Toads trample I.C., 50-24, in first home game
by Misty Volaski

The Thacher School's football squad has been having a lot of firsts this year. First-ever team, first-ever win, first game ever played on the Thacher campus.
And things seem to be looking up. So far, the Toads have won games against Peace in the Valley and Immanuel Christian and aren't showing any signs of slowing down.
The guys, who have only been an official team for a little more than a month, have greatly improved their defensive skills, said head coach Jeff Hooper.
Led by Graham Douds (defensive end) and Robert Cerda (linebacker), the Toads kept up a strong line which proved nearly impenetrable by Immanuel Christian in last weekend's first-ever home game.
"Our kids played a great first half defensively," said Hooper. They (Immanuel Christian) made mistakes throughout the game, and we capitalized on them."
The Toad offense provided enough touchdowns - Owili Eison and Tyler Caldwell each had three - to allow second-stringers a chance on the field.
"We were a little bit bigger and I think that helped a lot," noted Hooper. "My biggest concern was to get the kids to become more comfortable with the physical aspect of football. This game was a big breakout for us. You can practice forever but the kids really have to work it out themselves on the field, and this game gave us the chance to do that."
Thacher was previously scheduled to play Ventura County Christian Saturday, but due to widespread illness on the VCC team, it is unclear whether or not the Toads will play this weekend.

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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