The Acorn's High School Football Game of the Week

MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers THIS MAN MUST BE STOPPED-Moorpark running back Darrell Scott leads the Marmonte League with 889 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. This Friday, the Thousand Oaks defense must limit Scott to have a chance to beat Moorpark. Can anyone stop Moorpark junior running back Darrell Scott?

Thus far, no, but Thousand Oaks will get its chance Friday night at home in one of the most highly anticipated Marmonte League games of the year.

Scott's "an extraordinary tal- ent running the football," Thou- sand Oaks head coach Mike Sanders said. "Not only is he huge, but he's got great feet, he's hard to tackle, he keeps his feet moving through the line of scrimmage. I mean, if he gets going, it's pretty much a Mack Truck going downhill."

In four games this season, Scott's rushed 100 times for 889 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. He's posted more than 220 rush- ing yards on three occasions.

"He's pretty much their pow- erhouse," TOHS middle line- backer Sean DeBeikes said of Scott. "We've just got to shut him down, and last year we didn't do a very good job of that. But this year we know what we're up against, so we'll do better."

In his sophomore season, Scott rushed for 1,988 yards and 19 touchdowns, helping lead the Musketeers to their first Marmonte League football championship in school history.

Last year, against Thousand Oaks in his first career Marmonte League varsity start, Scott rushed for 245 yards as MHS pounded the Lancers 50-28.

Although last year's matchup took place under unusual cir- cumstances-all of the league's games were moved to Buena High because of wildfires- DeBeikes said the memory of Scott's performance still leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.

"That game, it still gets me," DeBeikes said. "But we've got to forget about it. It's a new year, a new season. Last year we didn't know who Darrell Scott was. This year we definitely do."

To limit Scott, the Thousand Oaks defense first needs to out- work one of the finest offensive lines in the county.

Moorpark's front five consists of a pair of 6-foot-7 offensive tackles-Stanford-bound George Halamandaris and Kyle Rainer- and 6-foot-4, 280-pound guard John Martinez.

"Not only are they huge, but they're extraordinarily well coached," Sanders said.

"They are big and strong enough to give you a decoy step, knock a guy down, and then go and knock another guy down," the coach said.

DeBeikes, who leads TOHS with 2.5 sacks and is second on the team with 28 tackles, said the Lancer defense has improved in every game this season.

The responsibility of slowing down Scott and the rest of the Moorpark offense falls on the shoul- ders of team leaders like Scott Luft, Curtis Paulsen, Seth Kassis, Evan Yabu, Dereck Jester and the rest of the Thousand Oaks defense.

"It'll be tough to overpower their line," DeBeikes said. "But as long as you stay low and do your job, you can beat them."

As for the TOHS offense, Sanders said it should be in good hands with senior quarterback Ryan Cloney behind center, add- ing that running backs Taylor Malm and John Lister have pro- vided great offensive balance.

Malm said the Lancers are un- derdogs against Moorpark.

"Everyone's thinking we're going to lose this game," Malm said. "It's a good feeling to know that because you've got nothing to lose. You can go out there full speed and give it all you've got."