Thousand Oaks Lancers

Last season's results: (Tied for 2nd in Marmonte, 8-3 overall). A win in the regularseason finale against Newbury Park earned the Lancers the league's No. 2 playoff seed. In the first round of the CIF-SS playoffs, TOHS was upset at home by Rio Mesa, 38-31.

Notable returnees: Ryan Cloney, sr., QB (158-of-232 passing, 2,514 yards, 23 TDs, 8 INTs); Taylor Malm, sr., WR (251 yards rushing, 585 yards receiving, 10 TDs); Nick Simili, sr., TE (21 receptions, 291 yards); Brett Parker, sr., DL (8 sacks); Sean Debeikes, sr., LB (27 tackles); Curtis Paulsen, sr., LB (41 tackles) Impact newcomer: Scott Luft, jr., WR/TE/S Who they play: With five of its first seven games in the friendly confines of Lancers Stadium, Thousand Oaks should be poised for a fast start. After hosting Camarillo on Sept. 21, TOHS opens the Marmonte schedule on the road against Calabasas (Sept. 29). A three-week stretch beginning early in October could make or break the Lancers' season. During that time they'll host Moorpark, Royal and Westlake. TOHS finishes the regular season with three consecutive road games-at Simi Valley (Oct. 27), Agoura (Nov. 3) and Newbury Park (Nov. 10). All in all, it's not a bad setup for head coach Mike Sanders' crew.

Overview: Cloney, who's received interest from San Diego State, is the unquestioned leader of the Lancer offense and should be considered the most polished returning signal-caller in the league. With Malm on the outside, Luft running routes in the middle of the field and Simili coming of the line of scrimmage, Cloney has plenty of playmakers at his disposal.

Thousand Oaks' running game struggled at times last year-they averaged only 3.7 yards per carry as a team. Enter sophomore John Lister, a multi-talented athlete who should be the team's starter in Week 1 against defending Division I champion Loyola. Were not saying Lister's the next Darrell Scott, but he could make a significant impact nonetheless.

The defense has some major question marks. Parker, a defensive lineman, is the unit's only full-time returning starter. Debeikes was a part-timer last year but will start at inside linebacker. Paulsen, a defensive end in '05, has been moved to linebacker. The return of senior inside linebacker Justin Acerboni, who missed most of last season with an elbow injury, should provide a big lift.

In a nutshell: TOHS replaces Matt Luft, an all-county safety, with his younger brother, Scott. That's a positive. The way things look, T.O. could be involved in a number of shootouts. They've certainly got the weapons to do so, but relying solely on offense is a perilous way to make a living on the football field.