PRESS PREDICTION:
Westlake 24, Simi Valley 17:
Only one team (Hart) has scored more than 13 points against the Westlake defense this season. Simi Valley is coming off its best offensive game (48 points against Calabasas) of the year.
By Derry Eads, deads@VenturaCountyStar.com
October 13, 2006
Football coaches are serious. Athletic directors are nervous. Athletic budgets hang in the balance. Four leagues open their seasons tonight, joining the Marmonte League, which is two weeks into its campaign.
This is serious business as league championships and playoff appearances hang in the balance.
For the Deuce, this is the fun time for his weekly football picks.
Teams aren't holding anything back. And neither is the Deuce.Like unbeaten Agoura, Westlake, Oak Park, Oaks Christian and Santa Clara, the Deuce is riding a hot streak.
Results:
http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/vcpreps/article/0,1375,VCS_136_5066782,00.html
Westlake still unbeaten after holding back Simi
By David Lassen, dlassen@VenturaCountyStar.com
October 14, 2006
At 6-0, the Westlake High football team keeps gathering respect and wins. At 3-3, Simi Valley is getting respect — but the victories are more elusive. Pushed to the limit, Westlake needed all its defense could provide, as well as a couple of crucial offensive drives, to hold off Simi Valley 29-21 in the Warriors' homecoming game Friday night. Westlake remained unbeaten and improved to 3-0 in the Marmonte League.
Westlake coach Jim Benkert suggested his team might not have fully respected the Pioneers beforehand, but certainly does now. "We have to be prepared for that type of football game every week," said Benkert. "We look at our record, and we don't prepare in practice, and the end result is we get barely get out of here with a win."
Simi Valley, 1-2 in the league, keeps hearing praise from opponents, but the time has passed when that provides much consolation to coach Todd Borowski and his team.
"We don't want respect," said Borowski. "We want wins. "That game could have gone either way. A big play here or there, and it's a whole different ballgame."
Instead, the Pioneers were unable to capitalize on a big night by Sammy Scherr, who had two scoring receptions and an interception-return touchdown.
"We're playing these quality games," said Borowski, "but we're not getting over the hump. We've just got to keep going. We've got to keep working at it." Westlake, having more experience with that kind of work, found a way to win the kind of game it might have lost the last two seasons.
"Absolutely correct," said Benkert. "Give a lot of credit to Simi. They wanted a win, and they worked hard for it. They gave us everything we could ask for four quarters, and I told our kids we faced adversity and found a way to get it done.
"It wasn't pretty, but it's a win." On a night when the offenses found it tough to establish a running game — combined, the teams ran 66 times for 204 yards, a fraction more than three yards per carry — the only two sustained drives belonged to the Warriors, and they were decisive.
Late in the first half, Westlake mounted an 80-yard, 14-play drive that consumed 6 minutes, 32 seconds, scoring on a 22-yard pass from Ryan Campbell to Curtis Peterson to lead 22-21 at the intermission. And in the fourth quarter, the Warriors went 74 yards in 11 plays over 6:18, scoring on a 3-yard Campbell run to provide the final margin of victory.
"We just weren't clicking, for whatever reason," said Benkert. "We had some things that got things going ahead, but we had a lot of penalties that put us in bad situations, and those things we've got to fix.
Simi Valley tried to answer in the final 4:27, and perhaps send the game to overtime, but a drive from its own 30 ended when quarterback Brandon Fricke was sacked on a fourth-and-one at the Westlake 26 with 1:30 remaining.
"We just cancelled out the mistakes," said defensive end Chase Thibeault, "played as a team, all 11 of us, to try to make the big stop, and we did. ?
"We played our hearts out, I think, but we had a couple of mental mistakes that hurt us. And the offense picked it up towards the end and put some points on the board."
Simi Valley led 7-0 on a 22-yard pass from Fricke to Scherr, but Westlake by scoring twice in 1:51, first on an 89-yard kickoff-return touchdown by Byron Sells, then on a 1-yard Ryan Campbell run following an interception. Thanks to Campbell's two-point conversion after the first TD, that made Westlake's lead 15-7.
Simi Valley surged back in front with two quick scores of its own — a 34-yard Fricke-to-Scherr pass with 8:31 left in the first half, and a 34-yard Scherr interception return with 7:12 remaining. Westlake immediately responded with its first sustained drive, however, and by halftime was back in front for good.
What they are saying...
Post from WHSuperfan at home...
Simi Valley's interior defense is pretty darn good. We didn't run very well, and they had a pass rush on us all night. We won the game, but we really had to work hard for it. Kudos to Simi Valley and SimiValleyHomer for good things happening in Simi Valley, developing in what I believe a force to be reckoned with. Langston didn't run for many yards, but I do see his potential. And Royal has a big challenge this year. Good luck to all.Go Warriors 2006!!!
Edited by: MrsWHSuperfan at: 10/14/06 12:55:06 am
Re: simihomer!
Why are you still pursuing this subject? It is a slam dunk like this weeks coming game vs. Westlake. Langston Jackson had better get some help this coming Friday night. Actually forgive my slam dunk comment as I think your Head Coach is one of the finest Coaches I have had the pleasure of working with. He is a true gentleman and it will be nice to go and say hello to him this coming Friday night.
Edited by: WestlakeHomer at: 10/8/06 8:47:45 pm
Crash The Boards
simihomer
Westlake 24, Simi Valley 17:
Only one team (Hart) has scored more than 13 points against the Westlake defense this season. Simi Valley is coming off its best offensive game (48 points against Calabasas) of the year.
By Derry Eads, deads@VenturaCountyStar.com
October 13, 2006
Football coaches are serious. Athletic directors are nervous. Athletic budgets hang in the balance. Four leagues open their seasons tonight, joining the Marmonte League, which is two weeks into its campaign.This is serious business as league championships and playoff appearances hang in the balance.
For the Deuce, this is the fun time for his weekly football picks.
Teams aren't holding anything back. And neither is the Deuce.Like unbeaten Agoura, Westlake, Oak Park, Oaks Christian and Santa Clara, the Deuce is riding a hot streak.
Results:
http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/vcpreps/article/0,1375,VCS_136_5066782,00.html
Westlake still unbeaten after holding back Simi
By David Lassen, dlassen@VenturaCountyStar.com
October 14, 2006
At 6-0, the Westlake High football team keeps gathering respect and wins. At 3-3, Simi Valley is getting respect — but the victories are more elusive. Pushed to the limit, Westlake needed all its defense could provide, as well as a couple of crucial offensive drives, to hold off Simi Valley 29-21 in the Warriors' homecoming game Friday night. Westlake remained unbeaten and improved to 3-0 in the Marmonte League.
Westlake coach Jim Benkert suggested his team might not have fully respected the Pioneers beforehand, but certainly does now. "We have to be prepared for that type of football game every week," said Benkert. "We look at our record, and we don't prepare in practice, and the end result is we get barely get out of here with a win."
Simi Valley, 1-2 in the league, keeps hearing praise from opponents, but the time has passed when that provides much consolation to coach Todd Borowski and his team."We don't want respect," said Borowski. "We want wins. "That game could have gone either way. A big play here or there, and it's a whole different ballgame."
Instead, the Pioneers were unable to capitalize on a big night by Sammy Scherr, who had two scoring receptions and an interception-return touchdown.
"We're playing these quality games," said Borowski, "but we're not getting over the hump. We've just got to keep going. We've got to keep working at it." Westlake, having more experience with that kind of work, found a way to win the kind of game it might have lost the last two seasons.
"Absolutely correct," said Benkert. "Give a lot of credit to Simi. They wanted a win, and they worked hard for it. They gave us everything we could ask for four quarters, and I told our kids we faced adversity and found a way to get it done."It wasn't pretty, but it's a win." On a night when the offenses found it tough to establish a running game — combined, the teams ran 66 times for 204 yards, a fraction more than three yards per carry — the only two sustained drives belonged to the Warriors, and they were decisive.
Late in the first half, Westlake mounted an 80-yard, 14-play drive that consumed 6 minutes, 32 seconds, scoring on a 22-yard pass from Ryan Campbell to Curtis Peterson to lead 22-21 at the intermission. And in the fourth quarter, the Warriors went 74 yards in 11 plays over 6:18, scoring on a 3-yard Campbell run to provide the final margin of victory.
"We just weren't clicking, for whatever reason," said Benkert. "We had some things that got things going ahead, but we had a lot of penalties that put us in bad situations, and those things we've got to fix.
Simi Valley tried to answer in the final 4:27, and perhaps send the game to overtime, but a drive from its own 30 ended when quarterback Brandon Fricke was sacked on a fourth-and-one at the Westlake 26 with 1:30 remaining."We just cancelled out the mistakes," said defensive end Chase Thibeault, "played as a team, all 11 of us, to try to make the big stop, and we did. ?
"We played our hearts out, I think, but we had a couple of mental mistakes that hurt us. And the offense picked it up towards the end and put some points on the board."
Simi Valley led 7-0 on a 22-yard pass from Fricke to Scherr, but Westlake by scoring twice in 1:51, first on an 89-yard kickoff-return touchdown by Byron Sells, then on a 1-yard Ryan Campbell run following an interception. Thanks to Campbell's two-point conversion after the first TD, that made Westlake's lead 15-7.Simi Valley surged back in front with two quick scores of its own — a 34-yard Fricke-to-Scherr pass with 8:31 left in the first half, and a 34-yard Scherr interception return with 7:12 remaining. Westlake immediately responded with its first sustained drive, however, and by halftime was back in front for good.
What they are saying...
Post from WHSuperfan at home...
Simi Valley's interior defense is pretty darn good. We didn't run very well, and they had a pass rush on us all night. We won the game, but we really had to work hard for it. Kudos to Simi Valley and SimiValleyHomer for good things happening in Simi Valley, developing in what I believe a force to be reckoned with. Langston didn't run for many yards, but I do see his potential. And Royal has a big challenge this year. Good luck to all.Go Warriors 2006!!!
Edited by: MrsWHSuperfan at: 10/14/06 12:55:06 am
Re: simihomer!
Why are you still pursuing this subject? It is a slam dunk like this weeks coming game vs. Westlake. Langston Jackson had better get some help this coming Friday night. Actually forgive my slam dunk comment as I think your Head Coach is one of the finest Coaches I have had the pleasure of working with. He is a true gentleman and it will be nice to go and say hello to him this coming Friday night.
Edited by: WestlakeHomer at: 10/8/06 8:47:45 pm
Crash The Boards
simihomer
Re: thebrownhelmet!
Here's a sleeper for the board...Langston Jackson from Simi...if this kid had a line like Moorpark or Canyon, he would do some damage...he is a 15 year old sophmore...6'0" 195 and can run and if anyone says I am crazy (which I am), ask Oldy...he has seen the kid.
WestlakeHomer Moderator(6/6/06 3:31:51 am)
Re: simihomer
Did Langston play as a freshman? That might give us some insight on his ability.By the way what is your Head Coaches name? I do believe I have met him and have to rank him up there with the best of the best.
shortgrass Re: simihomer
www.maxpreps.com/Gallerie...b6d1b61d52
Langston played last year as a starter for Simi. Also played for the Varsity Basketball team.Also the rumor about the QB transfer is proving to be true... I know who the kid is. Thats all I can say at this time.
Cowboyupdamit
Here's a sleeper for the board...Langston Jackson from Simi...if this kid had a line like Moorpark or Canyon, he would do some damage...he is a 15 year old sophmore...6'0" 195 and can run and if anyone says I am crazy (which I am), ask Oldy...he has seen the kid.
WestlakeHomer Moderator(6/6/06 3:31:51 am)
Re: simihomer
Did Langston play as a freshman? That might give us some insight on his ability.By the way what is your Head Coaches name? I do believe I have met him and have to rank him up there with the best of the best.
shortgrass Re: simihomer
www.maxpreps.com/Gallerie...b6d1b61d52
Langston played last year as a starter for Simi. Also played for the Varsity Basketball team.Also the rumor about the QB transfer is proving to be true... I know who the kid is. Thats all I can say at this time.
Cowboyupdamit
Re: simihomer
Langston is a good kid and so is his brother. Both are great athletes. But if you put a kid like him on a Moorpark team or a Canyon team, he would never start as a running back. Too much talent on the sidelines. They would probably utilize his speed and talent on Defense.
Langston is a good kid and so is his brother. Both are great athletes. But if you put a kid like him on a Moorpark team or a Canyon team, he would never start as a running back. Too much talent on the sidelines. They would probably utilize his speed and talent on Defense.
