The High Schools : Newbury Park Matches Thousand Oaks in Defense Department

It is no surprise that Thousand Oaks High is winning games with a big push from its defense. That was supposed to happen.

But the exemplary play of Newbury Park’s defense, which has given the Panthers an equally fast start, is unexpected. The Panthers, 3-6-1 last season, have matched the Lancers tackle for tackle. Holding the two up to the light, the Marmonte League rivals look very similar. The following is an early-season comparison:

Thousand Oaks has allowed 27 points, Newbury Park 10 (seven on an interception return for a touchdown). Thousand Oaks has allowed an average of 133.5 yards, Newbury Park 159.5. The Lancers have played four Division II teams, Newbury Park has played three from Division II and one from Division VIII.

Opponents of Thousand Oaks have a combined record of 6-9-1. Those of Newbury Park are 8-7-1. Each team has two shutouts and sports a record of 3-0-1, 1-0 in league play.

Buena Coach Rick Scott has seen both defenses. And both times his team left the field without scoring a point.

His opinion?

“Thousand Oaks has more balance,” he said. “They don’t have a real weak spot on their defense. They’re really tough to attack and have a good man-to-man defense, which you don’t find very often in high school football. Personnel-wise, across the board, they’re better.

“Newbury Park has more size, their secondary is weaker, but they make up for it with a better pass rush.”

The Panthers will play at Thousand Oaks on Nov. 9, the final week of the regular season.

Back on firm ground: It took approximately 30 minutes for the thrill of last week’s 39-36 defeat of Crenshaw to wear off, Kennedy Coach Bob Francola said.

His team rallied for nine points in the final 17 seconds to steal a victory--Kennedy’s first in three games--but a scant few minutes afterward, Francola’s thoughts were on his team’s defense.

Or lack thereof.

“I can’t help but think about all of the things our defense is doing wrong,” Francola said. “There were several times we really needed to stop them, and we didn’t. That is very disappointing.”

Crenshaw rushed for 294 yards, these days a trend for teams playing the Golden Cougars. In three games, Kennedy’s defense has surrendered 1,077 yards.

Flattery gets you nowhere: Francola and Taft Coach Tom Stevenson met and exchanged game films Saturday morning as they began preparation for tonight’s game.

Then they exchanged pleasantries.

“He was highly complimentary,” Francola said of Stevenson, who watched Kennedy’s improbable defeat of Crenshaw, in which Kennedy tailback Ontiwaun Carter rushed for 267 yards and four touchdowns. “So much so that it made me real nervous.”

Then they exchanged . . . cash?

“He offered me money to pass rather than run,” Francola cracked.

Pathon’s place: After a slow start, Glendale’s Pathon Rucker gained 237 yards against Bell-Jeff and 173 against Burroughs. The sophomore tailback has temporarily alleviated the loss of Corey White, Glendale’s top back who transferred to San Diego.

In the Dynamiters’ first two games--setbacks to Alhambra and La Canada--Rucker carried the ball a combined seven times for 17 yards. Glendale evened its record with wins over the Guards and the Bulldogs, games in which Rucker carried 17 and 28 times.

“I know he has good speed but I’m surprised about the vision he’s had,” Coach Don Shoemaker said. “I hate to make comparisons but Pathon’s got a burst of speed that we haven’t had in a long time.”

Twist of fate: Marlowe Lewis wasn’t supposed to be the quarterback at Grant this year. He wasn’t supposed to steal the spotlight from senior tailback Shawn Booker either.

But, three weeks into Grant’s unbeaten season, Lewis, put simply, is the Lancers.

It started before the season, when starting quarterback Andy Wells broke his ankle. Lewis, who was slated to be a slotback-receiver, was moved to quarterback.

And when opening day rolled around, Booker was hobbled by a badly twisted ankle. So what did Grant Coach Bill Foster do? He let Lewis take over. The results:

Game one, a 23-21 win over Narbonne: Lewis throws a two-yard touchdown pass, intercepts a Narbonne pass, scores on a 70-yard run, and runs for a pair of two-point conversions. He has a hand in 16 of 23 Grant points and 181 of Grant’s 203 yards.

Game two, a 20-7 win over Marshall: Lewis scores on a seven-yard run, leads the team in rushing with 61 yards and returns a blocked field-goal attempt 69 yards for a touchdown.

Game three, a 32-7 win over Marshall Fundamental: A healthy Booker leads Grant rushers with 123 yards, but Lewis throws touchdown passes of 66 and nine yards and runs one yard for a score.

Playing footsie: Rich Corso has little tolerance when it comes to shallow-end pools.

That’s why, when his Harvard water polo team plays a match in one, he pulls All-American goalie Larry Bercutt in favor of John Cotter, the goalie for the junior varsity soccer team last season.

Cotter, among the first drivers off the Saracen bench, played goalie in Harvard’s recent 14-8 victory over St. Francis.

“It screws up Larry’s timing,” Corso said of shallow-end pools.

“John has good hand-eye coordination, and it’s like playing soccer in the rain.”

The linemen who could: Frank Greminger is not surprised that his Agoura team has three wins. It’s the way the Chargers are doing it that has his attention.

Not graced with the size to challenge teams from higher divisions, Agoura’s offensive linemen have become technicians--able to leap tall defensive tackles with a single block. All three wins have come against teams from Division II and III teams. Agoura is a Division VIII team.

“We’re moving the ball on the ground much better than I anticipated,” Greminger said. “The kids are smart and they can make adjustments in the game.”

The line--from left to right, Mike Cavalier, Marc Kubasak, Chris Bluth, Billy Osburn, Travis Gepson and Chris Ostwald--averages 5 feet, 11 1/2 inches and 185 pounds.

Medical report: Montclair Prep linebacker-kicker Chris Portugal will miss as many as four weeks because of ligament damage to his knee, according to Coach George Giannini. Portugal, a sophomore, was listed as the Mounties’ No. 2 tailback; fullback Derek Sparks will be the backup tailback to Michael Jones.

Staff writers Tim Brown, Steve Elling, Sam Farmer and Brian Murphy contributed to this notebook.