Moorpark football edges Oak Park in Canyon League duel
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MOORPARK — The Moorpark football team spent the entire summer in the weight room thinking about the previous season, which had included just one win.
Months of work paid off in the final 10 seconds in Friday night’s game against Oak Park as Luke Cochran lined up at the 4-yard line, then charged in.
“That was the most amazing feeling in my life,” said Cochran. “I was nervous, but I knew I was going to get in. I knew we were going to win.”
Cochran’s prediction came true in the form of a 34-27 Canyon League-opening win over the Eagles.
Luke Cochran scores from four yards out and Moorpark executes the 2-point conversion after. Musketeers lead Oak Park 34-27 with 10 seconds left in the game. pic.twitter.com/YX79FfKI6M
— Haley Sawyer (@haleymsawyer) September 24, 2022
Oak Park (4-2 overall, 0-2 Canyon League) looked as though it was headed toward its first league win in the opening moments of the game. Rowan Heidt, who missed the previous game against Thousand Oaks due to illness, got to work immediately.
He returned the opening kick for a touchdown just 10 seconds into the game. A minute later, quarterback Kadyn Parr’s 6-yard run extended Oak Park’s lead to 14-0.
“It just builds a sense of confidence for the group,” Eagles coach Casey Webb said of having Heidt back. “They started playing with attitude and confidence at the beginning.”
Cochran broke off a 15-yard run to get Moorpark (4-1, 1-0) on the board with a little over five minutes left in the first quarter, then set the Musketeers up for another touchdown with less than a minute to go with another 15-yard run that got them to the 3-yard line. Quarterback Connor Smith ran the ball in to tie the game.
“It’s nice to be able to rely on those two,” Moorpark coach Ryan Huisenga said. “They’re two of the smartest guys on the team. We can just send something out there and we know they’re going to take care of it.”
Heidt scored his second touchdown of the night on a 2-yard scamper in the second quarter, but Tyler Woods blocked the PAT attempt.
Rowan Heidt fights for a seven-yard touchdown. The PAT is good and Oak Park is back in the lead. Oak Park 27, Moorpark 26. 5:30 4Q pic.twitter.com/Hyy5mrF21x
— Haley Sawyer (@haleymsawyer) September 24, 2022
Parr scrambled to get one more set of downs for Oak Park before halftime, but Moorpark’s defensive pressure kept the Eagles in check into the break and on the other side of the break, as well.
Daniel Arquillano had an interception to set up Smith for a touchdown run with two minutes left in the third quarter. The Musketeers repeated the process shortly after. Arquillano grabbed a second interception with less than a minute on the clock in the third quarter, then Smith’s 4-yard keeper got Moorpark its first lead of the night.
Heidt put Oak Park in the lead again, fighting for a 7-yard touchdown with 5:30 to go in the game. Moorpark was determined to end the game better than it started.
Smith threw a 19-yard pass to Cooper Cronquist to set up Cochran’s game-winning touchdown. The Musketeers executed the two-point conversion with a pass from Smith to Ryan Guintu.
“We wanted to show everyone we were legit,” Cochran said. “Everyone was still doubting us and not anymore. Not after that.”