Winless Canyon to Test Unbeaten Thousand Oaks

Thousand Oaks High has not beaten Canyon since 1987, the last year a Lancer football team won a Southern Section title.

Tonight, as The Times’ top-ranked team in the region, Thousand Oaks (2-0) will try to repeat the first step of that two-step plan when it plays host to Canyon (0-1-1) in a nonleague game. Kickoff is set for 7:30.

Thousand Oaks already has beaten two Santa Clarita Valley teams: Saugus (35-9) and then-No. 3 Hart (33-21). Canyon, meanwhile, is coming off a disappointing 14-14 tie with Notre Dame. In 1989, when Canyon started 0-2, the Cowboys tied Thousand Oaks, 7-7, but eventually reached the Division II playoff semifinals.

Canyon Coach Harry Welch, however, dismisses any comparisons between the two Canyon teams.

“That 1989 team was charged, this team is emotionally spent,” Welch said in reference to the summer-long controversy over an illegal practice that ended with Welch winning a court injunction allowing him to coach. “I don’t know if these kids have the football talent that that team did.”

Sophomore tailback Ed Williams, who has gained 308 yards in two games, leads the Canyon offense. Thousand Oaks Coach Bob Richards remains fearful of the Cowboys, calling this year’s edition a “typical Canyon team.”

But Thousand Oaks might have too many weapons for Canyon. Tailback Cory Bowen has gained 385 yards--including 200 against Hart--and fullback Quincy Jacobs has gained 187 yards in the Lancers’ ground-oriented offense.

In other nonleague games tonight, Taft (1-0) will attempt to win its second consecutive game against a South Bay team when it plays at Banning at 7. Montclair Prep (1-0) will play Masada (1-1) at Pierce College at 7:30.

Taft raced past Gardena, 34-20, last week behind the rushing of sophomore tailback Derrell Patton (158 yards) and fullback Aldon Bordenave (62 yards, two touchdowns). But the Toreadors might have to forfeit the victory because several players used in the game were academically ineligible.