Lindsay Triggers Thousand Oaks

It is so difficult for Mike Lindsay to shake the disappointment. When he banged up his knee and underwent surgery this past summer, he promised he’d be back.

He did return, but the process has been so slow. Even given the events of Friday night at Thousand Oaks High--a 33-6 victory over Palmdale, a berth in the second round of the Southern Section Division II playoffs, 147 yards and a touchdown--Lindsay wore his best hang-dog expression.

“It’s about time, huh?” he said. “I’ve had a bad year.”

A 1,000-yard-plus rusher last season, Lindsay had only 408 in seven games before Friday. But, against Palmdale, he was all the way back.

The stutter step, the juke, the water-bug quickness--all vintage Lindsay.

“I do think Mike is starting to get it back,” Thousand Oaks Coach Bob Richards said. “I think he has really got it geared up now.”

And the offensive line. Remember those guys? Early on, when the offense struggled, the offensive line was all but forgotten. But the holes they opened against a formidable Palmdale defense were, as Lindsay said, “barnyard size.”

And just how large, exactly, is a barnyard-size hole?

“In football,” Lindsay said, “five yards is enough.”

Lindsay, of course, was not the only beneficiary of the horses up front. Guys like Reggie Nelinger, Chuck Lindsey, Charlie Shin and Neil McConnell also opened the holes for fullback Chris Foster (15 carries, 76 yards) and quarterback Scott Peterson (10 carries, 87 yards).

In all, Thousand Oaks (10-0-1) gained 433 yards on the ground and 522 in total offense. The Lancers took a 20-point lead at halftime and increased it to 26-0 in the third quarter.

Next week, Thousand Oaks plays Leuzinger, a 10-6 winner over Buena on Friday in a first-round game.

“The offensive line did a great job,” Peterson said. “They were blowing them off the line and making the holes.

“We had a good feeling we could play strong against them.”

And so they did.

The Lancer defense was its usual self, limiting Palmdale (3-8) to 141 total yards. The lone score was a 97-yard kickoff return by John Johnson--his third of the season--midway through the third quarter.

After a scoreless first quarter, Thousand Oaks took advantage of opportune field position to ring up 20 points by halftime.

The Lancers drove 40 yards in three plays for their first score--a three-yard dive by Lindsay--with 8:54 remaining before intermission. On the Lancers’ next series, Scott Barkman gathered in a Peterson pass for a 30-yard catch and run and a 14-0 lead with 5:07 left.

After a Steve Rudisill interception, Thousand Oaks went 64 yards in 10 plays for its third touchdown. Foster, healthy again after injuring his knee four weeks ago, plowed in from the one. The point-after was wide.

Jim Magallanes scored from 21 yards on an inside reverse to give the Lancers a 26-0 bulge with 5:44 left in the third quarter.

And, after Johnson did his thing on the kickoff return, Foster banged 12 yards through the middle halfway through the fourth quarter for the 33-6 final.

Top-seeded Thousand Oaks, Lindsay included, appears to be coming together, which might not be such good news for the rest of Division II.

For one guy, he figures it’s just about time.

“It’s behind me,” Lindsay said. “I just wasn’t in sync with the team.

“I think the peaking is being with the team--knowing where your linemen are going to be.”

Usually, they were stomping through the barnyard.