Buena Offense Has Nothing on Thousand Oaks’ Defense

This is no longer just a defense. At Thousand Oaks High, it’s a quest for perfection.

And nobody wants to miss any of the action.

“I’d much rather play defense,” said Steve Rudisill, the Lancers’ 6-foot, 185-pound free safety who was pressed into service in the offensive backfield Thursday because of an injury to starting flanker Scott Barkman. “It’s just a different kind of mental thinking. You’re out there going crazy like a bunch of crazy dogs.”

At Ventura High, the dogs were barking again. One week after posting a shutout in their opener, the Lancers turned the trick again with another 27-0 drubbing--this time against high-powered Buena and Coach Rick Scott.

A Scott-coached team had not been shut out in nearly four years, since a scoreless tie against Saugus in 1985 when Scott was head man at Hart.

Buena (1-1), which ran up nearly 400 yards in its opening 35-30 victory against Westlake, was held to 52 total yards Thursday. Thousand Oaks’ defense has allowed 87 total yards in the Lancers’ two wins.

“We just lost our intensity,” Scott said, “and got in the way of a wave.”

Mostly, waves of defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs. Guys like Rudisill, Lance Martin, Nick Ochoa and Jim Magallanes, all of whom returned--along with four others--to a defense that posted a pair of shutouts last season and allowed an average of 12.1 points a game.

“There was no key. It was just execution,” said Rudisill, who took over for Barkman after Barkman was taken away in an ambulance in the first half because of a neck injury. Barkman returned to watch the second half from the sidelines.

The defense even led the offense. Chris Foster, the defensive tackle who has added fullback duties to his nights of havoc, rushed for 92 yards and four touchdowns in 23 carries. The scoring plays--of five, six, four and four yards--always seemed to include several Bulldogs being dragged into the end zone with Foster.

Rudisill added 97 yards in 11 carries and sophomore Cory Bowen had 62 yards--all but two after halftime.

Thousand Oaks led, 14-0, after a first half that was nowhere near as close as the score indicated. The Lancers limited Buena to minus-two yards rushing and 25 yards passing in the first two quarters.

In fact, the Bulldogs never reached Thousand Oaks territory. Buena’s longest drive was its first, 27 yards from the Bulldog 20-yard line to the 47. But, after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Buena was forced to punt from its 35.

Jason Isaacs’ punt was blocked by Bassam Kneizeh and recovered by Neil McConnell on Buena’s 21.

That led to a missed field-goal attempt by Thousand Oaks, its second of the first quarter.

The Lancers scored on their first possession of the second quarter to take a 7-0 lead. Foster broke two tackles on a second-and-goal play from the five with 9:33 left for the touchdown.

Less than eight minutes later, he scored from six yards, this time while dragging three Bulldogs with him. It made the score 14-0.

Foster banged in again with 46 seconds left in the third quarter and finished off Buena with a four-yard run 57 seconds into the fourth.

Thousand Oaks gained 384 yards in total offense, but this night again belonged to the defense.

Magallanes intercepted two of Isaacs’ passes in the fourth quarter to preserve the shutout.

In all, Isaacs completed four of 17 passes and running back Tony Williams, who piled up 141 yards last week, rushed for 35 yards.

Asked if he had even considered the thought of 10 shutouts, however, Rudisill hedged.

“Ten?” he repeated. “That’s a goal but, hey, I can’t say. That would be nice.”