Foster Takes the Offensive as a Fullback

Those weren’t touchdown runs, they were masterpieces of mayhem; studies in surliness.

They weren’t neat little misdirections, nifty cutbacks or fluid sweeps.

They were, simply, Mongo-mania.

Chris Foster, the Thousand Oaks High football player, was a defensive tackle-turned-fullback when the season began. Suddenly, however, he has become a punishing fullback who plays defense on the side.

Thursday night against Buena, Foster ripped, roared, banged and bored for four touchdowns and 92 yards in the Lancers’ 27-0 victory.

Most impressive were the scoring runs:

* Second quarter, 9:33 remaining, second and goal from the five: Foster takes a handoff from Scott Peterson and burrows through the right side, dragging Buena’s best defensive backs--Tony Williams and Jeff Coyner--into the end zone.

* Second quarter, 1:53 remaining, third and two from the six: No less than four Bulldogs get the Foster freeze.

* Third quarter, 46 seconds remaining, third and two from the four: Williams gets it again, this time over the left side.

* Fourth quarter, 11:03 remaining, first and goal from the four: Foster blows a doughnut hole through the right side, going the final two yards backward.

“I saw that end zone and just went for it,” said Foster, who at 5-foot-10, 210 pounds might be more difficult to tackle than a Fotomat booth. “Just seeing that end zone got the adrenaline flowing.

“I knew I was close. No matter how they pile on, I just keep moving--until I fall down.”

Buena Coach Rick Scott figured his best defense against Foster was a good offense. By having his offense throw deep, Scott thought he could tire Foster, the defensive lineman, and therefore slow Foster, the fullback.

But the plan backfired. With Thousand Oaks comfortably ahead, Foster was spelled on defense and he gained momentum on offense.

“If we were to play Thousand Oaks again--not that I want to--we’d have to play them close and have guys like Foster play every down,” Scott said. “I’ve been watching Thousand Oaks play for 15 or 20 years, and the thing they’ve done well is to take a kid who’s an offensive guard or defensive lineman and make him a fullback. And Foster might be their best find yet.

“Anyone who beats Thousand Oaks this year has got to figure a way to take Chris Foster out of the game.”

Bob Richards, the Thousand Oaks coach, has little difficulty seeing a defensive player’s dilemma, especially around the goal line.

“At that point, I think every good defensive player is taught you have to tackle him high. But you try to tackle Chris high, it’s a tough situation.”

Foster has squat lifted 700 pounds. At once. Which means that you shouldn’t park your Hyundai in front of his house.

“I work out a lot on my legs,” Foster said. “The key at fullback is driving my legs. When I went to the weight room (this summer), I went straight to the squat rack.”

It probably tried to duck out the back way.

For Foster was a driven man in the off-season, as he has been in the Lancers’ first two games and all of the practices in between. Last season, Foster was first-team All-Marmonte League on the defensive line, but as a fullback he carried only 11 times for 46 yards.

He wanted to be a fullback. So he went to work.

Richards tells of a practice day last week when the Lancers were running 200-yard sprints. Foster was first to finish two of them.

“There are a lot of faster guys than him,” Richards said. “He’s had a better practice habit than last year. Last year, he was a good gamer. Now, he’s a much better leader.”

Somewhere along the line, Foster conceded that constructive criticism wasn’t that bad.

“I think I’m learning a lot more,” he said. “I’m listening to the coaches more and not getting defensive about it.”

Interesting choice of words, considering that Thousand Oaks has been remarkably defensive. It started with a 27-0 shutout of San Marcos and continued against Buena. In two games, the Lancers have given up 87 yards--easily the least amount in the Valley area.

Foster contributed four tackles against Buena and, along with Steve Rudisill, Lance Martin and Jim Magallanes, earned a green helmet--a traditional symbol of defensive acumen at Thousand Oaks.

Still, Foster said he prefers to play at fullback.

“I’ve had a hard time breaking for daylight,” Foster said. “I usually end up running into a free safety or something. I gotta get into that open field sometime. I’m waiting to break the big one.”

Until then, he’ll settle for breaking other things. Like opposing running backs. And the goal line.