Toads defeat odds, move to round two
by Jesse Phelps

One week into the CIF playoffs, The Thacher School's first-year football team is still alive. On a chilly Friday night at Calabasas High School, the fearless Toads played like they belonged, opening up a 21-point first quarter lead on their way to a dramatic 36-34 victory over the Heritage League champions, the Viewpoint Patriots.
Thacher (8-1) was led on offense by Tyler Caldwell and Robert Cerda, each of whom scored two touchdowns, and Charlie Munzig, who scored a touchdown and kicked a 25-yard field goal that wound up providing the final margin of victory.
Thacher looked to be in control early on, scoring three touchdowns in the opening quarter. Robert Cerda scored on a 5-yard run, Munzig caught his first touchdown of the year - a 10-yard pass from quarterback Brenton Sullivan - and Caldwell broke a 55-yard punt return, eluding several would-be tacklers along the way.
But Patriot quarterback Geoff Chizever passed for a score then intercepted Sullivan on the ensuing possession. Minutes later he connected with Viewpoint receiver Mike McLaughlin from 16 yards out for his second TD pass of the quarter. The power running of Daniel Wasser began to consistently set up play-action for Chizever, who kept Thacher DBs Caldwell and Owili Eison off guard all night.
Caldwell gave credit to the Viewpoint passing attack: "It was tough," he said. "I got beat like two times for touchdowns and they did real well. When it came down to the end, we really dug in our heels but they're a great team."
After Caldwell's 60-yard scoring burst was called back on a clipping penalty, Gabe Yette kept the half's final drive alive, gaining three yards on a fourth and one in Viewpoint territory. Four plays later, Munzig's field goal made the score 24-14 with one second remaining until halftime.
After recovering a fumble on the opening kick of the second half, Thacher took advantage of the short field and Cerda scored his second touchdown.
Viewpoint came right back. Wasser pounded ahead, rumbling down the field, eventually scoring on a 1-yard burst to pull the Patriots to within 10. However, Viewpoint missed a 2-point conversion that could have made it a one-possession game.
On the ensuing drive, with Thacher threatening inside the Patriot 10 yard line, Chizever intercepted Sullivan again. He then hit McLaughlin for a touchdown as the fourth quarter got under way. Holder Matt Kogel took in the two point conversion - and cut Thacher's once safe lead was down to two.
Eison, Yette and Caldwell combined to run the ball impressively on the drive, but once again gave the Patriots the chance to take the lead. Thacher's Richard Smith came up with a huge sack and a batted pass to stall Viewpoint's momentum.
Eison broke 19 yards on the first play of the ensuing drive and three plays later, Caldwell took it in from the six to put Thacher up eight points.
After the Toads failed on a two-point conversion attempt, Wasser again looked totally unstoppable, eventually scoring from 2 yards out to set up the big stop by Ellery Khazanovich and company.
"All I knew was that we had to stop him," said a jubilant Khazanovich after the game.
The Thacher faithful went crazy as defensive tackle Khazanovich, who broke his finger early in the first quarter, found a seam, gained penetration up the middle and was joined by a host of teammates to halt Wasser short of the goal line, preserving the Thacher lead and eventual win.
Thacher coach Jeff Hooper was elated in the aftermath of his team's first CIF win. "It feels great," said Hooper, "Better than I ever would have expected."
The road for the Toads doesn't get any easier from here. Thacher will take on yet another league champion in the second round, 9-1 Avalon, which won the Four Corners League and demolished the Santa Clarita Christian team 80-38 in the first round. Thacher will have a home-field advantage of sorts as the game will be played in Ojai, at Nordhoff, Friday night at 7 p.m.

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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