Simi Valley converted five plays later on Jackson's 13-yard scoring run.

" I told ya!"


Friday's Stars
By Star staff September 16, 2006










--MICHAEL LEE, St. Bonaventure: Rushes for 211 yards on 26 carries to lead the Seraphs to their close win over Canyon.
-- DOUG SHUMWAY, Agoura: Backup quarterback completes 22 of 35 passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-26 win over Camarillo.
-- LANGSTON JACKSON, Simi Valley: Runs for 98 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries in a victory over Pacifica.
-- DARRELL SCOTT, Moorpark: Rushes for 260 yards and three touchdowns to spark the victory over Ventura.
-- MARCUS HUNT, Royal: Keys the defensive effort that garners six sacks in a shutout win over Hueneme.
-- TYLER BEVIN, Buena: Piles up 117 yards and one touchdown on 33 carries in a victory over Channel Islands.

Even he says, "Don't sleep on Simi!"
.

"LET'S PLAY SOME FOOTBALL" GAME 1

http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/vcpreps/article/0,1375,VCS_136_4994912,00.htmlSimi

Simi Valley fully motivated
Pioneers excited to play at their newly renovated stadium tonight
By Loren Ledin, lledin@VenturaCountyStar.com September 15, 2006
Sometimes, it's not merely how good you look on the football field.
It's how good your football field looks.
Simi Valley High coach Todd Borowski buys into that theory, particularly with the Pioneers ready to begin play in the school's newly renovated stadium tonight. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. against Pacifica High.
The makeover marks the first improvements at Bob Jacob Memorial Stadium in 39 years, or since the stadium opened in 1967. A state-of-the-art artificial surface with an advanced drainage system replaces the grass playing field. A nine-lane tartan track and field running track replaces the dirt oval. Borowski thinks the renovations give his players a boost, too.

"It's something the kids in our program can take pride in," said Borowski, in his second season as the Pioneers coach. "It's our goal that playing football here becomes the best possible experience for our players. Playing and practicing in a top-notch facility certainly enhances the experience for our kids." The completed renovations are merely Phase 1 of the planned project. According to athletic director Matt LaBelle, next on the agenda is the installation of new bleachers, with new press boxes on each side of the field.
To mark the occasion, a ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated for 6 p.m. Ruth Jacob, the widow of former Simi Valley High principal Bob Jacob, will be on hand, as will representatives from all Pioneers athletic teams.
"It's about time," said LaBelle. "It's something our school has needed for a long time." Just like its stadium, Simi Valley wouldn't mind an upgrade on the field. Last year's 5-5 record included narrow last-minute losses to Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks and Royal. The Pioneers opened the season with a 14-13 loss at Buena.

Simi Valley entered the 2006 season with virtually 11 new starters on offense. "We had nine guys graduate, while two other guys are playing new positions," said Borowski. "That's a lot of experience to replace. But we've got good players. We just need to make the plays."
Junior running back Langston Jackson appears to be the player to build upon. He rushed for 79 yards on 19 carries in the opener, and had an 80-yard touchdown negated by penalty.

Talk about renovation projects. Pacifica brings a rejuvenated program into tonight's matchup behind second-year coach Donnie Rea.
The Tritons put on a defensive clinic in their opening-game, a 17-0 shutout over Cabrillo. Masi Tutitama recorded two sacks at linebacker, and also rushed for 105 yards on 16 carries. Rea said he is stressing defense first with the program. "That's always been our emphasis," Rea said. "We put our best players on defense, because that's where you will win most games. Our guys will rotate on offense, but basically stay in the game on defense." After moving over from Channel Islands last season, Rea guided Pacifica to a 2-8 record. But attitudes are changing. "Our goal at this stage of the season is to play hard, and play tough," he said. "We don't talk to our guys about wins and losses. We feel like if we can stay in .
Copyright 2006, Ventura County Star. All Rights Reserved.

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Buena holds onto edge Simi Valley
By Bob Buttitta, bbuttitta@VenturaCountyStar.com
September 9, 2006
Buena High's 14-13 victory over visiting Simi Valley on Friday night was far from perfect, but coach Justin Berenson isn't complaining. "It was a sloppy game, but we got the job done," Berenson said. "It could have been 28-7 in favor of Simi if it were not for some mistakes they made, but we still made enough big plays to win. It's nice to win an opening game." Simi Valley (0-1) had two touchdowns called back due to penalties and had the potential go-ahead drive stopped midway through the final quarter when the Pioneers fumbled at the Buena 14-yard line. "We played pretty well, but we had too many costly penalties," said Simi Valley coach Todd Borowski. "We outplayed them and should have won, but we didn't. We were our own worst enemy.

"The positive is that we played some good football against a pretty good football team. I'm not happy that we lost, but I feel better about our team than I did before the game started." Buena running back Tyler Bevin's second touchdown of the night, a 1-yard plunge with 10:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, proved to be the winning margin. It capped a 17-play, 55-yard drive that saw the Bulldogs convert on fourth down three times.
They were also aided by two defensive holding calls, including one on fourth down at the Simi Valley 13.

Bevin was the offensive star for the Bulldogs, rushing 37 times for 139 yards and scoring both his team's touchdowns. Buena linebacker Freddie Simpson got things rolling for Buena midway through the first quarter, intercepting a Simi Valley pass and returning it to the Pioneers 30.
The Bulldogs turned the turnover into six points. Quarterback Ian Hooper opened the drive with a 13-yard completion to Bevin. On the next play, Bevin broke up the middle for 9 yards, moving the ball inside the Simi Valley 10. Four plays later the senior crashed into the end zone from 2 yards out, giving Buena a 7-0 lead.

The Pioneers offense made up for the turnover on its next possession, putting together an eight-play, 70-yard scoring drive. Running back Langston Jackson was the main weapon, gaining [74 yards on 19 carries.] But it was wide receiver Sammy Scherr who got Simi Valley in the board, hauling in a 28-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Brandon Fricke, tying the game at 7-7. It looked like Simi Valley had broken the tie early in the second quarter, after pulling off a fake punt as Jackson took the snap and raced around left end and up the sideline for an apparent [80 yd.] touchdown. But the score was nullified by an illegal motion penalty. Simi had another touchdown taken off the board when a touchdown pass from Fricke to Scherr was called back due to holding. So instead of leading by two scores the Pioneers found themselves tied at halftime, 7-7.
The second half started well for Simi Valley as Adam Hernandez returned the second-half kickoff 82 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, but Simi Valley failed to convert the extra point, a failure that eventually came back to haunt it. "About 90 percent of our guys are either seniors starting for the first time or juniors, so it's not surprising we had some mistakes," Borowski said. "The good news is that it's the first game and we have a lot of positives to build on."

The race is on...