Year of the running back
Talented tailbacks rule the east side of Ventura County
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers FIVE A CLIP—Moorpark High junior Austin Edmonson is averaging 5.6 yards per carry through three games.

The playmakers, the guys who are a threat to take it to the end zone on any offensive snap, a lot of them compete on the high school football fields of eastern Ventura County.

Most are running backs.

Some area teams possess dangerous two-back combos. The list includes Cameron Roberson and Chris Brown at Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks' John Lister and Ricky Minyard, and Justin Lilley and Tavior Mowry of Westlake.

Excluding Brown, who's been out since injuring his back in Week 1 but could return as soon as next week, the other five players listed have combined for 1,766 yards of total offense and have found the end zone on 18 occasions in nine total games.

Newbury Park head coach Gary Fabricius, who's coached locally for more than a quarter century, said the talent at running back in the Marmonte League is as good as it's been in years.

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers CAREER PATH—In addition to playing tennis, Moorpark's Zoë Sophos works for the school's newspaper, The Verdict.

"This is one of the first times in a long time where you look around and say, 'Maybe it's not the league of quarterbacks,'" Fabricius said. "It's not to say all of the quarterbacks can't take a team down the field when they need to in a two-minute drive, but they're not being asked to do it with the skill at the running back spot.

"Usually we look at good running backs out of Oxnard, (St. Bonaventure) or Oaks Christian," Fabricius said. "But to have them planted at all the Marmonte League schools, it's kind of good news, bad news for the coaches who have to prepare for a different style back each week."

During the past month, Moorpark head coach Tim Lins and his staff have seen several Marmonte teams take the field. Lins, too, has been impressed Moorpark."

After sitting out a year, Sophos is now able to play on the varsity squad and has helped make the Musketeers a contender with league wins over Simi Valley and Newbury Park. Entering Thursday's match against Royal, Sophos was 4-2 on the season.

Sophos "is a very consistent player," Jacobs said. "She constructs her points very well. I actually call them 'Zoë points.' She doesn't go for the big shot. She moves her opponent around the court a lot."

According to the stats, Sophos hasn't missed a beat since her return. There are some things, however, that she had to get reacquainted with.

"I'm so happy to be playing high school tennis again, and in a way it seems like I've never left," Sophos said. "I mean, Moorpark's team colors (green and gold) are basically the exact same as La Reina's.

"But some stuff I'd forgotten. I couldn't remember the format. Was it six games or more? When do we shake the opponent's hands? Stuff like that."

Off the court, Sophos has proven to be one of Moorpark's finest as well. Last June, Sophos was selected to be the school's representative of Girls State, a civics and government program that includes numerous high school girls from across the state. She is also the co-editor-in-chief of the Moorpark High school newspaper, The Verdict.

"That's another reason why I'm glad I left La Reina," Sophos said. "The school paper is a club, not a class. It's run by the students. I've met a lot of great people while working on the paper."

Although her dream college is Georgetown University, Sophos said she's applied to many universities in hopes of playing four more years of tennis. Although she didn't compete her junior year in high school, Sophos has no regrets.

"I've been lucky to have played the years I did get," Sophos said. "It was tough missing last season, but my sophomore year and this season have definitely made up for it."