COWBOYS CORRAL WIN DILUIGI RUSHES FOR 143 YARDS AND A TOUCHDOWN IN SEASON OPENER CANYON 33, MOORPARK 14.

Byline: KEVIN CONNELLY Special to the Daily News

J.J. DiLuigi appeared every bit the calm and collected veteran as he roamed the sidelines early in the second quarter.

The powerful Canyon High of Canyon Country offensive line was having trouble opening the mammoth holes that catapulted the senior running back to a Foothill League-record 43 touchdowns last season, but DiLuigi was right there with an encouraging tap on the shoulder pad.

The prolific Cowboy passing game that kept defenses honest last year was stagnant and mistake-prone early on, but there was DiLuigi again, imploring the team to relax and play like the defending Southern Section Div. II champions.

The encouragement proved effective, as Canyon recovered from an early deficit and an inspired performance from Moorpark junior running back Darrell Scott to defeat the Musketeers 33-14 Thursday night at Canyon High.

``The offensive line and the rest of the team knows what they need to do,'' said DiLuigi, who finished 143 yards rushing and a touchdown on 16 carries and three receptions for 79 yards. ``I'm a veteran leader this year, so I just wanted to make sure we didn't overact to an early disadvantage.''

Moorpark, the defending Marmonte League champion and runner-up in Southern Section Div. IV, took a 7-3 lead midway through the second quarter after a questionable pass interference call set up a 15-yard touchdown run by Scott.

Scott, who ran for 1,988 yards last year as a sophomore, finished with 156 yards on 23 carries Thursday despite facing eight men in the box for much of the game.

``(Scott) is the man, what else can I say,'' said DiLuigi, who has committed to BYU after rushing for more than 1,800 yards last season. ``He's more of a run-right-at-you type of back, and I try to move side-to-side a lot and try to make defenders miss.''

The Cowboys, who could meet Moorpark again this season in the newly-formed Southern Section Northern Division playoff bracket, took control of the game early in the third quarter when quarterback Ben Longshore scored on a 10-yard run to give Canyon a 20-7 advantage.

Moorpark struck back with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Adam Barry to Josh Smith to pull within 20-14, but Canyon provided the backbreaker on its next possession, when Longshore connected with Steven Wirthlin on a 40-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-15.

Longshore, the younger brother of Cal quarterback Nate Longshore, finished 11 of 18 for 199 yards with twotouchdowns and twointerceptions -- both by Moorpark's Zach Trottier.

While Longshore's numbers weren't exactly off the charts, they seem to foreshadow future success for the first-year starter.

``Ben played well today,'' said DiLuigi. ``We'll get a lot better as a team as the season goes on.

``Moorpark is a very good team and this is a great victory for us. We'll go in and look and tape and see how we can continue to improve.''

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Canyon High of Canyon Country's J.J. DiLuigi hurdles past the Moorpark defense and into the end zone in Thursday night's high school football opener.

(2) Moorpark's Darrell Scott, left, gets the ball knocked out of his hands in the end zone by Canyon's Chris Kingsbury, who was called for pass interference.

(3) Moorpark's Adam Barry gets sacked by Canyon's Mike Spagnola on Thursday.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News