Agoura football team wins wild game against Calabasas in overtime to remain unbeaten
A wild and wholly crazy back-and-forth game between two district rivals was decided by the scantest of margins Friday night.
Also by a slew of stirring performances on both sides.
Two late missed PATs by the visiting Coyotes, the second in overtime, proved to be decisive in the Agoura High football team’s heart-pounding, 54-53 win OT over Las Virgenes School District rival Calabasas.
Quarterback Harrison Novak completed 26 of 30 pass attempts for 394 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 21 yards and Miles Hull nabbed 12 catches for 152 yards and three TDs while finishing with 274 all-purpose yards as Agoura continued its turnaround season.
A year ago, the Chargers finished 1-9. Now they’re 4-0 heading into their Canyon League opener Thursday vs. Camarillo.
“It’s just a credit to our kids and the winning culture they bring to our program,” says Agoura coach Dustin Croick. “Despite all the adversity last year, nobody stopped working hard, nobody transferred. We’re a brotherhood with players who care about each other. Everything we do, we do for each other. They’re just fun to be around.”
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Brady Dieffenbach hauled in nine catches for 211 yards and three scores for the Chargers, including a 5-yard TD in overtime that turned into the game-winner.
His 73-yard hookup from Novak at the top of the fourth quarter gave Agoura a 34-33 lead.
Michael Longo rushed for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns on eight carries. His 15-yard scoring run with 6:08 on the clock in the final quarter tied the game at 41-41.
Zeke Bussiere led the defense with 16 tackles, including 13 solos.
How crazy was it? There were no less than 11 lead changes in the contest.
Calabasas had its own array of clutch players.
Caleb Yang tallied three TDs, including a kickoff return in the second quarter and an 18-yard run in overtime. The missed PAT left the Coyotes one point short of a tie.
Josh Nazmiyev ran for a 4-yard score and a 47-41 lead with 1:02 left in regulation. The missed PAT allowed Agoura to forge the tie in the closing seconds on Hull's 2-yard TD. The Chargers connected on the first PAT attempt after the Hull score but an offsides call on Calabasas had blown the play dead. The second PAT attempt for the lead was blocked, and the game went into overtime.
Aaron Butler turned a short screen pass and several broken tackles into a 75-yard touchdown and a 41-34 lead with 9:06 left in the fourth quarter.
Alonzo Contreras connected with Arion Lang on 48-yard scoring pass in the first quarter.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Agoura wins wild game against Calabasas in overtime to remain unbeaten
