Viewpoint Football Winless at Tourney, But Experience Gained, Coach Says

One of the Southern Section’s smallest schools that play 11-man football, took a stab at playing with the big boys Friday, participating in a high-profile tournament Friday in Claremont with some of California’s top programs.

But the results were not pretty – Viewpoint went 0-4 and did not advance to Saturday’s playoff round – but second-year coach Chris Adamson is looking at the big picture, and he says the experience will help the Patriots in the long run.

“We didn’t win a game, but our pool was pretty brutal – we went up against three of the four teams that eventually made the semifinals,” Adamson said. “We could have gone to a different tournament, but I thought we would be better off being challenged by teams many levels above us. It will help us get better. We gained a lot from it.”

In the opener, Viewpoint hung tough with Palmdale, losing 24-14 to a team that is among the top in the high-powered Golden League in the heavily respected Northern Division.

“The Palmdale game was a real close game – it was a four-point game until the very end when Palmdale scored in the last minute or so to make it 24-14,” Adamson said.

Viewpoint also lost to Villa Park, Northwood of Irvine and Charter Oak of West Covina.

“We play on Tuesdays and Thursdays with teams that are a little closer to us in terms of size and speed, but on Friday, trying to run with those guys was a challenge,” Adamson said. “But I still think it was a really positive experience for us.”

Joey Verhaegh, a senior quarterback transfer from Crespi, had his moments.

“Joey looked pretty good,” Adamson said. “Our receivers had some trouble getting out of jams and getting open, but Joey threw the ball well.”

Running back Adam Markun, Viewpoint’s top returning player after rushing for more than 1,000 yards as a sophomore last season, will have a bigger role once the pads come on. He also plays defense, and he felt the Claremont tournament will give Viewpoint some good perspective once the summer continues heading into a new season.

“I thought it was a good experience,” he said. “We knew how athletic the other teams were, so we just really focused on our plays, and I think that helped us a lot to understand what we’re doing. I think we’re going to be up to the challenge this season.”

Adamson liked the way Viewpoint came out and scored on its first possession in the opener against Palmdale.

“Overall, we did a good job of spreading things out through the day,” he said. “Michael Hogopian scored a couple of touchdowns, Amir Karian scored a couple of touchdowns, it was a good effort.”

Viewpoint continues seven-on-seven competition in a three-way with Chatsworth and St. Monica at Viewpoint on Thursday night. Beginning on Friday, Viewpoint takes a three-week break, then returns for a few more days of conditioning before practicing with full pads.

The season opener is Sept. 2 at Mater Dei in Chula Vista. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

CALABASAS READY FOR ONE LAST PASSING TEST

Calabasas’ football team plays Wednesday in a four-way passing event with Taft, Canoga Park and Sierra Canyon at Calabasas, beginning at 4 p.m. The season opener is Sept. 9 against visiting Granada Hills. Kickoff is 7 p.m.