Experience Key to Chargers' Summer Success

There's no substitute for experience and no one understands that better than the members of the Agoura High football team.  

The Chargers entered the summer with 22 players returning from last season, and as a result, the veteran group has enjoyed a fair amount of success at numerous passing tournaments over the course of the past month.  

"We've got a good bunch of kids around here and they've developed a great chemistry with one another,'' Agoura coach Charlie Wegher said. "They're a hard-working, confident unit that's played together for quite a while now. When you do that, camaraderie is something that simply comes with the territory.''  

Senior Gerard Poutier has spearheaded the Chargers' strong play.

With a year at the varsity level under his belt, the 6-foot, 180-pound, quarterback knows what to expect and has been as consistent as they come.  

Being on the same page as fellow upperclassmen receivers Stephan Yang, Kevin Beams and Corey Da Silva has helped Poutier excel. Running back Frank Schmidt, another senior, is also in the mix.  

Two weeks ago, Agoura finished undefeated (5-0) at a passing tournament hosted by the Ventura County Football Coaches' Association.  

This past weekend, the Chargers played well at the Under the Lights passing tournament hosted by Saugus High. Among the teams they defeated were Valencia, and perhaps more importantly, Marmonte League rival Newbury Park.  

"Agoura is one of those teams that you have to look out for, because they have kids who understand what's expected of them,'' Newbury Park coach Gary Fabricus said. "They're always competitive, year in and year out.  

"They don't have the big hosses up front that can get you three yards and a cloud of dust," he added. "What they do have is a good, accurate quarterback and receivers who run good routes. They can play pass and catch with the best of them.''  

Things don't get any easier moving forward.  Agoura will be tested plenty this weekend at the Conejo Valley passing tournament, which annually draws the top teams in Ventura County.

This year's event is hosted by Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks and Westlake High Schools. 

The Chargers open play Friday afternoon against Quartz Hill, and with games against Buena and Simi Valley looming immediately afterward, Agoura won't have very much time to make many adjustments in between all the action.  

Experience will play a key role in how well Agoura does against a loaded field of teams, and it just so happens that the Chargers have plenty of it.  

"At this stage of the game, at this point of the summer, we feel pretty good about where we are on both sides of the ball, especially on offense,'' Wegher said. "It certainly helps having some of these guys that know what they're doing.''