Southland Small College Preview : Azusa Pacific Goes After National Fame With an International Talent

There’s a new face at Cal State Northridge--first-year Coach Bob Burt--and some familiar ones at Azusa Pacific, Occidental, Cal Lutheran, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Redlands and Pomona-Pitzer that should make this an interesting football season for the Southland’s small colleges.

The familiar faces include several of the nation’s top small college quarterbacks--Tom Bonds at Cal Lutheran, Robbie Bristow at Pomona-Pitzer, Mark Van Allen at La Verne, Robert Perez at Cal Poly SLO and Chris Parker at Northridge--and some top running backs, including Mike Kane of Northridge, Jim Gleed of Cal Poly SLO and Christian Okoye, originally of Nigeria, of Azusa Pacific.

In the national picture, Azusa Pacific is ranked seventh in one preseason poll, and Occidental is ninth in another.

Occidental, Redlands and Whittier are expected to be the top contenders in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Cal Poly SLO, Northridge and Cal Lutheran are relatively unknown quantities in the widespread Western Football Conference, which was dominated last year by Santa Clara and Sacramento State.

Here’s a capsule look at the Southland teams:

AZUSA PACIFIC 1985 RECORD--7-2 overall

Playing as a small college independent, the Cougars have one of the nation’s most intriguing players in the 6-foot 3-inch, 255-pound Christian Okoye at tailback. Starting only his third season in football, Okoye, who came to the United States as a track star, is an NFL prospect who is nearly unstoppable on the small college level. He has averaged about 130 yards a game since becoming a starter midway through the 1984 season. Despite his size and strength, Okoye runs 40 yards in 4.5 seconds and has a long jump mark of 23 feet. Quarterback Dave Titchenal, running the veer offense, should be able take advantage of defenses ganging up on Okoye, and there is more reason for optimism. The Cougars have 13 starters returning, including their entire offensive line, and expect to be stronger on defense, where two linemen and two linebackers are back. The secondary, however, has only one player returning. Coach Jim Milhon’s team will open at home Sept. 13 against La Verne.

CAL LUTHERAN 1985 RECORD--6-5 overall, 1-4 conference

The party line in Thousand Oaks is that Lutheran’s starting lineup can compete with any in the Western Football Conference. There may be problems, though, if the Kingsmen lose any starters and have to go much deeper than 23 players. Junior quarterback Tom Bonds ranked eighth in Division II passing efficiency last year, throwing for 2,427 yards and 17 touchdowns. Two of his favorite targets are back, all-conference tight end Darren Gottschalk, a 6-4, 240-pound senior who caught 40 passes for 536 yards and 6 touchdowns last year, and wide receiver Joe Fuca, who caught 33 passes for 692 yards. The offense also has running back Tracy Downs, who gained 386 yards and scored 6 touchdowns last year. The offensive line is strengthened by 6-5, 280-pound transfer Andy Dickerson, who played on Miami’s national championship team in 1984. Coach Bob Shoup’s defense will be quick but not very deep. The Kingsmen will open at home Sept. 13 against San Francisco State.

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 1985 RECORD--4-7 overall, 1-4 conference

New Coach Bob Burt, the defensive coordinator at Cal State Fullerton a year ago, has scrapped last year’s run-and-shoot offense but still has his two threats, Mike Kane and Chris Parker. Kane is the Matadors’ all-time rushing leader with 2,007 yards in three years but has missed many league games the last two seasons. Parker holds school records for pass completions and total offense. Burt suggests that a more balanced attack will take some of the pressure off Parker this year. The defense is led by linebacker Reggie Wauls, who led the team with 126 tackles last season, and nose guard Darrell McIntyre, the sack leader the last two years. The Matadors will open Sept. 13 at Sonoma State.

CAL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO 1985 RECORD--4-7 overall, 2-3 conference

The Mustangs should be solid on offense. Robert Perez accounted for 1,547 yards and 6 touchdowns passing, and Jim Gleed rushed for 814 yards and 8 touchdowns. Wide receiver Lance Martin had 23 receptions and an 18.4-yard average. The strength on defense appears to be at linebacker, where leading tackler Rich Bosselmann is back. He should get support from Tom Gallo and Tom Carey. The player with the best statistics may be junior punter Kevin Emigh, who averaged 40.7 yards a punt as a sophomore. The Mustangs will open at home Sept. 13 against Chico State.

OCCIDENTAL 1985 RECORD--8-2 overall, 5-0 conference

Despite the graduation of Vance Mueller, twice voted the conference’s most valuable player, Coach Dale Widolff predicts that his team will have more balance than the team that won its third straight SCIAC title and went to NCAA playoffs last year. The Tigers are especially deep on defense, where six starters are back, led by linemen Scott Anderle and Scott Pogorelc, linebacker Tony Carnevale and backs Todd Stoney and Mark Garcia. The coaches also like sophomore free safety Mike Sandlin. There are no clear-cut stars on offense, with the possible exception of running back Tim Kennedy and wide receivers Daryl Ogden and John Billingsley, both returning starters. The Tigers will open Sept. 13 at Menlo.

WHITTIER 1985 RECORD--7-3 overall, 3-1-1 conference

The Poets have had the SCIAC’s all-conference quarterback for the last five years and have finished second the last three. The focus this year is on Ramon Juarez, who is being asked to shift from wide receiver to quarterback in hopes that he can carry the team a notch higher. If he comes through, Whittier again will have a good offense, featuring a strong line, tight end Ron Sykes and running backs Lavon Barton and Jerry Hier. Center Tim Younger anchors the line. Most of the team’s 35 lettermen are on offense. The defense is less settled but has a promising line led by Brent Kane and Leroy Orosco. Whittier will open Sept. 13 at home against the University of San Diego.

REDLANDS 1985 RECORD--4-6 overall, 3-2 conference

There may be strength in numbers here. SCIAC opponents say that the Bulldogs should have been better than their 4-6 record a year ago and are worried because Coach Ken Miller has 18 seniors, including 11 starters, and nearly 50 underclassmen. Miller expects to have a strong defense, with all starters back in the secondary. Senior Jamie Garton is back calling signals, and running backs Harold Duffy and Eric Carlson will take over for graduated star Ed Soto, the SCIAC’s leading rusher. The Bulldogs will open at home Sept. 13 against UC Santa Barbara.

LA VERNE 1985 RECORD--4-5 overall, 2-3 conference

Coach Roland Ortmeyer has strength at the skill positions, but he’s a little weak at his offensive and defensive line positions. If an offensive line can be built around center Brian Sosnovsky, the team should score points. Quarterback Van Allen ranks with the league’s best and will have capable receivers. Running back Edwin Fletcher also is back. Ortmeyer’s defense, which has led the SCIAC 10 of the last 12 years, features linebacker Greg James and tackle Gary Haynes. Ortmeyer says kicker Shawn Zink has pro potential. La Verne will open Sept. 13 at Azusa Pacific.

POMONA-PITZER 1985 RECORD--1-8 overall, 1-4 conference

The fans are assured of getting their money’s worth with Bristow back and passing frequently. Bristow had 255 completions for 2,582 yards and 11 school records as a junior. Bristow’s presence, however, doesn’t necessarily mean victories. Pomona went up and down the field last season but had trouble scoring on the way to a 1-8 record. Seven other starters return with Bristow on offense, notably receivers Tom Wardle and Dan Daley and backs Jeff Berger and Ed Irick, all of whom had more than 30 receptions. The defense has 10 of last year’s starters, among them All-SCIAC linebacker Kent Callaghan. The Sagehens will open Sept. 20 at Colorado College.

CLAREMONT-MUDD 1985 RECORD--1-8 overall, 0-4-1 conference

The Stags came on strong last year, building first-half leads against Occidental and Whittier, but had a habit of wearing down in the second half. There are few returning players and a replacement must be found for graduated quarterback Steve Olson, who passed for more than 4,000 yards. Receiver Todd Cameron, who had 22 receptions for 421 yards, is back. The Stags will open Sept. 20 with a conference game against Redlands.