Agoura Goes 98 Yards for Last-Second Victory

The high school football game between Agoura and Ventura had pretty much everything. It had a kickoff return for a touchdown, a blocked punt, a 90-yard touchdown pass called back because of a holding penalty, a crucial mixed extra point and a 98-yard, game-winning touchdown drive.

That last one belonged to the Chargers.

Agoura battled back from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win, 35-34, in its season opener Friday in Ventura.

Coach Charlie Wegher told his players the night before during a team dinner to expect a heavyweight fight, and they delivered the knockout blow with 1:01 remaining when quarterback Gerard Poutier threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Kyle London. The touchdown tied the game at 34-34. Kicker Jaime Alvarado's extra point gave Agoura a one-point lead.

"It was between two of my receivers and Kyle London was just wide open," Poutier said. "I trust him to make that catch and he did. He came through for us."

The touchdown capped a 98-yard drive that started with 5:32 to play. Ventura was on the Agoura 8-yard line and looking to go up by two touchdowns when running back Conner Armstrong fumbled, the Chargers' Kevin White knocking the football out of his hands as he tried to stretch across the goal line from two yards out.

Agoura recovered the fumble and started its game-winning march.

Poutier was 8-of-9 passing on the drive. Facing a 4th-and-1 from the Ventura 15-yard line with 1:30 to play, Poutier gained a first down on a 2-yard keeper. On the next play, he hit London for the game-tying touchdown.

Ventura went up early, 13-0 on a pair of first-quarter touchdowns. Ventura quarterback Keihan Gibbs hit Nick Rudolph with a 40-yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead. Armstrong scored two minutes later on a 5-yard run. It was his first of four touchdowns in the game.

But Ventura kicker Scott Stanley missed the point after try, a missed point that would end up being the difference in the game.

Agoura's Stephen Yang scored his team's first touchdown on an 88-yard kickoff return after Armstrong's first touchdown.

Agoura went up 14-13 on the first play of the second quarter. Poutier threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to London. London finished the game with seven catches for 76 yards and two touchdowns.

Armstrong scored his second touchdown of the game midway through the second quarter. Ventura went up 20-14 and took the six-point lead into halftime.

Ventura scored again in the third quarter to go up 27-14. Armstrong scored his third touchdown on a 16-yard run with a little over four minutes to play in the third quarter.

Agoura scored less than a minute later to cut Ventura's lead to six. Poutier hit Corey Da Silva on a bubble screen that turned into a 58-yard touchdown pass.

Da Silva came up with several big plays in the game. He intercepted a pass in the end zone and returned a kickoff 41 yards to midfield to set up a fourth-quarter touchdown drive for Agoura.

"The interception was a big play," Da Silva said. "I knew I had to do something. I saw that ball in the air and I knew I just had to get up and grab it. So I did."

Poutier passed for 345 yards. He was 27-of-39 passing and threw four touchdown passes. London caught two touchdown passes, Da Silva caught one and Kevin Beams caught a 3-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

Da Silva caught four passes for 102 yards. Beams caught seven passes for 58 yards.

Armstrong rushed for a game-high 287 yards on 40 carries.

"I'm not even thinking about that right now," Armstrong said after the game. "I'm happy my line was great. I'm excited for that, but we lost. Scoreboard, I don't like it. Our line did awesome. That's why we got good rushing yards."

Rudolph caught two passes for 47 yards and a touchdown.

Gibbs was 13-of-23 passing for 177 yards and a touchdown. He also threw two interceptions.

Both of Gibbs' interceptions came in the second quarter. Ventura was up 20-14 and driving for another score. On third and 5 from Agoura's 20-yard line, Gibbs tried to hit Kaybrum Evans in the end zone. But Da Silva intercepted the pass and Agoura took over on its own 20-yard line after the touchback.

Gibbs was intercepted again later in the second quarter. Linebacker Michael Kay picked off a pass on the 20-yard line to stop another Ventura drive.

Agoura opened the second half with a 90-yard touchdown pass from Poutier to Da Silva. But the play was called back because of a holding penalty. Agoura got to the Ventura 42 yard line, but had to punt the ball away.

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