Defense is prioritized in the Thousand Oaks football program. Meetings and film sessions revolve mostly around that side of the ball — and the Lancers are seeing that dedication pay off in their CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoff run.
“Playoffs have been huge for our defense,” Lancers two-way player Cory McEnroe said. “We’ve just had to suck it up and know what we had to do. We just had to come out swinging with all three of our games.”
The Lancers (8-4) have held their last two opponents to two touchdowns or less and have another opportunity to put their defense to work against Pacifica of Oxnard (8-4) in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday.
If they win, it’ll be the Lancers’ first appearance in a CIF-SS championship game since 2015.
Thousand Oaks returned only three defensive players with significant game experience at the start of the season in McEnroe, defensive back Jack Steinberg and defensive lineman Bret Warner. The coaching staff, which is in its second year at Thousand Oaks, has leaned on experienced players while coaching up newer ones.
Players are also taking the time to help bring less experienced teammates into the fold.
“It’s the confidence that we have in one another to go out there and make a play and do everything right,” defensive back Luke Sullivan said. “It gives me a lot of confidence to know I can go out there and perform to the best of my abilities when everybody that’s behind me is rooting for me and telling me that I could do it. Everybody’s so tight. It’s a brotherhood on this team.”
Sullivan has risen from the JV team and is now second on the varsity for tackles with 73 and has caught four interceptions. McEnroe, a UC Davis commit, ranks first in tackles with 103 and has an a team-leading seven sacks. The senior linebacker also plays tight end and fullback on the offensive side of the ball.
“Fullback really helps me understand as a linebacker where blocking schemes are going, especially as a run-stop linebacker first,” McEnroe said. “We’re a run-stop defense first. We always want to know what the scheme is of the run, where the blockers are going, where the running back’s going to come off of, and playing offense and especially a heavy blocking position really helps me figure that out.”
Pacifica will bring a dynamic offense that features quarterback Dominic Duran, who has passed for 2,071 yards and 23 touchdowns this season with eight interceptions. Two running backs have rushed or over 500 yards in Alijah Royster and Isaiah Phelps and Cal Poly commit Savion Taylor averages 94.9 receiving yards a game while scoring 14 touchdowns.
“As far as the receiving corps, they’re really fast,” Sullivan said. “Their quarterback’s able to extend plays and put balls in hard places. He’s good; the receivers are great.”
A coaching staff with extensive combined experience could give Thousand Oaks’ defense an edge. Head coach Ben McEnroe has coached alongside defensive coordinator Scott Beattie since 2007 and multiple assistant coaches played under McEnroe when he was a head coach at Cal Lutheran University.
“Schematically, we’re pretty flexible and that’s the byproduct of having a great coaching staff on the defensive side,” Ben McEnroe said. “It’s a good chemistry. They know me. They know what I want. I’m not a defensive guy but they know the philosophy and I trust them.”
In other semifinals Friday:
Oaks Christian’s Deshonne Redeaux, #4, gets brought down by San Juan Hills’ Jake Vuoso, #10, during first quarter action in the CIF-SS Division 2 quarterfinals at Oaks Christian on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Oaks Christian (9-3) at Murrieta Valley (10-2), CIF-SS Division 2
The Lions overcame a rough start to beat San Juan Hills and reach the semifinals and will have to limit mistakes against a Murrieta Valley team that has scored a combined 98 points in playoff games this season. Both teams bring talented running backs. Dorian Hoze has collected 1,688 yards and 26 touchdowns while DeShonne Redeux has rushed for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns. Oaks Christian freshman quarterback Trey Towns Jr. can spread the ball to tight end Stevie Amar and receivers Matt Watts, Chase Moss and Davon Benjamin.
Newbury Park players celebrate the Panthers’ 24-13 win over San Clemente in the CIF-SS Division 2 quarterfinal on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Yorba Linda (11-1) at Newbury Park (12-0), CIF-SS Division 2
Newbury Park remains unbeaten as it heads into the semifinals with talent on both sides of the ball. Shane Rosenthal now leads the state in total receptions and quarterback Brady Smigiel is averaging 235.2 passing yards per game. Two-way player Kayin Booker can run the ball, haul in passes and make stops on defense. Linebacker Carter Taylor paces the defense with 125 total tackles and 7.5 sacks. Yorba Linda edged the Mission League’s Serra by four points to advance to the semifinals and has a balanced offense between quarterback Holden Nagin and Cole Nerio.
King/Drew (9-3) at Kennedy (10-2), L.A. City Division I
Kennedy has outscored its first two playoff opponents 97-49 on the way to a City Section semifinal game. Quarterback Diego Montes is coming off a quarterfinal appearance in which he threw for 330 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Amare Rhodes was his top target in the game and the senior now has 943 receiving yards and seven touchdowns this season. Golden Eagles quarterback Keenan Jackson has passed for 2,122 yard and 22 touchdowns and is able to get the ball to multiple receivers in Damico Martin, Jahmir Torres and Dylan Childs.
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