Saturday, August 24, 2024

A 50 Year Thousand Oaks H.S. Football Reunion


Friday, August 23, 2024
After months of planning and a barrage of emails and social media posts, it was finally time.

Members of our Thousand Oaks H.S. football team that won the 1974 Marmonte League Championship would be assembling this afternoon and evening to celebrate that wonderful season that occurred a half century ago.

From 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., we would meet at the Sunset Terrace Restaurant in Thousand Oaks for a round of fellowship and the reliving of shared experiences and tall tales from the past. A huge THANK YOU to the Sunset Terrace's owner, Tyrone Knox, for going above and beyond in hosting our group in high fashion.

Jim Farrel and Coach Bob Richards
were the first on the scene

Chris Nielsen and Ron Hillard
sharing a moment

Jim Farrel, Ron Paanenen, Rick Shoup
and Bob Ornelaz catching up

By now, the tall tales were
in full swing

Steve Pinning and Dennis McCrillis
comparing their beards

Dave Dennies with Mark Brown
who about to enjoy some appetizers

John Garofolo and Wayne Eaton
trying to figure out how we lost
any games in 1974

Chris Nielsen, Lori Ferrie and
Tim Ferrie

Chris and Tim were two excellent Offensive Linemen back in the day.

Rick Shoup and Kurt Herman
discussing the Lancers cutting-edge
passing attack that they employed

Coach Robert Richards and
Coach Rod Fujita swapping
Rosy Nolan stories

A group photo before heading
up the road to Thousand Oaks H.S.

Reassembling by the T.O.H.S.
Field House/Weight Room

The current T.O.H.S. Lancers team was opening their 2024 season against the highly regarded El Modena H.S. Vanguards.

Our 1974 team joined the 2024
team during their pre-game talk

Dennis McCrillis, a 5'10", 170 lbs. First Team All-Marmonte League Linebacker in 1974, addressed the players about the impact that having played football for the Lancers has had on his life.

Good stuff!

Our squad was introduced to the
crowd in attendance at the game

The Lancers run through tunnel
looked good to me

The Lancers, in green, scored first

Pressuring the El Modena QB

The Pit

Legalized violence about to happen

It was a BEAUTIFUL night for
American football!

Bob Ornelaz, a typical 1974
jokester/photo bomber and me

Despite the 41-34 overtime win by El Modena, I feel safe in saying that all of us at this 50 year reunion had a sensational day.

Another special THANK YOU has to go to Thousand Oaks Head Coach Ben McEnroe, Athletic Coordinator Mike Leibin and the Lancer Booster Club for all welcoming us back on campus with open arms.

It was so much fun seeing that those boys of the 1970s had become such amazing men in the intervening decades.

GO LANCERS!

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