FOOTBALL PREVIEW: MARMONTE'S BEST NEW RIVALRY WESTLAKE, MOORPARK MEET UP AGAIN WITH LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP AT STAKE.

Byline: Matthew Kredell Staff Writer

A new football rivalry is budding in the Marmonte League.

Out is Westlake-Thousand Oaks, previously the game that often would decide the league title and get both teams' blood boiling. Thousand Oaks has lost by a combined 69-7 to Westlake the past two seasons.

In is Moorpark, Westlake's new challenger.

For the second season in a row, the league title is coming down to a Moorpark-Westlake showdown in the final game of the regular season. The stakes are even higher this season, as the teams play tonight at Westlake on regional television.

``The tide is definitely going over to Westlake-Moorpark,'' Westlake receiver Michael Stuart said. ``Thousand Oaks has not been strong lately, and nobody even comes out for that game. Moorpark isn't the closest team to us, but I think it's now the biggest rivalry game for us.''

The rivalry emerged only last season, when Moorpark began the season 9-0 before Westlake, which was 7-2, took the league title 20-14 in the final game of the regular season.

This time, No. 10 Moorpark is 7-2 and No. 1 Westlake is 9-0 and going for the first undefeated regular season in school history. If Moorpark can pull the upset, it would set up a three-way tie for the league title with Agoura.

Moorpark hasn't had a rival since it moved to the Marmonte League in 1998.

``Our rivalry game was Nordhoff (of Ojai) when we were Div. X,'' quarterback Cody Holland said. ``Then we got out of that and really hadn't grown a rivalry. But I think Westlake-Moorpark has become a rivalry over the past couple years because we're both considered league powerhouses. Moorpark-Westlake is the showdown.''

Westlake has dominated Marmonte League play, winning by an average of 38.7 points and a minimum of 24. A victory will earn the Warriors one of the top two seeds for the Div. IV playoffs.

Moorpark got off to a 5-0 league start but stumbled last week against Agoura, looking anemic in a 17-0 loss. Moorpark couldn't get anything going on the ground against the Chargers - top rusher Anthony Lopez was held to 20 yards on 11 carries - and it will need to run the ball to stay with Westlake.

Moorpark never has beaten Westlake in six tries. But the Musketeers came close last year, making a furious fourth-quarter rally from 20 points down and losing only when a tipped pass was intercepted in the Westlake end zone with 25 seconds remaining.

``Last year was a heck of a football game,'' Westlake coach Jim Benkert said. ``I think they felt we kind of robbed them. There's a lot at stake for us in this game. I don't think they get any bigger than this except in the playoffs.''

Matt Kredell, [phone]

matthew.kredell(at)dailynews.com

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Receiver Jimmy Miller has helped Westlake get off to a 9-0 start, the best in school history. Westlake plays Moorpark tonight.

Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News