BRIEFLY : Hawking to Call Simi Valley Football Game

Simi Valley high school football fans who tune in today’s 3:30 p.m. game between Royal and Simi Valley on the radio will hear a familiar voice. Working in the booth with play-by-play man Lou Riggs will be Bob Hawking, coach of the Simi Valley basketball team.

Hawking, a 12-year veteran coach at Simi Valley, is a rookie as a broadcaster. Today marks only his fifth game for KWNK (670 am). He will work at least five more games this year, handling the commentary for the remaining Royal and Simi Valley home games on the Simi Valley campus.

Hawking has few pretentions about embarking on a new career, saying his work in the booth is a hobby. However, he admits the work is more difficult than he expected.

“I listened to the tape of the first game and there was a little room for improvement,” he said. “I was at the South Pole and the only way to go was up. You listen to guys on TV and it’s easy to be critical, but it’s more difficult than you think.”

Hawking insists he will maintain neutrality in today’s game, saying, “Obviously, I’ve got to be impartial. That’s what I shoot for, but I don’t know if the delivery comes across.”

CSUN Faces Chapman in Soccer Tonight

The Cal State Northridge soccer team, coming off a 2-1 win at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Wednesday, will play conference rival Chapman tonight at 7:30.

The last time the teams met, CSUN (7-2-1, 1-0 in conference) knocked Chapman out of the NCAA tournament last season. The teams split two conference games last season. Northridge, ranked No. 4 in Division II, is the defending California Collegiate Athletic Assn. champion.

With 41 career goals, Northridge forward John Tronson is four short of the school record.