December 2006 Archives

As expected, Oaks Christian QB Jimmy Clausen is getting ready to head off to Notre Dame. Clausen officially finished his high school degre this week and is working out in preparation to enroll in the spring semester at Notre Dame in a couple of weeks.

My collegue Gerry Gittelson wondered that aloud in today's paper in a column discussing who'd win if Canyon and Oaks Christian squared off in a game to really settle area supremacy.

Personally, I don't think that question is focused enough. If you ask who'd win the game if it were played next week, I'd have to say Canyon because Oaks just isn't the same team without Marc Tyler in the backfield.

But if this was just some hypothetical match-up, I'd go with Oaks. When Tyler was in the lineup, Oaks was one of the best football teams you'll ever see. If you tried to stop Clausen, Tyler would kill you. If you tried to bottle up Tyler, Clausen would pick you apart.

Marshall Jones did an admirable job filling in for Tyler. He's a fantastic athlete with good instincts at running back. But those instincts aren't nearly as developed as Tyler's were. They never had to be with Tyler as Oaks' RB.

Saturday was the first time I'd seen Oaks since Tyler was lost for the year with a broken fibula. I barely recognized them. Seriously, it was like a shell of the team I'd seen before. The well-tuned offense needed some oil. Everything looked out of sync. Yes, Clausen had a bad game. But remember, he was trying to throw into a secondary with eight defenders. Even when Oaks had four WRs, every single guy was double-teamed.

Cardinal Newman was only able to do that because Tyler wasn't there. There's no way you go with three pass rushers if the No. 1 running back in the country is in the backfield.

Canyon is a much better team that Cardinal Newman, so frankly, if the teams played now and Oaks didn't have Tyler, it might not even be close.

But if we're just theoretically speaking and both teams are at their best, I'd go with Oaks, 35-27.

what do you think would happen? we welcome responses here ....

Canyon adds to its lead with 14 seconds remaining in the first half. 8 plays, 88 yards on the scoring drive

1st and 10 from De La Salle's 13, with 58 seconds remaining in the first half.

Longshore, who has been carrying the Canyon offense thus far, picks up a first down. DiLuigi then makes his best run of the night in which he made about eight defenders miss. Canyon 1st and 10 on the Del La Salle 28.

J.J. DiLuigi was called for roughing De La Salle punter Steven Ouimet. DiLuigi ran into Ouimet as he recovered a bad snap. After a rekick Canyon takes over 1st and 10 on the its own 19.

Result was a loss of seven yards, 2nd and 17 for De La Salle from its own 41. MacGillivary then runs for no gain.

Defensive lineman Tyler Hess was carried off the field by the De La Salle training staff.

Canyon continues to stuff De La Salle's rushing attack, forcing a 3rd and 5 from the 14. Hendershott rushes for 16 yard to pick up the first down for De La Salle on its own 31.

On a third and 10 play from the 49, Longshore pitches back to DiLuigi, who throws an imcomplete bass down field. Canyon is forced to punt and De La Salle will take over from its own nine.

Canyon takes over on own 49-yard line. Longshore throws incomplete pass, second and 10.

7:52 in half remaining: Canyon forces De La Salle to punt from own 18.

Rushing: De La Salle- Pugh 6-18, MacGillivary 5-24, Maupin 3-44
Canyon- Diluigi 3-10, Longshore 3-1, TD
Passing: De La Salle- McGillivary 3-4-0-52
Canyon- Longhsore 3-3-0-69
Receiving: De La Salle- Hendershott 2-44, Rosette 1-8
Canyon-Loucks 2-46, Urbina 1-33

Oaks scores first. 27-20 Oaks

7-yard run.

both teams get four cracks from the 10 yard line. oaks will go first

Wow, what a game! Oaks Christian nearly got down into field goal range, and Chris Potter was about two shoe sizes from keeping his feet in bounds on that last Hail Mary play, but we're off to overtime nonetheless.

Whatever happens, this was a great high school football team. Cardinal Newman's coaching staff has earned a hefty raise. To hold this high scoring Oaks Christian offense to 20 points in regulation is an astounding feat.

And Cardinal Newman shows no signs of letting up...

Everytime the Cardinals get the ball, they seem to pull out a 14-play drive that takes 6 minutes off the clock.

Newman has the ball now on the 40-yard line and is moving it well, meaning that Oaks may not get the ball back until there is only about 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Can you smell an upset?

Well, it's Marshall Jones 14, Cardinal Newman 7 after he too an interception 62 yards to the house. Jones scored earlier on a 20-yard pass from Jimmy Clausen.

Oaks scores on its opening drive on a touchdown pass from Jimmy Clausen to Marshall Jones, then Cardinal answered with a touchdown pass from Ryan Lingle to Ethan Crandall to tie it up.

On top of all that, Scott Magnuson just interecepted Clausen at the 50-yard line.

Is there an upset looming?

Oaks scores on its opening drive on a touchdown pass from Jimmy Clausen to Marshall Jones, then Cardinal answered with a touchdown pass from Ryan Lingle to Ethan Crandall to tie it up.

On top of all that, Scott Magnuson just interecepted Clausen at the 50-yard line.

Is there an upset looming?

Today will mark the first time in more than 70 years that high school football teams from across the state will meet in a California Bowl Game format.

It is an event that -- in one reporter's mind, at least -- has been long overdue.

There are some scheduling kinks that the CIF must fix for next season, namely the idea of matching up teams from three separate divisions based on enrollment. But with that said, every one of today's games is worth watching, and every team involved brings an impressive resume to the table.

More than 10,000 fans are expected to be in attendance at the Home Depot Center, and countless others will be watching from home on Fox Sports Net.

But if there is anybody else out there, who -- like me -- just can't wait for the festivities to begin, here are some predictions:

Div. III final, 11 a.m.
Oaks Christian (14-0) vs. Cardinal Newman (13-1), 11 a.m.

Oaks Christian 60,
Cardinal Newman 13

Oaks Christian of Westlake Village is just too good. The Lions feature the No. 1 recruit in the nation in Notre Dame-bound quarterback Jimmy Clausen, as well as 11 other seniors who are expected to sign NCAA Division I offers before next season.

The Lions average 55 points per game, while pulling most of their starters before the fourth quarter because coach Bill Redell refrains from running up the score. Even without USC-bound running back Marc Tyler (broken fibula), the Oaks Christian offense is one of the most potent in state history.

Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa's defense gives up just more than 10 points per game, but it hasn't faced anybody as good as Oaks Christian. The Cardinals will need to play lights out on both sides of the ball to have a chance, which is a lot easier said than done.

Div. II final, 3 p.m.
Orange Lutheran (13-1) vs. Palo Alto (12-1)

Orange Lutheran 35,
Palo Alto 20

Orange Lutheran quarterback Aaron Corp has been the difference maker all season for the Lancers, and don't expect him to fold on the brightest of all high school stages this afternoon.

The USC-bound play caller can beat you with his arm and with his legs, which is evident by the 2,000-plus yards he has through the air and the 1,000-plus yards he has on the ground this season.

Palo Alto is a formidable opponent, but Orange Lutheran made a major statement on Dec. 1 with a 23-22 victory over Long Beach Poly in the Pac-5 Division quarterfinals. Poly has sent more players to the NFL than any other high school program, and this year's team was one of its best in years.

Orange Lutheran is a battle-tested team from the ultra-competitive Pac-5 Division, which is something that usually pays dividends at this time of year.

Div. I final, 7:30 p.m.
De La Salle (13-0) vs. Canyon (11-2)

Canyon 28,
De La Salle 24

De La Salle of Concord is the No. 1-ranked team in the nation by USA Today, but Canyon of Canyon Country won't just roll over here.

The Cowboys have arguably played the toughest schedule in the state this season, and they have won 10 games in a row after starting off 1-2.

This game figures to be the most competitive of the bunch, with De La Salle likely jumping out to a halftime lead. But Canyon came from behind against Moorpark in the final minute last week to win the Northern Division title, and expect them to make another second-half push tonight.

Canyon coach Harry Welch is a true gunslinger, going for first downs on fourth-and-short situations countless times this season. Welch will be the difference maker tonight, as the Cowboys win in another thriller.

--Kevin Connelly

Just got some updated info on airdates and times for local sports programming on KLCS:

The Basketball tip off show will air Tuesday Dec 26th at 10:00am and again Saturday Jan 6th at 8:00am The Soccer kickoff show will air for the first time Tuesday Dec 19th at 1pm and reair Saturday Dec 30th at 8:00am.

Kevin Williams, a longtime assistant coach at Kennedy of Granada Hills, has been hired as the new football coach at El Camino Real. He replaces Sean Pollard who resigned after one season.

``We are excited to have him at the school and look forward to building the program with him,'' athletic director Richard Yi said.

Crespi of Encino linebacker D.J. Holt verbally commited to California on Sunday night at the end of a his official recruiting trip.

I had a long talk with Ken Gunn, the director of the state bowl games, on Saturday night. One of the questions on everyone's mind was why they decided to go with three enrollment-based divisions instead of a four-team playoff or just a No. 1 vs. No. 2 match-up.

Gunn said all of that had been under consideration, as was the issue of what would happen if No. 1 and No. 2 were both from Northern California.

Ultimately, the task force charged with creating the state bowl games opted for a model that was similar to the state basketball and volleyball tournaments with the understanding that the format could be tweaked after two years.

Had Moorpark held on for the victory, Canyon's all-everything RB JJ DiLuigi might've ended up the goat. DiLuigi was called for a costly pass interference call on Moorpark's Josh Smith on the Musketeers' final scoring drive. The play kept the drive going and set up what looked to have been the game-winning touchdown.

DiLuigi doesn't normally play on defense, because coach Harry Welch likes to keep him fresh, but with two starters --Chris Kingsbury and Mike Loucks out with injuries -- DiLuigi had to play.

A couple plays later, the PI call was a distant memory as DiLuigi got Canyon's rally started with a 36-yard reception down the far sideline in which he broke a tackle and gained at least 25 yards after the catch.

``My anger level went up after that (PI) play and it stayed up,'' he said.

Canyon QB Ben Longshore didn't exactly look sharp all night --he was 5 of 16 in the first half-- but he more than made up for any shakiness with his poise on the Cowboys' last drive.

With Canyon's championship hopes hanging by a thread --down 22-21 with 1:15 to go -- Longshore morphed into John Elway. He completed a 36-yard pass to JJ DiLuigi, then hit Anthony Arriaga on a 37-yard pass to get the Cowboys into field goal territory.

I don't think I've ever seen a team go from that high to that low in such a short period of time. In the span of about 10 minutes, Moorpark went from wild celebration to quiet disbelief.

Said Canyon coach Harry Welch of Longshore's last drive:

``He honored his father, he honored his family and he played like a Cowboy!''

Afterwards, Ben was all smiles as his family and friends mobbed him. I asked him what he thought right before leading his team on the final drive?

``A minute is not a long time,'' he said. ``It felt like we only had 10 seconds left. ...But everything just started opening up. The guys made their blocks, the receivers were open and I just let it go.''

Lost in Canyon's epic comeback victory over Moorpark Saturday night was a great play by Moorpark senior tight end Jake Lins.

Lins is the holder on Moorpark's extra point attempts. After the Musketeers scored their second touchdown, Lins had to make something out of nothing. He grabbed the high snap, danced around as defenders ran towards him, then had the composure to find Ryan Murry open in the end zone for the 2-point conversion.

Had Moorpark held on for the victory, Lins would've been the hero because that 2-point conversion would've been the margin of victory.

After the game, Lins' father, Moorpark coach Tim Lins, said his son's play was one of his proudest moments.

It's a final: Canyon 24, Moorpark 22

This game will be remembered as one of the best in area history.

A quick quote from Canyon coach Harry Welch before I get out of here:

"What a great game. In all the years I've coached, this is one of the most incredible games I've been involved in. And I've been coaching since 1965."

--Kevin Connelly

Canyon kicker Chris Chapman connects on a 19-yard field goal on fourth and goal.

Canyon 24, Moorpark 22

Seven seconds left.

Moorpark will have one chance to win it, but it appears over.

Canyon goes 80 yards in just more than a minute for what appears to be the winning field goal.

This is arguably the best game from the area in more than a decade.

Unbelievable....

No way Canyon responds to win, right?

Think again.

Canyon has run three plays for 74 yards, and has a second and goal on the six.

What an increadible game!

Moorpark receiver Nick Karam scores on a 13-yard pass from Adam Barry.

What a stunner!

Canyon has 1:15 left to drive for the win.

It's Moopark 22, Canyon 21

The best game of the year, bar none!

Two minutes left.

Moorpark has a second and 11 on the Canyon 26.

It's Canyon 21, Moorpark 15

Pressure time. This is one of the area's best games in a long time.

Moorpark defense holds.

Nick Karam calls for a fair catch, and Moorpark has 3:56 to drive for the winning score from its own 35.

An absolute classic!

Moorpark quarterback Adam Barry sneaks it in from a yard out.

Moorpark botches snap for the extra point, but the holder completes a pass in the end zone for the score with 8:00 remaining.

Canyon 21, Moorpark 15

What a game. If Moorpark holds here, watch out.

Darrell Scott is carrying the load, and Moorpark is driving again.

Scott has 113 yards on 25 carries, and the Musketeers have a second and 10 on the Canyon 42.

It won't show up in the stats, but Josh Smith nearly caught Stephen Wirthin from behind on that last touchdown pass even though Wirthin had a 15 yard head start on him. Wirthin isn't exactly slow. Josh Smith is just that fast.

78 yard TD catch! Canyon up 21-7 with 1:38 in the third quarter.

Are you kidding me?

Canyon coach Harry Welch goes for it on fourth and one on his own 18-yard line.

It looked like lunacy at the time, with the Cowboys ahead 14-7 midway through the third quarter.

But Canyon quarterback Ben Longshore runs for four yards up the middle, and the Cowboys remain perfect (4 four 4) on fourth downs.

Two plays later, Longshore connects with Steve Wirthlin for a 78-yard touchdown.

Canyon 21, Moorpark 7

It will be hard for the Musketeers to recover from this one.

That is why Welch is considered one of the best coaches in area history.

Canyon is deep in Moorpark's zone midway through the third quarter. Canyon quarterback Ben Longshore is being chased, and forces a pass over the middle.

Moorpark linebacker Josh Butler picks off the pass, and Moorpark takes control on its own 39-yard line.

But the Musketeers go three and out on the next possession, and Darrell Scott makes a 46-yard punt down to the Canyon 8-yard line.

Canyon has a fourth down and inches on the Moorpark 39. Canyon coach Harry Welch decides to go for it, and J.J. DiLuigi rushes for five yards up the middle for the first down.

Canyon is three for three on fourth downs - a stat that's killing the Musketeers.

If someone would have told Moorpark coach Tim Lins his Musketeers would turn the ball over twice in the first half and trail just 14-7, he probably would have called you crazy.

But that's exactly the case, as Moorpark is still right there.

Both teams are playing well, but you can bet that Moorpark smells an upset. The Musketeers - and Darrell Scott, in particular - have been known to be a second-half team all season.

Here's a prediction for you: The first team to score in the second half wins.

A Canyon score would deflate the Musketeers, while a Moorpark score would put the Cowboys back on their heels.

But Moorpark must beware of Canyon coach Harry Welch. He has already gone for it on fourth down twice, with one of those plays setting up the 30-yard strike to J.J. DiLuigi to give Canyon its 14-7 halftime lead.

Lins needs to realize exactly who he's up against, and follow suit. The Musketeers will likely face some pivitol fourth and short plays in the second half, and they will probably have to convert to remain competitive.

DiLuigi 13 carries, 53 yards. 2 TDs
Darrell Scott 18 carries, 74 yards and a TD
Ben Longshore: 5 of 16 for 109, TD
Adam Barry: 5 of 7 for 74, INT
Josh Smith: 4 catches for 62 yards
Chris Kingsbury 3 catches for 73 yards

comes with 25 seconds remaining in the first half. Canyon's gone for it on 4th down three times, Moorpark twice.

Canyon goes for it on fourth and three deep in Moorpark territory.

Ben Longshore connects with J.J. DiLuigi on a short pass. DiLuigi takes it 30 yards to the house.

Canyon 14, Moorpark 7

Moorpark's defense can't let Canyon convert fourth downs.

Canyon coach Harry Welch is a river boat gambler, and he will continue to put the pressure on.

JJ DiLuigi just broke free on a 30-yard TD reception.

14-7 Canyon.

Nice touch pass from Longshore

Darrell Scott breaks a tackle and punches it in from 11 yards out. 7-7, 5:18 to go in the first half

7 plays, 71 yards.

Moorpark's putting together a nice drive. The Musketeers are driving inside the Canyon 15 yard line right now. The drive started back at their own 29

Midway through the second quarter and Scott is already carrying the load.

His game stats: 17 carries, 63 yards, and an 11-yard touchdown.

The junior has more than 3,100 yards on the season, the most ever by a large school running back from the area.

Canyon 7, Moorpark 7

Darrell Scott has had nowhere to run in the early-going. He's got 11 carries for 36 yards with 8 minutes left in the half, but only one run of more than 6 yards. Moorpark seems to be adjusting on this drive. Adam Barry is passing more and fullback Zach Trottier just broke through the middle for a 10-yard gain.

Moorpark is putting together a nice drive...

Moorpark defense holds its ground after Scott's fumble, limiting Canyon to five yards on four plays. Musketeers take over and notch two first downs.

Ball on Canyon 47-yard line with 8:34 left in the second.

Canyon 7, Moorpark 0

Looks like this game will be a good one, as advertised.

Musketeers hold. Canyon can't take advantage of the Darrell Scott fumble. All of a sudden, this game looks like it's going to be a defensive struggle

Moorpark running back Darrell Scott is not getting any room to run. He gets hit in the backfield by Canyon defense, and loses a fumble on the Moorpark 34-yard line.

Darrell Scott fumbles at Moorpark's 35 yard line, Canyon's Nick Jurado recovers. The Cowboys have a chance to really pull ahead ...

Canyon converts three third downs on 90-yard drive to take 7-0 lead. Moorpark's weakness is its defense, and it's already beginning to show.

JJ DiLuigi punches it in from one yard out, Canyon's up 7-0 with 2:34 left in the first quarter.

First Moorpark's Josh Smith hauled in a juggling 37-yard pass...now Canyon's Chris Kingsbury looks like he's got glue on his hands. Kingsbury just snagged a 42-yard pass from Ben Longshore to put the Cowboys into good field posiiton with 4 minutes left in the first quarter

Five minutes remaining in the first quarter. Canyon on Moorpark's 34-yard line, third down and four yards to go.

It's one thing to want to start off a championship game with a bang, but there's good aggressive and bad aggressive...

On the first drive of the game, Moorpark called a fake punt on fourth and 1 from their own 29 yard line, mostly because all-everything running back Darrell Scott is their punter. He almost made the corner, but Kenny Shanahan read the play perfectly and tripped Scott up atthe 20.

Canyon had a great opportunity to get on the board early, but could manage just four yards on a run by JJ DiLuigi and two straight incompletions by Ben Longshore. The Cowboys were well within field goal range, but Harry Welch wanted more. He left the offense on the field on 4th and 6 from the Moorpark 16 but Longshore was long again and Moorpark took over on downs.

What is the most important thing you have learned from coach Ed Croson?

"It's not how you start off, it’s how you finish," Knox said. "You might start rocky, but we will finish smooth. He teaches us discipline. He's our leader. Making this a championship team with discipline and people who want to work hard in practice, that's one thing I learned from him. Just work hard at practice.

"We have a lot of people coming back (next year) so we are ready for it. We're satisfied with the City title, but we want a state title."

USC coach Pete Carroll was here tonight watching you play, how much of an influence did that have on you tonight?

"I didn't even know he was here. I just play like a regular game. You just don't look at those things."

Birmingham and San Pedro players got into a mini-altercation at game's end. Things cooled off quickly though with coaches and officials separating a heard of people. Both teams shook hands afterwards.

Birmingham head coach Ed Croson just got dunked with the traditional Gatorade shower. Looks like Croson might need little wipers for his glasses.
Birmingham 2006 City Section champs after beating San Pedro 45-7 at the Coliseum.

Birmingham scores again, this time running back Lovell Gunn scores from 2-yards out. Gunn is Knox's backup, but I bet he could be a starter on any other team that doesn't have a Milton Knox. Gunn is quick and has good foot work.
Score: Patriots 45, Pirates 7 with 1:14 left.

With 8:46 left and Birmingham beating San Pedro 38-7, the Pirates' fans begin to leave the Coliseum after clouds swept by with a drizzle. San Pedro clearly had more fans than Birmingham but the Patriots' followers had more to cheer about. Birmingham is on its way to its third City title in four five years.
Birm. 38, SP 7 4:43 left in the game and Birm still driving.

Will Chandler zigzagged his way 44-yards into the end zone after catching a short Beloff pass for a 38-7 lead.
Birmingham's offense is rolling with Beloff completing 15 of 18 passes for 268 yards and Milton Knox rushing for 118 yards on 26 carries.

Milton Knox scores two more times. First from 2-yards out 22 seconds before half time, and a 14-yarder with 6:20 left in the third. The game might be out of reach for San Pedro with the score 31-7 Birmingham with les than four minutes left in the third.

USC head coach Pete Carroll and his son Brennan are at the Coliseum watching from the Birmingham side of the stadium.
He might be here taking a look at Milton Knox. Carroll just watched Christian Valenzuela kick a 25-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 17-7 lead with 7:49 left in the half.

Milton Knox scored from two-yards out to give Birmingham a 14-7 lead over San Pedro with 10:17 left in the first half.
Know keeps on raking in those yards and TDs. He has rushed for 48 yards on 11 carries.

Some hard hitting going on at the Coliseum between San Pedro and Birmingham. Will Chandler took a blast from San Pedro's Robert Franco on a kickoff return. That got the crowd fired up.

San Pedro running back Joseph Chavez scores from 10 yards out to tie the City Section Championship game at seven with 2:15 left in the first quarter. Birmingham scored first on a James Beloff 40-yard pass to Will Chandler on a slant.
Chandler went up and snagged the ball out of the air and raced down the middle of the field for the touchdown. He kind of looked like a vintage Randy Moss doing it.

I finally had a chance to ask Canyon's J.J. DiLuigi about his name. His full name is John Paul DiLuigi III

But, since his dad, John Paul DiLuigi Jr. and grandfather, John Paul DiLuigi all live in the same house, people started calling him John John. The name morphed into JJ because ``my dad thought I'd get beat up too much if people called me John John.''

J.J. DiLuigi isn't Canyon's only college prospect anymore. QB Ben Longshore, safety Kenny Shanahan and LB Michael Pyne are all getting looks from college scouts.

Friday night a recruiter from Washington was on the Canyon sideline to watch Longshore and Shanahan. Pyne is drawing interest from BYU, Utah and Boise State.

Westlake's season may have ended in a rout, but you have to give the Warriors a ton of credit for the season they put together after going 3-7. I spoke with Westlake principal Richard Urias on the sidelines late in the game. The game well out of reach, but Urias was still beaming about his team.

``I've never been more proud of a team than this one,'' he said. ``I'm more proud of these guys than any of our championship teams. They are a true band of brothers.''

Former quarterback Rudy Carpenter was on the sidelines as well.

``I spoke to coach (Jim) Benkert before the season and asked how the team was going to be and he didn't know if they were going to be that good,'' Carpenter recalled. ``For them to go 12-1 is pretty amazing. These were just a bunch of average guys who played together as a team. You have to give them a lot of credit.''

Carpenter played on the last Westlake team to go 12-0. That was 2003. In the years in between, the Warriors have fallen on hard times. He wasn't surprised Benkert was able to right the ship though.

``He know what he needs them to do and they do it,'' Carpenter said. `` He's a great coach.''