Agoura Defense Rises Up After Quarterback Is Hurt

Agoura High Coach Frank Greminger was sure his team would have to pass the ball to beat Newbury Park on Friday night, which meant he needed a big game from quarterback Scott Heflin.

But, when Heflin injured the thumb on his throwing hand, Greminger turned in desperation to his defense.

“I just didn’t know what we were going to do,” he said.

As it turned out, the Charger defense frustrated quarterback Wayne Cook and Newbury Park’s running game to defeat the Panthers, 13-6, in a nonleague opener for both teams at Newbury Park.

“I think our defense played one of the best games it has in a long time,” Greminger said. “If we could have thrown the ball I think we would have been in better shape. We thought we would throw it a lot more coming in.”

Instead, Agoura relied on running back Dave Friedl’s one-yard touchdown run with 9:42 left in the first half and his seven-yard scoring sweep late in the third quarter. The second score capped an eight-play, 67-yard drive. Fullback Doug Hastings carried for 43 yards on the march.

Agoura controlled the game on the ground despite throwing just one pass in the second half. And when the offense was unable to move the ball, the defense usually responded.

Agoura’s defensive front of Paul Berry, David Breuninger and Gary Moreno manhandled Newbury Park’s injury-riddled offensive line. Under heavy pressure most of the game, Cook completed 7 of 25 passes for 116 yards.

The 6-3, 175-pound junior showed some of the brilliance expected of him when he hit wide receiver Steve Allison for a 32-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter to tie score, 6-6.

It was Agoura’s first victory over the Panthers since 1984, when the Chargers won the Desert Mountain Conference title.

The defenses owned the first half.

Agoura took the opening kickoff and drove to Newbury Park’s 13 before Friedl fumbled and Panther defensive back Allison recovered.

Newbury Park then was forced to punt, with Agoura taking possession at its own 37. On the first play, however, Heflin’s lob was intercepted by Allison. Heflin, who did not throw a pass in the second half, was 1 of 6 for 18 yards.

Newbury Park’s Darrin Jelly led all rushers despite nursing bruised ribs suffered this week in practice. The senior gained 80 yards on 24 carries but had only 31 yards in the second half.