Chargers' Yang Not To Be Underestimated

At 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds, Stephan Yang isn't the most intimidating presence when he lines up on the outside at his receiver position for the Agoura High football team. But what Yang might lack in height or weight, the senior more than makes up for with a work ethic that's seemingly unmatched by any other Charger.

His determination and desire to excel on the field has been apparent throughout the summer for Agoura, which has competed in numerous 7-on-7 passing tournaments and been successful because of that effort.  

"Teams might underestimate Stephan, but they learn real quick that he's fast, has great hands, and doesn't let anything ever hold him back,'' Chargers coach Charlie Wegher said. "Bottom line, he does many things well for us.''  

That was the case on Thursday when Yang proved to be a headache from start to finish in a passing tournament against Westlake.  

The Warriors corners and safeties were unable to find a way to keep Yang from coming up with numerous receptions, often behind the defense in the end zone.

Granted, it wasn't a regular season game, with very much at stake. Nevertheless, he found a way to be disruptive throughout.  

"When we need a first down, or a big play, I'm looking for Stephan, because I know he'll make the catch every time,'' Agoura quarterback Gerard Poutier said. "I'm lucky, having him out there makes my job a whole lot easier.''  

The fact that Yang has been doing so well over the course of the past month or so shouldn't come as a major surprise. He's been one of the more steady contributors on the varsity level for the better part of the last two seasons.  

"It doesn't matter who I'm up against, whether he's bigger than me or not, my job is to go out there and do whatever it takes to make this team a better group,'' Yang said. "You can't have any fear on the football field.''  

As a sophomore, Yang worked his way into Chargers' lineup and ended up with eight receptions for 93 yards. He was a full-time starter a season ago, but an injury limited him to 12 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown.  

While his numbers weren't necessarily eye-opening, Yang's knowledge of the offense and willingness to do the things that don't show up in the box score opened things up for Kevin Beams, Corey Da Silva and Eric Kagan.  

Last season, Beams had a team-high 34 receptions and 358 yards. Da Silva was next in line with 28 catches and seven touchdowns. Kagan did fairly well too, and finished with 27 receptions for 311 yards.  

"People don't understand how important Stephan is in our offensive game plan,'' Beams said. "He understands what we want to better than most people. If he didn't do the dirty work, we wouldn't be able to do a lot of things out there.''  

Beams and Da Silva return for their senior seasons, a year stronger and wiser. Kagan, on the other hand, graduated in June, which means Yang could very well be the beneficiary of added opportunities in the grand scheme of things.  

And if his play this summer is any indication of what's in store for the future, opponents had better not make the mistake of overlooking the undersized Yang, because he's proven that he's capable of making a big difference.  

"I'm not intimidated. I know what I'm capable of doing,'' Yang said. "If I go hard, harder than the other guy, things will take care of themselves.''