Avalon spears Toads in CIF
by Jesse Phelps

Thacher coach Jeff Hooper's first-year football upstarts, led by a tight group of seniors with both confidence and talent in abundance, had it all end in round two of the CIF Southern Section playoffs Friday night under the bright lights of Ojai Valley Community Stadium.
The Avalon Lancers defeated Thacher, 20-7, behind the tough power running of Juan Carlos Martin and a defense that kept Toad ball-carriers locked down and the powerful Thacher air attack out of the end zone.
Thacher (8-2), plagued by turnovers, had to work from behind all night. Leading 14-7 in the fourth quarter, Avalon's Pablo Murillo picked off Toad quarterback Brenton Sullivan twice to thwart two potential game-tying drives.
The Toads had one opportunity to regain the football with time for a last-ditch attempt to even things up. As in its first round game, Thacher needed a big stop late in the fourth quarter, but this time the defense couldn't make the crucial play.
Avalon (10-1), champions of the Four Corners League, faced third and long after a penalty. Thacher cornerback Tyler Caldwell hustled over to the sideline. "What do you want me to do, coach?" he asked.
"I want you go get the football!" Hooper said and his team responded with intense pursuit at the line as Avalon quarterback Chris Bogard moved to his right. But Lancer receiver Chris Moonan took the ball on a reverse and got around the corner, dashing 33 yards down the eastern sideline for the score that ended Thacher's season.
"That's sports," said Sullivan afterward. "We gave it our all, so at least we can hold our heads high."
Moonan and Murillo provided Avalon the speed to complement Martin's power. Murillo rushed 17 times for 70 yards and set up the game's first score with a fumble recovery. Martin barreled in from a yard out to cap the drive but the PAT was wide left. With less than three minutes gone in the second quarter, Avalon had a 6-0 lead.
The Toads responded with a solid drive of their own, but Charlie Munzig's 30-yard field goal was negated on a motion penalty, then Sullivan's fourth-down pass was dropped on a fake field goal.
Thacher got back into it on its next possession. Sullivan hooked up with receiver Tyler Caldwell for the longest play from scrimmage all night, a 44-yard pass completion to the Lancer 8-yard line.
Caldwell then took the ball to the 1-yard line on a reverse. Two plays later, Gabe Yette found a gap to score his third touchdown of the playoffs. Munzig added the PAT to give Thacher a one-point halftime advantage.
Avalon countered near the end of the third quarter. After Richard Smith made a tackle for a loss, Robert Cerda and Owili Eison combined on a vicious hit to force third and goal from the four. But Bogard scored on the keeper, capping a monster six-minute drive. Murillo added the two point conversion on an option play to give Avalon a 14-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
That was all the cushion the Lancers would need.
Though Thacher was on the wrong end of the scoreboard, coach Hooper applauded his team's toughness and resiliency. "I know we got beat but I thought we were the more physical team," he said. "We were on the right end of most of the hits."
His two biggest stars came up roses when it counted. Despite the interceptions, Sullivan threw 21 times, completing 11 passes for 162 yards. Several would-be completions were called back on penalties, one was 6 inches out of bounds and another was dropped.
Caldwell was spectacular as usual. He led Thacher with 160 all-purpose yards and lost credit for two catches on penalty calls. On the second, a holding call, he made what would have been the play of the night, beautifully outleaping Moonan and a second defender to haul in a 30-yard bomb, which Sullivan had hoisted up for grabs.
The mood was positive as Hooper emotionally addressed his gathered troops after the final whistle. "This year has exceeded everything I ever dreamed of," he said. "You've started such a great tradition at this school. You've got a ton to be proud of."

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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