Marmonte League Doesn’t Seem Quite So Top-Heavy

Based on the first week of Marmonte League play, the chasm between the strongest and weakest teams is far smaller than previously thought.

Westlake, Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks, unbeaten and ranked in the top five of The Times Valley Poll last week, all struggled.

Newbury Park, playing without injured wide receiver Patrick Reddick, was upset by Camarillo, 27-20.

Thousand Oaks, with several defensive starters sitting out the first quarter because they were late for practice, fell behind Channel Islands, 13-0, before rallying to win, 20-13.

Top-ranked Westlake led Simi Valley, 6-3, at halftime before pulling away, 34-11. Simi Valley drove deep into Westlake territory four times and outgained the Warriors, 147-100, in the first half but had only a field goal to show for it.

“[Simi Valley] may have had the most physical line we’ve faced,” said Scott Nessel, a senior defensive tackle.

The trend held true in the the fourth Marmonte game as well. Agoura, an improving team with a 3-1 record, slipped past winless Royal, 22-16.

Noncontact sport: Jason Ramirez, a senior defensive tackle for Oxnard High, was given a two-game suspension by the Southern Section for making contact with a referee while disputing a penalty in last week’s game against Buena.

Hit and miss: David Childers’ sack of Palmdale quarterback Grant Livermont in Hart’s 27-14 victory over the Falcons that put both players in the hospital last week has put both players out of action.

Childers, a 6-5, 225-pound senior defensive end, suffered a cracked cervical vertebra and is out for the season. Livermont is out this week with a shoulder injury that won’t be diagnosed until later this week. Livermont, a junior, has had chronic shoulder problems.

“It was a tremendous hit,” said John Livermont, Grant’s father and a Palmdale junior-varsity coach.

Unhinged: Saugus quarterback Chris Kobe is doubtful this week with what his doctor believes is a sprained knee.

Unruly: Josh Chavez, a starting receiver-defensive back for the Santa Paula High football team, has been dismissed from the team by Coach Hoppy Mumford for breaking team rules.