Cousins Added Spice to Camarillo Attack

The authentic gumbo served up by the aunt of Floyd Cormier and David Lightfoot will be missed by the Camarillo High football team.

But Cormier and Lightfoot will be missed even more. The Scorpions only hope their departure to Louisiana doesn’t leave the team as flat as gumbo without Cajun spices.

The cousins had emerged as key players after transferring from New Iberia, La. Lightfoot enrolled at Camarillo last year and Cormier joined the team this fall.

Cormier, a senior, is a big-play cornerback with two interceptions and Lightfoot, a junior, leads the team with 457 yards rushing, sparking Camarillo to a 3-2 record and a 2-0 mark in the Marmonte League, good for a first-place tie.

But after helping in Camarillo’s 14-0 victory over Simi Valley on Friday, they returned Saturday to New Iberia, home of the original Tabasco sauce, for family reasons.

“Floyd was a great cover man and David was really rushing the ball well,” said Joe Borchard, Camarillo’s quarterback. “It’s really too bad.”

Lightfoot will be replaced by Tony DeJesus, who will switch from fullback until junior tailback Andy Kroneberger is fully recovered from a thumb injury suffered in Camarillo’s opener.

Replacing Cormier might be more difficult, especially this week when Camarillo plays Westlake. Cormier might have been the only Scorpion capable of keeping up with Warrior receiver Jason Victor, who had six catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns Friday.

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Camarillo need not worry that Borchard, a 6-foot-3 junior, would flee town to rejoin family. His descendants have lived in the area for six generations.

Borchard Park in Newbury Park is named after Casper Borchard, who emigrated from Germany in the 1860s. Casper’s uncle, Johannes Borchard, was the first of the clan to settle in the area, arriving in 1850 in what is now Camarillo.

One hundred and forty-five years and six generations later, Camarillo High has a standout quarterback from that lineage.

“We have a reunion about once a year and there are so many relatives you can’t believe it,” Borchard said. “There was a wedding last year and it was just huge. All these people related to the Borchards.”

No small amount of athletic talent has been passed through the generations.

Borchard’s father, also named Joe, played basketball and baseball at Camarillo and was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1969 out of Moorpark College.

Borchard’s older sister, Julie, is at Wisconsin on a softball scholarship and his younger sister, Jill, is a freshman at Camarillo who should play varsity softball this spring.

As for Joe, he’s no ordinary Borchard either. He played varsity football, basketball and baseball as a sophomore and has passed for 752 yards this season.

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Where did Brandon Jackson head the day after scoring three touchdowns to lead Thousand Oaks to a thrilling 27-26 victory over rival Westlake?

Not Disneyland. Too obvious.

. . . Well, OK, it was Disneyland.

Coach Mike Kelly describes the burly, shaggy-haired senior as “fun-loving,” and Saturday he proved it by going on all the rides with his girlfriend, sister and mom.

“Indiana Jones, that’s the one I’m looking forward to,” Jackson said.

The tailback can relate to Harrison Ford-style thrills. Action Jackson has led Thousand Oaks to a 4-1 start by rushing for more than 100 yards in each game and scoring seven touchdowns.

Jackson, a three-year varsity player, dropped 15 pounds over the summer. At 212, he is able to sustain his rugged style for 48 minutes. Against Westlake, 80 of his 141 yards came in the second half.

“Last year I was in horrible shape,” he said. “I feel much quicker.”

As for his attitude, Jackson treats every day like a trip to Disneyland.

“I’m not like a typical football player,” he said. “I try to be more relaxed. I don’t see why it can’t be fun. It’s not a job yet.”

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Injury-riddled Canyon unleashed its Mighty Morfin Power Runner in a 56-6 victory over Burroughs Ridgecrest. Sammy Morfin, a senior fullback who only began playing offense a week ago, rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns.

“I broke a couple of runs in the first quarter and I kept getting the ball,” said Morfin, who did not play football last season.

A collarbone injury to tailback Monte McKeon two weeks ago forced Shaun Kelso to move from fullback to tailback and opened a position for Morfin, who had been a starting cornerback.

The instant success has Morfin (5-10, 165 pounds) wanting more.

“It’s gonna be there,” he said. “Kelso’s a true fullback so his lead blocks are excellent.”

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Three unbeaten teams begin Mission League play Friday. Notre Dame, the defending Southern Section Division III champion, and Chaminade were expected to be strong--but St. Francis?

Linebackers Jonathan Jones and Darin Maxwell lead a Golden Knight defense that has allowed only 21 points, none by the starting defense. St. Francis has posted two consecutive shutouts, including a 27-0 pasting of Pasadena on Friday.

“Our first four games were not against strong teams, but Pasadena was supposed to give us a challenge,” Coach Bill Redell said. “We are playing very aggressive and very confident.”

Redell points to offensive coordinator Jim Bonds and defensive coordinator Mark Gibbons as key elements. Both, Redell says, will soon make excellent head coaches.

Redell, who coached Crespi to a Southern Section championship in 1986, should know: Eight of his former assistants are current head coaches, including Westlake’s Jim Benkert and Crespi’s Tim Lins.

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With the regular season at its halfway point, several players must only match their output of the first five games to finish with excellent numbers. And most of them could increase their totals in playoff games.

Double Newbury Park quarterback Chris Czernek’s totals and he would pass for 3,402 yards and 36 touchdowns, La Canada tailback Sam Paneno would rush for 1,984 yards and 18 touchdowns, and Chaminade’s Justin Giovannettone would score 30 touchdowns.

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Points Leaders

The following is a list of the yearly high school scoring leaders from the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County areas. Playoff statistics are included.

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YEAR PLAYER SCHOOL POINTS 1986 Russell White Crespi 188 1987 Russell White Crespi 228 1988 Russell White Crespi 152 1989 Derek Sparks Montclair Prep 210 1990 Pathon Rucker Glendale 202 1991 Elijah Raphael Kennedy 180 1992 Wilbert Smith Montclair Prep 158 1993 Wilbert Smith Montclair Prep 248 1994 Ted Iacenda Hart 248

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