The High Schools : Moorpark Takes Steps to Reverse Direction of Football Program

Could one of the longest dry spells in the history of high school football actually be coming to an end at Moorpark High?

For the Musketeers, off to an encouraging 2-0 start after whipping Marshall Fundamental, 41-0, Friday night, well, the 20th just hasn’t been their century.

Or, to paraphrase tailback Tony Upshaw, the Musketeers have been horrid.

Moorpark is 19-69-2 in the 1980s, including a 21-game losing streak from 1980-82. In ‘81, the team was 0-10. It was also shut out eight times--including five whitewashes in a row--while being outscored, 342-0. One game that season was halted when a doctor emerged from the grandstands demanding that the mismatch be ceased.

Further, Moorpark has not won a league title since 1941, nor defeated rival Carpinteria since 1934--both streaks that have made headlines in Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.

“I hate to admit it, but some of the guys hated to wear their letterman jackets downtown,” Upshaw said. “They were too embarrassed. People would come up and say, ‘Are you going to win this year?’ Even people who didn’t follow the school knew we were losers.”

Second-year Coach Rob Dearborn, who suffered through a 1-9 season last year, agreed, saying, “I think everybody has just kind of shied away from being identified as a Moorpark football player or a Moorpark football coach and just kind of kept a low profile.

“But that’s changing--I hope.”

So it would seem. Victory has a nice ring to it this season at Moorpark. And “loss” is a nasty four-letter word.

Friday night’s win represented the team’s largest margin of victory this decade. And the Musketeers are off to their best start since 1985.

Upshaw gave a tremendous performance Friday night, rushing for 207 yards and four touchdowns in 11 carries. He added another touchdown on a 76-yard interception return.

And while consecutive wins do not a dynasty make, all involved are certain that prosperity lies ahead.

“Two-game winning streak,” quarterback Robert Hernandez said. “I think we’ll pick up a few more games.”

In 1985, the Musketeers started the season 3-0 but finished 5-5.

“I keep telling the kids that they don’t realize what an opportunity it is to turn the program around,” Dearborn said. “They’re just really excited about it.”

Add Moorpark: Dearborn and his assistants are researching Southern Section records in the wake of junior defensive back Toussaint Powdrill’s coast-to-coast interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter Friday night.

According to Dearborn, the longest interception return in Southern Section history is 105 yards. Powdrill, whose return gave the Musketeers a 34-0 lead, was at least four yards deep in the end zone when he made the theft, Dearborn said.

“We’re not sure,” Dearborn said. “The record is 105 and there are four guys with 104. He definitely caught the ball a few yards into the end zone. I think for it to be a record, the (Southern Section) would have to look at the films to decide.”

Sack attack: Notre Dame nose guard Owen Taylor spent the greater part of Friday night’s 31-8 victory over Kennedy in the Golden Cougars’ backfield.

“I just tried to get in there,” Taylor said.

He did. Taylor sacked quarterback Tony Vasquez five times for a total of 53 yards in losses. Taylor, however, had helping hands.

“When we watched the films, I think it looked like four sacks,” he said. “I had some help. We really sucked it up. All the guys got excited.”

No help: San Fernando tailback Maurice McFarland spent Friday night’s 35-9 loss to Fontana a long way from the backfield in which he was supposed to play a leading role.

McFarland, the Tigers’ leading rusher last season with 670 yards, sat in the stands after being disciplined by Coach Tom Hernandez for missing a practice last week.

“He was told, ‘Don’t screw around,’ ” said Hernandez, who forbade McFarland to suit up. “A lot of the kids were told, but he was told in particular because we expected a big game from him.”

With McFarland in the bleachers, San Fernando was in trouble. The Tigers rushed for just four yards.

“It affected him and I talked to him about it after the game,” Hernandez said. “He’ll do all right.”

Interestingly, McFarland might have done just fine had he been able to cook up a good alibi for cutting practice.

“It wasn’t a real good one,” Hernandez said. “We give the kid a little leeway. He can make up something. And then we can run him.”

Volleyball: The Thousand Oaks girls’ volleyball team is ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section 4-A Division. And the Lancers are 2-0 after defeating fifth-ranked Louisville, 15-12, 6-15, 16-14, 9-15, 15-6, Thursday night at Louisville.

No surprise there.

Thousand Oaks, 2-A division champion in 1986 and ‘87, reached the 4-A division final last season, its first at the 4-A level.

Said Coach Ron Beick: “We belong in 4-A.”

The Lancers’ nucleus is composed of seniors Shauna Campbell, Amy Chellevold, Phronsie Franco, Errika Gulbranson and Betsy Moore. All started as sophomores.

On Thursday, Gulbranson recorded 12 consecutive service points to give the Lancers the third game after they trailed, 14-4. Chellevold led with 15 kills.