Chargers Get a Different Challenge in Opener

The Agoura High football team scrimmaged last Friday against Camarillo and one of the top quarterbacks in Ventura County in senior Jeff Matthews, who last season passed for 3,314 yards and 37 touchdowns.

Agoura coach Charlie Wegher said the teams played a live half of football before both sent in their second and third string players.

"I was happy," Wegher said. "We did well."

But the Chargers will face a different challenge on Friday when they open the 2010 football season against Ventura. The Cougars will give Agoura a different look than most of the teams in the Marmonte League, utilizing a lot of two tight end sets and running the ball.

"It's smashmouth football," Wegher said. "We've got to be ready."

Agoura quarterback Gerard Poutier said he expects to ease into the football season, opening against Ventura, before jumping into a tough Marmonte League schedule on Sept. 16 against Simi Valley.

"Last year we had two or three preseason games," Poutier said. "We could kind of get the kinks out and figure the team out. This year, you got one game and we're into it. You have to put up or shut up pretty much. The first game is going to be nice. It's a little break. The second game, we're rolling. It's a big challenge, but I think we're up for it."

The Chargers were 3-7 in 2009. Two of those wins came against league opponents. Agoura beat Simi Valley and Calabasas and finished in sixth place in what was then an eight-team Marmonte League.

Agoura receiver Kevin Beams said he wants to make the playoffs this year. Agoura hasn't had a winning record since 2007, when Beams was a freshman.

"We want to make playoffs really bad," Beams said. "We want to make playoffs. We're just coming out with enthusiasm, going as hard as we can."

Beams and Poutier will be key players if Agoura is to make a playoff push. Wegher said Poutier, who started at quarterback for Agoura as a junior, has grown physically and mentally in the past year.

"Physically, he's bigger, faster," Wegher said. "Mentally, I think he's got a much better grasp of defensive schemes and how to read defenses, how to react. His understanding of defensive football has really improved over the last year. There's always a big jump from junior to senior year for quarterback. I've always noticed that. He's throwing the ball much better than he did last year."

The Agoura defense will also determine if the team will make the playoffs. Seniors Wesley Rowell and Frank Schmidt anchor a veteran defensive unit.

"Lots of these guys played. Most of the kids coming back either started or played a bunch," Wegher said. "We're a lot further along than we were a year ago. Wesley Rowell returns at linebacker. He was a starter all last year. We've got six, seven guys there that have started or played quite a bit last year. I wouldn't consider us young. Last year, we were young, really young. This year, we're a lot more experienced."

Schmidt will play on the defensive line and start at running back.

"He played defensive line for us last year," Wegher said. "He had an interception for touchdown. He intercepted a screen pass and ran it back against Thousand Oaks. He'll be our starting running back and he'll split time with Rowell. Drew Jordan also might get some chances to play some running back. Frank, he's probably our best athlete on the defensive line. He's an athlete."