Agoura Boys <i> and </i> Girls Soccer Teams Reach Southern Section Finals : Among the Best in Their Fields

During Agoura High’s Southern Section soccer playoff game against Elsinore on Tuesday night, Coach Marc Berke wore a path along the sideline. He walked back and forth, stopping occasionally to mutter at an official, and to scream out instructions and encouragement to his players.

But who needed it? The Chargers breezed to a 4-0 win in the 1-A semifinal. The win meant Agoura, 18-1-2, would play Frontier League-rival Calabasas in Saturday’s final. Agoura has already beaten the Coyotes three times this season.

“I have a certain amount of knowledge about soccer,” Berke said. “But most of these kids are beyond what I can teach them. They already know as much as I do.

“Some of them have traveled around the country and worked with coaches who really know the game. They are to the point where they need a college coach.”

Berke said five of his seniors will play in college. Fullback Kevin Jauch and midfielder Grant Landy will attend the U.S. Naval Academy. Fullbacks Scott Spears and Jim Shelton are headed for UC Santa Barbara and halfbacks Rich DuPlain and Mike Nielsen will play at UC San Diego and Fresno State, according to Berke.

“Kevin and Grant are two of the top players in the country,” Berke said. “Kevin is nationally known.

“We’re seeing the benefits now of strong youth programs in our area,” Berke said. “By the time players get to high school, they’ve already played 10 years.

The youth soccer programs have contributed to the success of the school’s girls team, too. Agoura, in fact, is the first school in Southern Section history to have both its boys and girls teams playing in championship games in the same season.

The girls team defeated Moorpark, 5-2, in the semifinals and will play Oak Park for the 2-A title on Saturday. Agoura beat Oak Park earlier this season, 4-0.

“On Saturday afternoons out here,” Berke said, “eight out of every 10 kids are playing soccer.”

Berke did not become involved in soccer until his son, Mike, started playing at age 5. He admits that soccer wasn’t his favorite sport, but he volunteered as a coach anyway.

His qualifications? “I read some books and watched soccer on the Mexican channel.”

Agoura’s only loss this season came against 4-A Thousand Oaks. Ironically, Lancer Mike Berke made the game-winning assist against his father’s team in the 1-0 win.

Said Marc Berke, chagrined but proud of his son’s performance: “We should’ve won that game. We outplayed them. We think we’re as good as any team in the state, 1-A or 4-A.”

Clearly, Berke’s soccer program is on a roll.

In his three years at the school, Agoura has compiled a 52-7-5 record. The Chargers have won three consecutive league championships. Two years ago, they lost in the Southern Section semifinals. Last year, they lost in the final.

This year, a strong defense could give Agoura its first Southern Section title. The Chargers have allowed nine goals in 21 games and shut out 14 opponents.

“Our passing is what does it for us,” said Landy. “That’s what makes us better. Some teams play kickball, but we work the short game.

“Seven or eight of us have been playing together for a long time. We know each other. The program has been building up through the years.”

Like Berke, girls Coach Dave Godwin was drawn into coaching soccer when one of his children wanted to play. In Godwin’s case, it was his daughter, Dede, then 8.

Godwin, who admits that he knew nothing about the game, checked out the same books Berke read. Eleven years later, in his second year at Agoura, he has led his team to a 20-0-2 season.

Midfielder Amy Ward said the level of play is remarkably tough.

“It’s physical,” she said. “When you fall, you get kicked. You get stepped on. When you’re out there, you’re out to kill.

“The girls out here don’t wear dresses and play dolls all day. When you’re playing, you’re like an animal. You kick butt. There are times when you want to hurt people.”

Ward is one of three freshmen who start for Agoura. Seven of the team’s top players are freshmen or sophomores.

“The future looks good,” Godwin said. “We had 12 shutouts this year. . . . These girls have a lot of talent.”