Small Colleges / Alan Drooz : Tight Rein Kept on Recruiting in CCAA, SCIAC

Recruiting scandals are virtually unheard of on the Division II and small-college levels, and the two largest small-college conferences in the Southland take even firmer steps than required to keep recruiting on a sane level.

Division II schools generally are bound by the same NCAA rules as Division I schools with the exception of number of scholarships. Division II football teams are allowed 45 scholarships, about half the number of Division I. Finances usually dictate, however, that Division II schools split up scholarships and give few full rides.

Cal Poly Pomona dropped football after 1982 because of the prohibitive costs of a football program that didn’t pay for itself. Cal State Northridge, which plays in the Western Football Conference--the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. doesn’t have football--gives 47 players scholarships of $1,000, according to Coach Tom Keele.

Division II schools don’t have a grade-point requirement, but the CCAA maintains a 2.0 or C-average rule similar to that required by Division I.

The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Assn., the major Division III conference in the Southland, is especially tough. Coaches aren’t allowed to recruit off campus in any sport, and no athletic scholarships are awarded.

“That leaves us some big phone bills,” joked Grayle Howlett, SCIAC sports publicist who also coaches golf at Claremont-Mudd. “Basically, we attack first through academics. We’ll send out cards to virtually every high school. If (an athlete) shows interest, we ask about his academic standing. We’ll try to make phone contact, then get them to visit.”

Football Coach Ken Miller of the University of Redlands said: “We get players because they want to be here, not because they’re being paid. It doesn’t mean they’re any less serious about it. Because we’re serious.”

Division II schools are free to compete with Division I rivals for recruits, but most, lacking the budget, don’t bother going after the blue chips or traveling far out of state. “We don’t get anybody (away) from Division I,” Keele said. “We look for a Division II player, somebody who’s not being recruited by Division I, or beat the bushes for players maybe Division I has overlooked.”

In most sports there is such a wealth of athletes in Southern California that the small colleges can compete nationally by recruiting locally. It’s tougher in football, though, and one athletic director said: “Football in Division II on the West Coast is an odd animal. Most don’t draw.”

But at least they’re clean.

Running back Mike Kane should break the Cal State Northridge rushing record this week when the Matadors (2-1) play at Cal State Hayward. The junior from Temple City needs 20 yards to break Mike Maglione’s mark of 1,745 set from 1976-78.

Kane, a 5-10, 180-pound tailback, already holds school records for carries in a career, 380, and both yards and carries in a season, 851 and 184, respectively. Kane has 219 yards in 42 carries this season for 3 touchdowns, and 10 receptions for 3 more touchdowns.

Kane set both season records as a freshman and was the focus of opposing defenses last year running out of an I-formation. But Coach Keele’s new run-and-shoot offense has taken some of the pressure off Kane, who again is averaging more than five yards a carry.

Azusa Pacific (3-0), coming off an impressive 31-14 victory over Occidental, began the week ranked 10th in the NAIA and figures to go up in Wednesday’s ratings. Running back Christian Okoye continues to earn headlines with 408 yards, 6 touchdowns and an average carry of 7.2 yards, but the defense has been especially noteworthy. The defense has not allowed a point in six second-half quarters. Opponents have managed only two yards rushing and 15 completions in second halves.

Defensive tackle Eric Lemasters has accounted for eight quarterback sacks worth 70 yards in losses. He had three sacks, two for turnovers, against Occidental.

Azusa Pacific will play a good La Verne team (2-1) Saturday that is its mirror image--strong defense, sound ground attack. That’s no coincidence because Azusa Pacific Coach Jim Milhon played for veteran La Verne Coach Roland Ortmeyer. Milhon holds a 5-2 edge over his former mentor.

Soccer and women’s volleyball competition in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. will start this week, with Northridge playing big home games in each as its teams open defense of their CCAA titles. The soccer team, 7-1 and rated fifth nationally, will play host to Cal Poly Pomona at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, then to streaking Cal State Dominguez Hills at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Dominguez Hills (6-2) has won six straight and may be Northridge’s toughest league opponent since Cal State Los Angeles moved up to Division I. The Matadors will play five straight road games after the two at home.

The volleyball team, winner of two straight league titles, is 2-5, but four of the losses are to Division I teams. Under Coach Walt Ker, the Lady Matadors have a 48-3 record against Division II competition over the last three years.

They will open league play tonight at Cal State Bakersfield, then play host to second-ranked Pomona Friday. Pomona is 12-4 and already has beaten Northridge in the Davis Tournament. Pomona and UC Riverside are expected to battle Northridge for the title.

Small College Notes Saturday’s 3 1/2-hour Northridge-San Francisco State game included 107 passes and 162 plays in Northridge’s 41-17 victory. Northridge quarterback Chris Parker completed 22 of 48 passes for 350 yards. San Francisco quarterback Rich Strasser, from Burbank Burroughs High, completed 29 of 56 for 387 yards. . . . Cal Poly Pomona placed fifth in the Aztec Cross-Country Invitational at San Diego State and was the highest-finishing Division II team. Steve Perez placed 10th individually and ran a personal best, 30 minutes 49 seconds, over the Aztec 10-K course. The Broncos will compete in the Notre Dame Invitational in South Bend, Ind., this weekend. . . . Cal State Dominguez Hills’ soccer team, after losing its first two, has won six straight including a 1-0 victory over Brigham Young at Provo. That was goalie Sean Quinn’s third shutout this year and 18th in his career. David Trifonovitch scored the winning goal. . . . Alain McDonald has been named tennis coach at Azusa Pacific. McDonald, 27, competed professionally for several years after graduating from Bishop Amat High in 1976. He replaces Henry Gee, who resigned to concentrate on his administrative job at Azusa Pacific.