Cal Lutheran Tops Alumni in Football

The Cal Lutheran University alumni football game, Saturday, was a bang-up success primarily for one reason: No one got banged up.

“We said before the game it would be great if no one got hurt and Cal Lutheran got something out of it in terms of evaluating personnel,” said Hank Bauer, co-coach of the alumni team. Bauer, who is an assistant coach with the San Diego Chargers, was an All-American running back at CLU in 1975.

Hank’s brother, Jim, is CLU’s defensive coordinator, so there was good-natured sibling rivalry in addition to good-natured competition at Mt. Clef Stadium.

Said Hank Bauer: “Jim had his whole defense blitzing during our last drive even though we agreed not to blitz. Anything to win, I guess . . . Or maybe they did it because we blitzed in the first quarter,” Hank added before throwing his head back in a hearty laugh.

Although the 13-6 win by the 1986 team didn’t count officially in Coach Bob Shoup’s impressive 24-year record of 172-60-6, he recognized the value of an alumni game.

“It’s good for our present players to meet former ones,” Shoup said. “And we get to see our team under realistic game conditions.”

A sack by defensive end Rueben Solorio after the alumni had driven to the CLU five-yard line with less than 3:00 left in the game was the kind of clutch play Shoup was looking for.

The 1986 team led, 13-0, in the fourth quarter when the alumni scored on a halfback pass from Rich Sanchez to Dave Maxwell with 9:28 left.

“We put in that play at halftime,” Hank Bauer said. “We went in with five running plays and four passing plays.”

Kurt Lohse kicked field goals of 30 and 34 yards for the 1986 team and linebacker Denny Blackburn returned an interception 35 yards on the last play of the first half for the Kingsmen’s only touchdown.

The alumni game capped a rigorous spring of workouts. “This was perhaps the most serious spring practice session we’ve had at Cal Lutheran,” Shoup said. “The main thing we set out to do was solidify the defense. And we’ve added four guys who will not only be starters but should be impact players.”

Shoup is referring to junior college transfers David Moore and Terry Rowe who have stepped in at linebacker, Oscar Williams is at cornerback and Russell Patterson is the new nose guard.

“They add a lot of foot-speed,” Shoup said.

The alumni may have been lacking in the foot-speed department, but they tried to make up for it in enthusiasm. Dave Fulladosa, a 1979 graduate and former defensive lineman, said this won’t be his last alumni game.

“It’s great because I love football,” said Fulladosa as he stood alongside his wife Evonne and daughter Nicole. “Guys my age tell me I’m dumb for going back out, but I love football. I’ll keep coming back until we win. Some of us are die-hards.”