WESTLAKE VILLAGE — The ball spun out of Westlake sophomore quarterback Ford Green’s right hand into the air to Cal commit and senior wide receiver Demare Dezeurn.
Green rifled his pass 48 yards to the right corner of the end zone, one of four touchdowns he threw to four different receivers on the evening, leading Westlake over Agoura 38-7.
Westlake hosts Chatsworth next Thursday while Agoura (1-1) hosts Thousand Oaks next Friday.
“I wake up, think about football and just get daily nutrition,” Green said. “Lift when I need to, get speed work when I need to, work with my receivers when I need to, throw when I need to, and then really watch film. I love being in the classroom and watching film with my coaches.”
Pinpoint accuracy from Green, who isn’t afraid to share parts of his personality with his teammates at Westlake (2-0), who have endeared themselves to the young man who carries a southern drawl and bushy haircut.
Green continues making high performances look routine after coming to California after being born in Tallahassee, Tennessee, then moving to Clemson, South Carolina, and eventually to Westlake Village in late July before his freshman year.
He has thrown 37 touchdowns in just 12 games and carries offers from several Division I programs, including Ohio State, Michigan and Florida State.
Green came to California because of Rick Clausen and his brothers Casey, who played quarterback at Tennessee, and Jimmy, who played at Notre Dame and later starred for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears.
“On the field, off the field,” Green said. “Their game preparation, the way they build teams and the way they build players to be what they want, which is future NFL stars.”
Afternoons and evenings are often accompanied by teammates coming over to watch film while receiving a Tennessean or South Carolinian food spread put on by his mother, making fried chicken, collard greens, and sweet tea when he isn’t eating the salads and protein recommended by his coach Rick Clausen and trainers like Danny Hernandez.
The Southern drawl isn’t being replaced by the uptalk vowel shift of the Californian accent. Everything combined to allow Green to have a touch that’s a manifestation of all his work training with the Clausen brothers and Hernandez in downtown Los Angeles.
“He’s got a great family and is putting in a lot of effort into what he’s doing,” Rick Clausen said. “I’m really happy for him to have this success. He threw the ball well and managed what we wanted in the run game.”
Hastings keeps Agoura charging forward with leadership
Agoura senior running back George Hastings did all he could but found himself swarmed by Westlake throughout the night. Hastings rushed for 103 yards, and Agoura put together a 14-play drive to open the third quarter, capped by a 4-yard touchdown pass from Kris Carranza to Anderson Mercer.
Hastings’ jersey was covered in blood. His right hand was bruised, but he wouldn’t allow himself to be disappointed in the effort his team put forth.
“My family is always behind me in the stands, and my coaches are always there for me,” Hastings said. “My brothers, my teammates, it’s just an awesome culture to be around. Even with a night like tonight, this is going to bring us closer.”
But he remained firm in his leadership throughout the night past the final whistle. Hastings holds offers from Johns Hopkins and Tufts and scored a 1520 on his SAT.
“I say this to my wife that George is going to be president and save us all,” Agoura coach Dustin Croick said. “He’s going to the end until the clock runs zero and that’s the type of kid you get. He’s going to save the world, he’s our leader and he’s going to bounce these kids back. He’s going to get their minds right, and Thousand Oaks is right ahead of us. We needed to get punched in the mouth to see what we are about.”