Thousand Oaks Slips Up, 31-27

Fumbles, by its coach’s admission, had been a problem all season for the Lynwood High football team as it entered Friday night’s first-round Southern Section Division II playoff game against Thousand Oaks.

It had not been T.O.’s M.O.

But the Lancers took a page out of Lynwood’s book and fumbled six times, losing four, as Thousand Oaks fell, 31-27, at home.

“The answer to the question is six fumbles,” said Thousand Oaks Coach Bob Richards, without prompting. “That’s very, very hard to work around.”

Yet Thousand Oaks (7-2-2) nearly did just that, in spite of itself.

Trailing by the final score, the Lancers regained possession on their own 36-yard line with 2 minutes 10 seconds left.

Quarterback Scott Peterson (15 of 21 for 241 yards and four touchdowns) completed four consecutive passes to receiver Jeff Watts to move Thousand Oaks to the Lynwood 21.

With 1:23 left, Peterson was sacked for a four-yard loss, and, after a five-yard penalty, was chased out of the pocket for a four-yard gain. On fourth and six, Peterson was pressured and his desperation pass over the middle fell incomplete with 46 seconds left.

Lynwood (6-5), which entered the game averaging 4.5 fumbles an outing, took the lead for good after a bizarre exchange of turnovers. Trailing, 27-24, Lynwood drove to midfield. Tailback Eugene Jackson (152 yards in 15 carries) broke loose on a pitch around right end and scooted to the Lancer 14--where he coughed up the ball at the end of the run.

Thousand Oaks then made a grave mistake. On the first play, fullback Greg Buchanan was hammered and fumbled, and the ball was recovered by Lynwood’s Anthony Stewart at the 12.

“It’s just bad concentration,” Richards said of the fumbles. “There was only one good hit out of the six.”

Three plays after Buchanan’s miscue, Lynwood fullback Brian Durden--who gained 105 of his 107 yards in the second half--bulled in from the two with 4:36 left. The conversion kick by Louis Lomeli, forced to connect from 35 yards after a Lynwood penalty, was good for a 31-27 lead.

“That was definitely the big play,” Lynwood Coach Ben Carpenter said.

After Lynwood scored 12 unanswered points in the third quarter to take a 24-12 lead, Peterson led the Lancers back.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, he tossed a 24-yard scoring pass to Watts, and then completed a conversion pass to tight end Shane Graham to bring Thousand Oaks to within 24-20.

Thousand Oaks took a 27-24 lead when Peterson hit Graham from seven yards with 8:23 left.

The Lancers took a 6-0 lead when Peterson connected with Watts (10 catches for 185 yards) on a 59-yard scoring strike with 2:17 left in the first quarter. Watts easily beat the single coverage of defensive back Ivy Russell, who would soon return the favor.

Moments later, Jock Ingram hit Russell on a quick slant for a 47-yard touchdown and 6-6 tie.