Thousand Oaks Crushes Cinderella : Westlake’s Wing-T Is Whomped On Way Before Midnight, 21-13

It was the stuff Japanese B movies are made of, the kind in which large herds of beasts wreak havoc on small, innocent communities.

Friday night at Thousand Oaks High, it was linebacker Gus Nelinger and the Lancer wrecking crew crushing the Delaware wing-T of Westlake High, the Marmonte League’s Cinderella team which had surprisingly jumped out to a 3-1 start this season.

Nelinger, with 11 tackles--eight in Westlake’s backfield--and the combined running of teammates Marc Monestime and Mike Moore led the Lancers to a 21-13 win over Westlake.

Monestime rushed 15 times for 127 yards and Moore rushed 11 times for 77 as Thousand Oaks kept itself in first place in the Marmonte League.

Westlake, on the other hand, gained only 158 yards in total offense. Lancer Coach Bob Richards praised his defense, especially the 6-2, 195-pound Nelinger.

“The way they run their offense, it’s difficult to get to their backs and their quarterback,” Richards said. “But Gus led them in there on every play. He’s not just a defensive leader. I have had other players who were team leaders but not great ballplayers. Gus is the team leader and an exceptional ballplayer.”

Said Westlake Coach George Contreras: “Gus is about as good a linebacker as you’re going to find in this league.”

And Moore and Monestime are as good as any running backs in the league--perhaps the best. Each went into Friday’s game having rushed for more than 300 yards.

Monestime, a 5-10, 180-pound junior, and Moore, a 6-0, 180-pound junior, combined for 35 yards rushing on the Lancers’ third possession of the game, driving Thousand Oaks from its own 27-yard line to the Westlake 18. On second-and-nine, Lancer quarterback Steve Sisco scrambled around right end for 18 yards and a touchdown.

On Westlake’s first possession of the second quarter, quarterback Chris Lemieux drove the Warriors 80 yards in 17 plays, with fullback Rob Mandel running the final six for the Warriors’ first score.