Fri. & Sat., August 15 & 16, 2025
Friday started off with some really good news . . .
Charlie Wegher is being inducted
into the Agoura H.S. Hall of Fame
Charlie was our starting QB at Westlake H.S. 44 years ago. He possessed a strong arm, passion for the game and a brilliant offensive mind. When he got into coaching after his college playing days were over at Cal State-Northridge, I was happy to add him to our coaching staff at WHS. Eventually he was named the Head Football Coach at nearby Agoura H.S. and the rest, as they say, is wonderful history.
Charlie's Agoura teams were always well coached, played with integrity, dangerous offensively, and fun to compete against.
I am proud of all that Charlie accomplished in his coaching career and will definitely be at the Westlake vs. Agoura game in two weeks for his well deserved induction ceremony.
CONGRATULATIONS, CHARLIE!
On Friday night, we headed to Simi Valley H.S. for the first game of the 2025 high school football season, a Week DOUBLE Zero affair.
The main reason for this lone game in Ventura County was that the host Simi Valley H.S. Pioneers have had a lot of success in the eight years that Jim Benkert has been their Head Coach.
During Jim's tenure, the Pioneers have been to three C.I.F.-Southern Section Championship Games winning one of them. His overall record at SVHS going into the 2025 season was 57-24-0, overall including his 24 year stint at Westlake H.S, Jim is the winningest high school football in Ventura County history.
All of this history makes it hard for the Pioneers to find local teams willing to play them in non-league tilts. Thus, tonight's game against a team from Sparks, Nevada located 470 miles northeast of Simi Valley.
While Simi Valley had to get permission from the C.I.F. to play a game this early in the Summer, schools in Nevada all could start their seasons this weekend under the N.I.A.A.'s, their state's governing body rules.
After a fun pre-game meal with several members of the Sabolić Clan at Cronies Sports Grill in Simi Valley, we were off to the game where Jason Sabolić would serve as the Pioneers' Wide Receiver Coach.
Spanish Springs H.S. Cougars
7-5-0 in 2024
at
Simi Valley H.S. Pioneers
12-2-0 in 2024
These two squads also met in the opening game of the 2024 season in Sparks, Nevada where Simi Valley prevailed 33-13.
HERE COME THE PIONEERS!
The Cougars, in white, were
BIG and PHYSICAL!
While it was no surprise that the Spanish Springs stands would be mostly empty due to the extreme travel distance, the home team bleachers were PACKED with raucous fans.
Paul Sabolić with three of his
four grandchildren
The Cougars continued to make
most of the big plays
The biggest three plays that Spanish Springs made were returning the game's opening Kickoff about 95 yards for a TD, converting a 4th and 14 situation into a 30 yard TD pass and having their Defense score a TD on a 50 yard Scoop and Score fumble recovery.
Of course, trying to overcome SIX
turnovers is never easy
The Pioneers are a young team this season and that, plus not being able to have a scrimmage vs. another team due to this early game showed.
FINAL SCORE
Spanish Springs (1-0) - 41
Simi Valley (0-1) - 21
My mind drifted off to thoughts of the impending college football season.
This serene Seattle scene
will soon become . . .
. . . this MADHOUSE!
One of my favorite Rams from
days gone by randomly popped
up on Facebook
Tom Fears was born in Guadalajara, Mexico.
He prepped at Manual Arts H.S. located just a couple of blocks from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
He would star as a two time All-American receiver for the UCLA Bruins playing his home games for both the Bruins and Rams at the Coliseum.
I liked him better before the NFL implemented their position number policy. He was #55 for the Rams before the NFL forced him to change to #80.
Going to the 44th Annual Air Show
was a last minute decision
We were not planning on attending this year but a mid-morning call from Jacob who wanted to attend changed my mind.
Thus, Jacob and . . .
. . . I attended the combined Flying Circus
and Vintage Car Show
Cool Cobra markings on this
U.S. Marines battle helicopter
U.S. Marine Corps art can be
quite Gothic at times
These empanadas for lunch
HIT THE SPOT!
One of the two 1929 Travel Air D-4-D
vintage aircraft on display
AWESOME artwork
well preserved bi-plane
Here is the other equally gorgeous
1929 Travel Air D-4-D bi-plane
A bi-plane's upper wing dwarfed
by a modern military transport plane
We ran into part of the extended
Sabolić Clan at the Camarillo Airport
Nicole Gray is Joanne and Paul Sabolić's daughter and is seen here with her husband Nick and their two adorable grandchildren.
A one person spy plane worthy
of James Bond if you ask me
This WWII Japanese Zero is a
rare classic
Loved this speedy looking
Shelby Cobra
Laurie would have loved this T-Bird
She drove an immaculate red one, similar to this one, when we first started dating in 1965.
I would love to cruise up to a
Huskies football game in this
fantastic purple roadster
Let the Air Show BEGIN!
Jacob was disappointed,
no machine gun in the turret
A promising Fire Department
emergency vehicle
The combination horn and red
light looked AWESOME to me!
Jacob at the wheel of a
rugged military vehicle
CLASSIC HOT ROD!
I loved the grill work and
lights on this classic
Cars came with spare tires
back in the day
The colorful markings on this
U.S. Coast Guard helicopter were
"EXQUISITE!"
Is that Laurie's cat, Toby, on
this Army helmet?
A classic Ford from the
Conejo Valley Model A Club
We had been at the Air Show for about three hours and our favorite pyrotechnics "bombing" runs were not scheduled for another two hours. We agreed that it was time to head on home.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, we heard the distinctive sound of a P-51 Mustang fighter making a low level bombing run.
With Jacob pointing the way, we
made a quick U-turn
Here came another P-51 Mustang
The "bombing" was a sight to see
Then, a few minutes later, a DC-3
passed overhead releasing . . .
. . . a total of seven paratroopers
The bombings and air drops made for a grand finale to our now annual trip to the 44th Annual Wings Over Camarillo Air Show!
One more classic car as we left for
a second time, a 1939 Lincoln Zephyr
While we were at the Air Show, the
Rams moved to 2-0 in the pre-season
with this narrowest of wins over
the rival Los Angeles Chargers
Somewhere up in Heaven, Tom Fears was smiling.
Food for both thought and
argument, I suspect
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