Westlake to Become Temporary Home For Thousand Oaks

Thousand Oaks High isn’t playing at home tonight but will get the next best thing--a playoff game at Westlake High.

Because the Lancers played at home for only one of their first three games in the Southern Section Division I-AA playoffs, they will host No. 1-seeded El Toro--with one exception: Semifinal games must be played at neutral sites.

The Lancers will make the seven-mile drive to Westlake, where they have defeated Marmonte League rival Westlake twice in the last two seasons.

“The kids are pretty familiar with it,” Coach Rich Endres said. “It’s almost like a home game.”

The No. 4-seeded Lancers (23-5) had not advanced to the semifinals since 1993 and have never advanced to a championship game.

El Toro (26-3), which starts four seniors, lost twice to Capistrano Valley and forfeited a season-opening victory over Los Alamitos because the Southern Section had not received proper paperwork for a transfer.

Swingman Ashkan Nazeri scored 26 points and had eight assists for the Chargers in a quarterfinal victory over Murietta Valley. Matt Green, a 6-foot-8 center, had 25 points and 10 rebounds.

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Boys’ Basketball Matchups

SOUTHERN SECTION

Semifinals, today

Division I-AA

Thousand Oaks vs. El Toro at Westlake High, 7:30 p.m.

Division V-AA

Granada Hills Hillcrest Christian vs. Downey Calvary Chapel at Faith Baptist, 7:30 p.m.

Kilpatrick vs. Desert at Brentwood, 7:30 p.m.

Finals, Thursday

Division IV-AA

Crespi vs. St. Paul at The Pyramid at Long Beach, 5:45 p.m.

Division V-A

Antelope Valley Christian vs. Price at The Pyramid, 4 p.m.

Finals, Saturday

Division I-AA

Thousand Oaks or El Toro vs. J.W. North or Glendora at The Pond in Anaheim, 5:15 p.m.

Division V-AA

Hillcrest Christian or Calvary Chapel vs. Kilpatrick or Desert at The Pond, 8:30 a.m.