Preps Plus http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/ The Ventura County Star's sports staff covers local preps sports like no other organization. They'll be filling this blog with news, info and other odds & ends. Check back often for the latest! Staffers posting to this blog include: Bob Buttitta Jim Carlisle Jon Catalini Joe Curley Derry Eads Ben Kwasney David Lassen Loren Ledin Rhiannon Potkey Rich Romine en-us Copyright 2009 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:27:48 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Newbury Park opens up a 20-7 halftime lead in Santa Maria
Down 13 points at the half, Righetti's seven-game winning streak is in jeopardy.

Newbury Park (8-2) has outgained Righetti (8-2) 272 to 135. Geringer has completed 10 of 17 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. Roberson has 96 yards and two scores on nine carries.

]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/newbury-park-opens-up-a-20-7-h.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/newbury-park-opens-up-a-20-7-h.html football live Newbury Park playoffs Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:27:48 -0800 Fabricus agrees with Belichick
Running back Cameron Roberson gets a yard and the first down and six plays later, Newbury Park takes a 7-0 lead on Jake Geringer's 16-yard scoring strike to Fadi Nassar with 6:12 left in the first quarter.

Righetti, which went three and out on the opening possession of the game, immediately answers with Michael Hale's 64-yard touchdown run, pulling even 7-7 with 5:17 left in the quarter.

Newbury Park needs just four plays to reclaim the lead, 14-7, on Roberson's 32-yard touchdown run with 3:25 left first quarter.

Geringer has completed 7 of his first 9 passes for 108 yards, three and 60 of which to Nassar. The Panthers have 153 yards of total offense on its first 15 plays from scrimmage.
]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/fabricus-agrees-with-belichick.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/fabricus-agrees-with-belichick.html football live Newbury Park playoffs Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:45:17 -0800 Lowering the pads on the Central Coast
Cameron Roberson, Phillip Muscarella and the Newbury Park High football team have their work cut out for them against a Righetti team that has won seven straight games behind 1,000-yard rusher Michael Hale and quarterback Dylan Jones.

"They are definitely a big and physical group of kids," said Newbury Park coach Gary Fabricus.

The Warriors swept through the Pac-7 League for the first time since 1984.

Newbury Park (8-2) only suffered losses to Westlake and Moorpark


]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/lowering-the-pads-on-the-centr.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/lowering-the-pads-on-the-centr.html football live Newbury Park playoffs Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:12:20 -0800 Tonight's games scoreboard with highlights, the VCSPreps.com homepage, and the VCSPreps on Twitter.

Northern Division
*Thousand Oaks (5-5) at Valencia (10-0)
Atascadero (7-3) at Buena (8-2)
Arroyo Grande (7-3) at Camarillo (9-1)
Canyon (2-8) at Moorpark (9-1)
Ventura (5-5) at Westlake (10-0)
*Hueneme (7-3) at Hart (7-3)
*Newbury Park (8-2) at Righetti (8-2)
*Oxnard (7-3) at St. Bonaventure (9-1)

Northwest Division
*Santa Ynez (6-4) at Oaks Christian (10-0)
*El Segundo (6-4) at Nordhoff (8-2)
Oak Park (4-6) at Serra (10-0)

East Valley Division
Santa Paula (6-4) at St. Margaret's (9-1)
*Yucca Valley (3-7) at Fillmore (7-3)
*Grace Brethren (5-5) at Sage Hill (7-3)

*means 7:30 p.m. start, all other games are at 7 p.m.
]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/tonightsgames.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/tonightsgames.html Football Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:10:30 -0800 Ebell in CFL playoffs Sunday
Ebell returns kicks and punts and also backs up starting running back DeAndre Cobb for the Hamilton Tiger-cats. He wears No. 15.

Hamilton play the British Columbia Lions Sunday morning in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The game will be shown live on MSG+, which is DTV channel 635. ]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/ebell-in-cfl-playoffs-sunday.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/ebell-in-cfl-playoffs-sunday.html CFL football Tyler Ebell Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:29:04 -0800 Shakeup in Northern Division ranking
The division's pecking order will change because of No. 4 Westlake's stunning 38-14 win over No. 1 Moorpark last Friday in a Marmonte League matchup of 9-0 teams.

Unbeaten Valencia, which outscored its five Foothill League opponents 252-24, will likely take over the position as the No. 1 seed.

Two-time defending Northern Division champion St. Bonaventure should move up to No. 2.

That leaves Westlake and Moorpark being seeded No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.
]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/shakeup-in-northern-division-r.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/shakeup-in-northern-division-r.html CIF-SS Moorpark Northern Division seedings St. Bonaventure Westlake Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:58:59 -0800 Westlake vs. Moorpark Ticket sales reached 7,154, Westlake High officials announced. It was believed to be the largest crowd ever to attend a game at Westlake High.
The host Warriors responded with a monster of a performance.
Playmakers Nick Isham, Tavior Mowry and Nelson Spruce all shined.
So did the Westlake defense.
With a heavy mix of underclassmen, including defensive linemen Justin Solis and Johnny Stuart, the Warriors stymied the Moorpark offense after its initial possession.
Moorpark muscled up, kept mainly to the ground, and marched 80 yards in 18 plays to the tying touchdown with 0:15 seconds left in the first period. The drive lasted nearly nine minutes.
After that, the Musketeers didn't score again until 24 seconds remained in the game.
Senior Michael Tack had two interceptions, including a pick and 15-yard return for a touchdown to hike the lead to 38-7 with 2:52 left in the game. Isham also had an interception from his safety position.
The special team shined, too. Alex Ball consistently reached the end zone with his kickoffs, and booted a 45-yard field goal in the third period.
As for Moorpark, there is precedent that it can rebound.
The two league strongboys were undefeated in league and met for the Marmonte League title in Week 10 in 2006. Moorpark lost that matchup, 23-12, but rallied to reach the Northern Division championship game.
]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/westlake-vs-moorpark.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/westlake-vs-moorpark.html marmonte league football Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:02:26 -0800 Week 10 final scores Check VCSPreps.com for full stories about these games. Rankings are the Star's Top 10. Notes compiled from staff reports.

#4 Westlake 38, #2 Moorpark 14
In the first ever Ventura County matchup between 9-0 teams meeting up for a league title, Westlake prevailed. Nick Isham ran for threw touchdowns and threw for one as well.
Records: Westlake 10-0, 7-0 Marmonte League; Moorpark 9-1, 6-1.

#7 Buena 14, Ventura 10
Buena wins the cross-town rivalry game for the first time since 2003. The game was close throughout, and on the final play of the game, Ventura's C.J. Souter caught a screen pass and ran 35 yards, but was tackled at the Buena 15-yard line. Buena's Robert Munoz threw two touchdown passes.
Records: Buena 8-2, 4-1 Channel League; Ventura 5-5, 3-2.

#5 Camarillo 20, Rio Mesa 14 (OT)
Camarillo trailed 14-0 in the third quarter, but came back to win to finish Pacific View League play unbeaten and eliminate Rio Mesa's postseason hopes. Camarillo's Jeff Mathews 1-yard run with 2:13 left in the fourth quarter tied the game up. After Rio Mesa didn't score in overtime, Mathews threw a screen pass to Ossie Toc who ran 25 yards for a touchdown for the win.
Records: Camarillo 9-1, 5-0 Pacific View League; Rio Mesa 5-5, 2-3.

#1 Oaks Christian 56, Nordhoff 6
In a game for the Tri-Valley League title, Oaks Christian got out to an early 42-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. Oaks Christian's defense forced four turnovers in the first quarter.
Records: Oaks Christian 10-0, 5-0 Tri-Valley League; Nordhoff 8-2, 4-1.

#3 St. Bonaventure 48, Dos Pueblos 0
St. Bonaventure wins its final Channel League game, going 40-0 over the past eight years. Devon Blackledge rushed for 118 yards on just nine carries as St. Bonaventure led 41-0 at halftime.
Records: St. Bonaventure 9-1, 5-0 Channel League; Dos Pueblos 4-6, 1-4.

#6 Newbury Park 28, #8 Thousand Oaks 17
Phillip Muscarella's 43-yard gain on a fake punt from Newbury Park High's 28-yard line set up the clinching score as Newbury Park rallied from a 10-point deficit. Both teams advance to the postseason, but the win gave Newbury Park a third-place finish while Thousand Oaks fell to fourth.
Records: Newbury Park 8-2, 5-2 Marmonte League; Thousand Oaks 5-5, 4-3.

#9 Hueneme 61, Channel Islands 16
The win gives Hueneme a tie for second place and a spot in the playoffs only one season after finishing 0-10.
Records: Hueneme 7-3, 3-2 Pacific View League; Channel Islands 5-5, 0-5.

Oxnard 56, Pacifica 13
Oxnard wins the Gonzales Grudge match and clinches a spot in the postseason. Seniors Henry Fernandez and Alex Gavin combined for 335 yards rushing and seven touchdowns.
Records: Oxnard 7-3, 3-2 Pacifc View League; Pacifica 4-6, 2-3.

Grace Brethren 36, Santa Paula 34
Grace Brethren trailed in the fourth quarter with starting quarterback Max Leffler out of the game with a concussion and Grace Brethren needing a victory to reach the postseason. Backup quarterback Blake Schafer not only led Grace Brethren on the final drive to score a 12-yard touchdown run with 57 seconds left to tie the game, but also threw a pass to Jack Gilliland on the two-point conversion to give Grace Brethren the win. Santa Paula has to wait and see if they get an at-large bid to get into the postseason.
Records: Grace Brethren 5-5, 2-2 Frontier League; Santa Paula 6-4, 2-2.

Oak Park 35, Bishop Diego 10
Oak Park clinches a postseason berth as Brad Taylor passed for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
Records: Oak Park 4-6, 3-2 Tri-Valley League; Bishop Diego 1-9, 1-4.

Royal 28, Simi Valley 7
Royal wins the cross-town rivalry game, led by Kyle Gauthier's 224 yards on 36 carries with three touchdowns.
Records: Royal 4-6, 3-4 Marmonte League; Simi Valley 1-9, 1-6.

Agoura 35, Calabasas 7
Kevin Beams threw four touchdown passes and Benn Reider returned an interception for a touchdown for Agoura.
Records: Agoura 3-7, 2-5 Marmonte League; Calabasas 1-9, 0-7.
]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/week-10-final-scores.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/week-10-final-scores.html Football Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:38:37 -0800 Gonzales Grudge Match begins with a flurry Oxnard and Pacifica aren't just playing for bragging rights tonight. The winner clinches a CIF playoff berth.

On the second play from scrimmage, Henry Fernandez raced 58 yards for a touchdown for a 7-0 Oxnard lead.

Pacifica evened the score at with 9:14 left in the first quarter on Jose Garcia's 3-yard run after the Tritons recovered a fumbled punt on the Oxnard 22-yard line.

But the Yellowjackets came right back with a 9-play scoring drive highlighted by Alex Gavin's 21-yard run and capped by Gavin's 4-yard touchdown run.

Following a Pacifica fumble, Tiai Salanoa rises for a highlight-reel 24-yard touchdown catch from Billy Ceja for a 21-7 Oxnard lead with 3:11 left in the first quarter.

UPDATE: Gavin breaks the 100-yard mark with a 45-yard touchdown run to put Oxnard up 42-13 with 3:05 left in the half. He has 136 yards on 13 att.
Hernandez returns an interception 42 yards for his fourth score of the first half to push Oxnard ahead 49-13 with 2:35 left in the half.



]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/gonzalez-grudge-match-begins-w.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/gonzalez-grudge-match-begins-w.html football Gonzales Grudge Match live Oxnard Pacifica Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:06:33 -0800 Tonight's games scoreboard with highlights, the VCSPreps.com homepage, and the VCSPreps on Twitter.

Rankings are the Star's Top 10:

#1 Oaks Christian (9-0, 4-0) at #10 Nordhoff (8-1, 4-0)
#2 Moorpark (9-0, 6-0) at #4 Westlake (9-0, 6-0)
Dos Pueblos (4-5, 1-3) at #3 St. Bonaventure (8-1, 4-0)
Rio Mesa (5-4, 2-2) at #5 Camarillo (8-1, 4-0)
#6 Newbury Park (7-2, 4-2) at #8 Thousand Oaks (5-4, 4-2)
#7 Buena (7-2, 3-1) at Ventura (5-4, 3-1)
Channel Islands (5-4, 0-4) at #9 Hueneme (6-3, 2-2)
Royal (3-6, 2-4) at Simi Valley (1-8, 1-5)
Calabasas (1-8, 0-6) at Agoura (2-7, 1-5)
Pacifica (4-5, 2-2) at Oxnard (6-3, 2-2)
Santa Paula (6-3, 2-1) at Grace Brethren (4-5, 1-2)
Villanova (3-5, 0-3) at Malibu (2-6, 1-2)
Bishop Diego (1-7, 1-2) at Oak Park (3-6, 2-2)

]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/tonights-games-7.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/tonights-games-7.html Football Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:49:56 -0800 They've come a long way Ventura County had two teams play in Monday's CIF-SS Girls' Golf Team finals. The Marmonte League was the only league to have two teams make the finals, a tribute to both players and coaches from Westlake and Royal. Scores for the top teams were amazing, including a 368 team score by champion Torrance. It shows how far girls' golf has come in the dozen or so years that it has been around. When they started, there was no way most players could come near par. Todat, players like Westlake's Danielle Kang are routinely under par. Kang, who will play for Pepperdine next Spring, is the best female player to come through the county. She has great natural talent, but more importantly, she is focused on one thing, winning. She takes aim at winning the CIF Individual title on Thursday. Others in that competition are Lauren Diaz-Yi from Westlake, Katherine Liu from Agoura and Shannon Holden of Royal. Diaz-Yi and Holden are freshmen, another indicator of just how good female players have gotten. http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/theyve-come-a-long-way.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/theyve-come-a-long-way.html CIF finals Danielle Kang girls golf Katherine Liu Lauren Diaz-Yi Pepperdine Royal Westlake Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:49:30 -0800 Boys' water polo postseason
Pairings were announced today by the CIF-Southern Section office.

The 2008 Division VI runner-up drew a first-round bye and will face the winner of Nogales vs. Pasadena in the second round on Thursday.

Pacifica will be at home against St. Joseph/Santa Maria and Oxnard travels to Arroyo Valley in Division VI first-round games Tuesday.

Channel League co-champion Ventura lost a coin flip for the league's No. 1 seed. The Cougars open the Division I playoffs against Northwood on Wednesday at a site in Ventura County to be determined, Ventura's home pool had mechanical problems and was not available for a non-league home game last Saturday against Montebello. Buena hosts Fountain Valley in a Division I wild card game on Tuesday.

Agoura, the Marmonte League champion, is the No. 3 seed in Division IV. The Chargers have a home game thursday against Villanova Prep. In other Division IV games Thursday involving Marmonte League schools, Royal will be at home against Malibu and Newbury Park travels to No. 1 seed Palos Verdes. Thousand Oaks has a wild card game Tuesday at home against Atascadero


]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/boys-water-polo-postseason.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/boys-water-polo-postseason.html Boys' water polo playoffs Rio Mesa Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:19:42 -0800 Friday's finals Check VCSPreps.com for full stories about these games. Rankings are the Star's Top 10. Notes compiled from staff reports.

#5 Camarillo 69, #8 Hueneme 20
Camarillo quarterback Jeff Mathews broke a CIF-Southern Section record with 594 passing yards. Camarillo clinches the Pacific View League title with the win. Mathews completed 33 of 48 passes for six touchdowns and was taken out of the game after the third quarter.

#1 Oaks Christian 63, Santa Clara 14
Oaks Christian becomes the first area team to have two different winning streaks of 30 games. Nick Montana finished 9-of-13 passing with 232 yards and three touchdowns, and UCLA-bound Malcolm Jones had three total touchdowns, two rushing and one on a fumble recovery. Oaks Christian plays at Nordhoff next week in a game where the winner wins the Tri-Valley League.

 #2 Moorpark 28, Agoura 0
Moorpark's defense recorded 8 sacks, three interceptions and forced two fumbles, allowing only 9.3 points per game this season. The win sets up a battle of 9-0 teams next week at Westlake.

#3 St. Bonaventure 56, Santa Barbara 0
St. Bonaventure clinches its 14th straight league championship and eighth-consecutive Channel League title.  St. Bonaventure scored 28 in the first quarter and held Santa Barbara to negative-four yards for the game.

Ventura 28, Dos Pueblos 27
Anthony Lopez scored on 5-yard run with 2:32 to play, giving Ventura a 28-27 lead. Ben Mann intercepted a desperation pass to preserve the win, but the most important play may have been Sheldon Krall's blocking a Dos Pueblos extra point in the third quarter. Ventura's win sets up a cross-town rivalry game with Buena next week where both teams will be 3-1 in league.

Fillmore 56, Grace Brethren 38
Fillmore wins its first league title since 1977 and scored touchdowns on eight-straight possesions. Three of them came in a wild second quarter where both teams combined for seven in the quarter. Casey Cole ran for four touchdowns, returned a kickoff for a score and threw for a touchdown to lead the Frontier League champions.

#7 Buena 38, San Marcos 13
Buena scored 20 unanswered second-half points to clinch its first postseason berth since 2002.

#9 Thousand Oaks 35, Royal 14
Thousand Oaks clinches a playoff berth as Rickey Minyard runs for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

Oxnard 21, Rio Mesa 6
Tiai Salanoa caught two touchdown passes to keep Oxnard's playoff hopes alive. Oxnard and Rio Mesa are part of a four-way tie for second place in the Pacific View League at 2-2.

Pacifica 48, Channel Islands 23
Jose Garcia ran 22 times for 232 yards and four touchdowns. Pacifica needs to beat Oxnard next week to clinch a playoff berth.

#4 Westlake 56, Simi Valley 13
Westlake's only score in the first quarter came on a Jack Shepherd interception return, but Westlake's offense exploded the rest of the game. Michael Tack had 120 receiving yards on just three catches and Dallas Clayton finished with 113 rushing yards on eight carries.

#10 Nordhoff 28, Oak Park 0
Logan Crow caught three touchdown passes from Skyler Logsdon, leading Nordhoff to its eighth straight victory and a chance for a league title next week if they can beat Oaks Christian.

#6 Newbury Park 45, Calabasas 20
Jake Geringer completed 9 of 11 passes for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead Newbury Park (7-2, 4-2 Marmonte League). Phillip Muscarella finished with 113 yards total offense, gaining 48 yards passing and 65 rushing yards.

Santa Paula 43, Malibu 0
Martin Pulido finishes with 107 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Ivan Ledesma caught five passes for 81 yards. Kameron Klien threw for 186 yards on 14-of-19 passes, two touchdowns and one interception.
]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/fridays-finals-3.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/fridays-finals-3.html football Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:58:27 -0800 Tonight's games scoreboard with highlights, the VCSPreps.com homepage, and the VCSPreps on Twitter.

Rankings are the Star's Top 10:

#1 Oaks Christian (8-0, 3-0) at Santa Clara (1-7, 0-3)
#2 Moorpark (8-0, 5-0) at Agoura (2-6, 1-4)
Santa Barbara (0-8, 0-3) at #3 St. Bonaventure (7-1, 3-0)
#4 Westlake (8-0, 5-0) at Simi Valley (1-7, 1-4)
#5 Camarillo (7-1, 3-0) at #8 Hueneme (6-2, 2-1)
#6 Newbury Park (6-2, 3-2) at Calabasas (1-7, 0-5)
San Marcos (2-6, 1-2) at #7 Buena (6-2, 2-1)
#9 Thousand Oaks (4-4, 3-2) at Royal (3-5, 2-3)
#10 Nordhoff (7-1, 3-0) at Oak Park (3-5, 2-1)
Ventura (4-4, 2-1) at Dos Pueblos (4-5, 1-2)
Oxnard (5-3, 1-2) at Rio Mesa (5-3, 2-1)
Channel Islands (5-3, 0-3) at Pacifica (3-5, 1-2)
Fillmore (6-3, 3-0) at Grace Brethren (4-3, 1-1)
Malibu (2-5, 1-1) Santa Paula (5-3, 1-1)
]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/tonights-games-6.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/tonights-games-6.html Football Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:29:21 -0800 Fillmore, Grace Brethren go wild
In its 41-34 win over Santa Paula last week, Fillmore had the ball for 85 plays and gained 508 yards. Quarterback Corey Cole had one of the best nights passing in Fillmore history, completing 18 of 34 passes for 238 yards and 2 TDs. Cole also scored twice as he rushed for 87 yards.

Grace Brethren had a school record 679 yards in total offense in its win over Malibu.
Quarterback Max Leffler was 18 of 36 passing for 457 yards and 4 TDs. Jack Gilliland had 6 catches for 176 yards and 3 TDs, while running back Patrick Schafer rushed for 144 yards and 2 scores.
]]> http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/fillmore-grace-brethren-go-wil.html http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/preps/2009/11/fillmore-grace-brethren-go-wil.html Fillmore football Grace Brethren Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:40:00 -0800