Lancers Record 4th Shutout

After a game in which its air of football invincibility might have slipped a bit, Thousand Oaks High returned Friday night to re-establish itself as the class of the Marmonte League.

And Westlake, which for four weeks had played far better than it had after an 0-3 start, plain took one on the chin.

Thousand Oaks, by virtue of its school-record fourth shutout, rolled over the Warriors, 25-0, at Thousand Oaks High.

It was a game in which Westlake quarterback Todd Preston was sacked six times--three by defensive end Bassam Kneizeh. In addition, Thousand Oaks quarterback Scott Peterson outgained league-leader Preston in passing yardage, 136 yards to 109, and the Lancers limited the Warriors to minus-26 yards rushing while gaining 236 yards themselves.

All this after an uninspiring victory over Royal that contributed to Thousand Oaks being knocked from its perch as the top-ranked team in Southern Section Division II.

The devastation of Westlake (2-5-1 overall, 2-2-1 in league play) also included the return of Mike Lindsay as a factor in the Lancers’ rushing game. The transfer from Westlake had 130 yards and a touchdown in 20 carries.

Peterson tossed first-half scoring passes of 26 and 25 yards to receiver Jim Magallanes, and fullback David Acosta had 46 yards and a second-half touchdown in 11 carries.

“I just think the kids did a much better job of preparing themselves than they have,” Thousand Oaks Coach Bob Richards said. “They focused on this game very well.”

The focus, as usual for the Lancers (7-0-1, 5-0), was defense. And the key was getting to Preston, who had shredded many a secondary on the way to 1,162 yards passing and 11 touchdowns.

“We didn’t get to him to start with,” defensive coordinator Rob Elliott said. “I think we wore them down a little in the end.”

Better known for its don’t-bend-or-break defense, Thousand Oaks intercepted Preston passes in the end zone twice in the first half. Ronnie Cruz picked off the first late in the first quarter after Steve Rudisill tipped a pass away from Westlake receiver Seamus Gibbons.

Magallanes turned the trick early in the second quarter.