Getting Dividends After the Return

Few teenagers enjoyed Thanksgiving more than senior quarterback Cory Smits of Agoura.

“It’s week 12 and we’re still playing football,” he said. “There’s nothing better than that.”

Not far away, Agoura Coach Charlie Wegher was equally cheerful.

“We have a lot to be thankful for,” he said.

Last month, Smits, Wegher and the Agoura football team had reached the depths of despair. They were laughingstocks after Westlake Village Westlake pulled off a miracle kickoff return on the final play of their Marmonte League game to win, 30-27. It was reminiscent of California’s five-lateral kickoff return against Stanford in 1982.

“It was by far the most devastating thing I’ve had to go through in coaching,” Wegher said.

Added Smits: “It was a crushing loss because it was the first time we would have beaten them in nine years. I can’t think of a way it could have hurt more.”

Adding to the insult, the final seconds of the game were replayed on ESPN, FSNW and local TV stations for days, so players and coaches were constantly reminded of the debacle.

How does a coach pick himself off the ground? How does a quarterback forgive, forget and move on?

Over the last month, something special happened at Agoura. The players and coaching staff regrouped to win five consecutive games. They’re 8-3 and playing host to second-seeded Oxnard Rio Mesa tonight in a Southern Section Division IV quarterfinal game.

“The reality was you could sit there, whine and be upset or get past it, move on and enjoy the rest of the season,” Smits said. “I chose the latter.”

The healing process was difficult.

Agoura thought it had won the game after J.T. Wright’s 29-yard field goal with 4.2 seconds left had given the Chargers a 27-24 lead. Then came the kickoff. There was a lateral, a fumble, another lateral. Jeff Rapoport ended up with the ball and found himself scoring despite players, coaches and fans coming onto the field. The only thing missing was a trombone player.

“I remember watching the ref,” Smits said. “He put his hands up, I dropped my head and said, ‘Wow.’ ”

Smits went home and couldn’t sleep. He rose at 8 a.m. and went to the film session at school to join his teammates.

“Everyone was clearly still upset,” Smits said.

It was up to Wegher to take control.

“The coaches explained there was no review,” Smits said. “We had lost the game and there was nothing to do. You can be upset, but we had to move on.”

Added Wegher: “You have to keep it in perspective. I’m a teacher, and we’re supposed to help these guys grow up.”

The hardest part was coming to school the following Monday and dealing with students and faculty.

“Every single person wanted to come up and talk to you,” Smits said. “Was it a bad call? Can it be changed? No, it cannot be changed. We’ll see you Friday at homecoming.”

Wegher, while trying to show strength, was suffering like the players.

“Could I have coached better?” he asked himself.

“I’d get up in the shower and think about it,” he said. “I was shaving and thinking about it. I did not sleep well. It was hard, and the second-guessing was brutal. When I went to school on Monday, [people] would avoid eye contact and address you as if someone in the family had passed.”

Thanks to a quarterback with determination and a coach with conviction, the Chargers moved on. In their next game against Thousand Oaks, they rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to score the go-ahead touchdown with 38 seconds left, then had to survive another kickoff situation to win, 24-21.

Agoura fans joked to Smits afterward that they were prepared to charge onto the field and tackle the Thousand Oaks ballcarrier at the goal line if needed to prevent another ESPN moment.

Now, Agoura is still playing and Westlake isn’t. It’s a story of redemption and perseverance.

“If I win the championship, I’ll put my ring on with a big smile and forget about Westlake,” Smits said.

Asked what he has learned, Smits said, “No matter how low you think you are, if you join with your buddies and are willing to work hard, it can work out.”

Wegher did what every successful teacher does. He turned a negative into a positive learning experience.

But he concluded, “I hope it doesn’t happen again.”