Remmel Leads Orange Past Agoura, 35-22

AGOURA —  It was no ordinary football game for Orange High School Friday night when the Panthers met Agoura in the Division VIII semifinal.

Orange had not reached the semifinal round since 1929 when it won the Minor Schools championship.

Sixty years later, the Panthers are back.

Their 35-22 victory over Agoura in front of 3,500 fans, including about 1,000 Orange followers who traveled 80-plus miles and began arriving in Agoura 4 1/2 hours before the kickoff, earned Orange another shot at a championship next Friday at Anaheim Stadium.

Orange will play Trabuco Hills, a 48-21 winner over Santa Clara.

The Panthers (10-2-1) grabbed an early lead on the strength of junior tailback Brian Remmel, who scored the game’s first three touchdowns, on runs of 78, one and 94 yards.

Remmel, who had 220 yards rushing in the first half and finished with 282 on 25 carries, broke the 100-yard barrier on his sixth carry of the night.

But Remmel’s performance almost was challenged when Agoura (9-4) roared to life after trailing, 35-6, following Orange junior quarterback Chris Thompson’s one-yard touchdown run on the second play of the fourth quarter.

Agoura drew within 35-14 with 6:21 remaining on a 2-yard run by senior quarterback Josh Smaler and a successful 2-point conversion pass from Smaler to wide receiver Greg Ochoa. Agoura cut the Panthers lead to 35-22 when reserve quarterback Sean Fitzgerald hit Ochoa for a 49-yard touchdown play with 4:37 remaining and was successful on another 2-point conversion.

Orange gave back the ball six plays later when senior linebacker Chris Ostwald intercepted Thompson at the Panther 36 with 1:35 remaining. Agoura threw four incomplete passes, two each by Smaler and Fitzgerald, who alternated the final series, as the clock ran out.