Promising Start, Weak Finish for Chargers

The Agoura Chargers stayed with the Newbury Park Panthers for one half, but ultimately couldn't keep up, losing 42-20 to the home team Friday. Newbury Park is now 2-2 on the season and 1-2 in Marmonte League play, while Agoura drops to 1-3 and 0-3.

The Panthers began a back-and-forth first half with a touchdown on their first drive. After forcing a punt, Newbury Park drove 55 yards, 38 of which came on a touchdown pass from Panthers quarterback Jake Geringer to wide receiver Dakota Dunlea.

Geringer found Dunlea and his other receivers for big gains throughout the game, and Agoura coach Charlie Wegher said his team made mistakes that freed up the Panther receivers.

"Too many mental errors on defense," Wegher said. "We let guys get open when they shouldn't have gotten open."

After Newbury Park's score, Agoura responded with an 80-yard drive that ended with seven. On a third-and-eight on the Agoura 38 yard-line, quarterback Gerard Poutier found wide receiver Brett Greenstein for a 37-yard gain.

Poutier then threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kyle London, and an extra point tied the game at seven.

Geringer led the Panthers down the field after the Chargers' touchdown, and finished off the drive with a 1-yard sneak on third and goal.

The Chargers finished off a high-scoring first half with an 80-yard scoring drive that lasted only five plays. On second and five from the Agoura 25, Poutier connected with wide receiver Corey Da Silva for a 25-yard gain, and then threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to London, his second touchdown of the game.

The Chargers missed the extra point, making the score 14-13.

The Panthers seemed like they were going to record another score on their ensuing possession, but after getting into Charger territory, they moved backwards with penalties, in what would ultimately become a sign of things to come as the second half was filled with penalties that stalled drives and negated big plays.

On second and 10 from the Agoura 10, a holding penalty moved the Panthers back 10 yards. Facing fourth and 20, the Panthers attempted a fake field goal and scored a touchdown, but it was nullified because of a penalty on Agoura. After moving up five yards, Newbury Park couldn't convert their fourth and 15.

Wegher said mistakes plagued the Chargers in the latter half of the game after a solid first half.

"I was happy where we were going into halftime," he said. "We needed to get something going [in the second half], but we didn't."

The Panthers scored on the opening possession of the third quarter on a 16-yard pass from Geringer to wide receiver Cameron Wood.  They scored again after defensive back A.J. Reed intercepted a Poutier pass.

The Panthers began their drive off the interception on the Charger 10, and Geringer ran for a seven-yard score. A one-yard touchdown run by running back Maxx Lunn in the fourth put the Panthers up 35-13.

After 21 straight Newbury Park points, Agoura got another score, and ultimately their final one, on a 51-yard touchdown pass from Poutier to Da Silva in the fourth. Geringer and Wood connected on another touchdown pass later in the fourth to make the score 42-20.  

"We just weren't flowing," Da Silva said. "We didn't have momentum going down the field."

The Chargers failed to sustain drives in the second half, and could not establish any consistency.