COLLEGE FOOTBALL ’87 : Southland Small College Preview : Traditional Powers Once Again Favored

Preseason forecasts for the Western Football Conference (Division II) and the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division III) once again have the traditional powers on top.

Cal State Sacramento and Portland State are favored to fight it out in the WFC, and Occidental and Claremont-Mudd are considered the leading teams in the SCIAC.

In a WFC coaches’ poll, Cal State Sacramento received four first-place votes, Portland State two and Cal State Northridge the other one.

A notable scheduling quirk in the SCIAC: favorites Occidental and Claremont will play one another twice, with each game counting only as a half-game. Claremont was the only SCIAC team that won two games against the same opponent last year and that gave the Stags the title by a half-game.

Meanwhile, independent Azusa Pacific will begin the post-Christian Okoye era.

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 1986--8-3 overall, 4-2 WFC (2nd)

Coach Bob Burt has 17 starters back but had to replace Mike Kane, conference back of the year, so he went out and recruited All-City running back Albert Fann, 6 feet 2 inches and 200 pounds, from Cleveland High School. To go with Fann, Burt has returning tailback Richard Brown, two quarterbacks--Glendale College All-American Rob Huffman and freshman Sherdrick Bonner--and three solid linemen in Tony Palamara, Dean Allman and center Brian Clark.

With eight starters back, the defense boasts two all-conference linemen, tackles Steve Dominic and Dester Stowers, and all-WFC cornerback Kip Dukes. Linebacker Sean O’Brien, end Tom Lawrence and punter Trent Morgan have also been impressive in practice.

The Matadors will open Sept. 12 at Boise State.

CAL LUTHERAN 1986--3-8 overall, 0-6 WFC (7th)

The Kingsmen are putting their faith in Bonds this year. Senior quarterback Tom Bonds holds most Cal Lutheran passing records and has been an All-American when healthy.

When he gets hurt, though, the Kingsmen plummet. They lost four straight in 1985 when he was hurt and seven straight last year when he played with a bad knee. Even hobbled, Bonds managed to complete 198 of 350 passes for 2,402 yards and 18 touchdowns. He needs to pass for 2,738 yards this season to become the yardage leader in Division II.

Coach Bob Shoup says health is a concern again this year, because the Kingsmen’s talent level falls off after the top 25 players. There are 30 lettermen back, including all-conference defensive lineman Rueben Solorio, linebacker Terry Rowe and running back Tracy Downs, a three-year starter.

The Kingsmen will open Sept. 12 at San Francisco State.

CAL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO 1986--5-5 overall, 3-3 WFC (5th)

Coach Lyle Setencich is in from Boise State to try to get the Mustangs off the .500 mark. Another notable newcomer is Sacramento City College transfer Tom Sullivan, who passed for nearly 2,000 yards last year in leading Sac City to an undefeated season.

The Mustangs have several returning receivers, among them senior Lance Martin, who caught a school-record 41 passes last year. Sophomore running back Cornell Williams, who gained 303 yards, returns as a starter, as do all five offensive linemen. The big man there is all-WFC tackle Eric Tautolo, who is 6-5 and 310.

The defense has several starters back, led by junior lineman Tom Carey, who tied for the team lead in tackles with 79 and had 11 sacks. The punting game is bright spot, thanks to the return of All-American Kevin Emigh, who averaged 43.1 yards as a junior, second in the nation.

The Mustangs will open at home Sept. 12 against Humboldt State.

AZUSA PACIFIC 1986--5-2-2 (Victories later forfeited for use of ineligible player).

Graduated All-American running back Christian Okoye continues to help the Cougars, but the results may not be immediately apparent.

The media coverage the big Nigerian received when he was a high NFL draft pick helped Coach Jim Milhon in his recruiting, but the newcomers may not be enough to power the Cougars, who graduated 15 starters, including three NAIA first-team All-Americans, and are playing an upgraded independent schedule.

There is talent back, including quarterbacks Richard Jimenez and Aaron Eames, two running backs, several big linemen and two linebackers. Sophomore linebacker Jeff Gustin led the team with 56 tackles. Free safety Tim Dry, who led the team with four interceptions, is one of the returning starters. For the offensive line, Milhon has added three junior college recruits who weigh more than 260 pounds each.

The Cougars will open Sept. 12 at UC Santa Barbara.

OCCIDENTAL 1986--5-3-1 overall, 3-1-1 SCIAC (3rd)

The Tigers suffered a rare lapse in 1986, failing to win the SCIAC title for the first time in four years.

Coach Dale Widolff hopes to correct that with seven senior starters on offense and several more key players on defense.

“In the past, 5-3-1 was a good season, but with the talent we now have that is not acceptable,” Widolff said.

Foremost among returners are quarterback Mark Krajnick, who threw for 1,504 yards and 17 touchdowns last year, all-conference receiver Jon Billingsley, who ranked seventh in Division III in receptions per game, and a nearly intact offensive line.

The defense will be helped by the return of nose guard Scott Pogorelc, who missed last season with a back injury, All-SCIAC choice Richard Sprague, who returns at linebacker, and cornerback Todd Stoney.

The Tigers will open at home Sept. 12 against the University of San Diego.

CLAREMONT-MUDD 1986--8-1 overall, 4-1 SCIAC (1st)

The Stags made the biggest turnaround in college football last year, going 8-1 and winning the SCIAC title after having been 1-8 in 1985.

Coach John Zinda’s team is No. 1 on the West Coast in Division III ratings, thanks to the return of six starters on offense and eight on defense. In fact, Zinda has lettermen at every position. The offense is led by quarterback Mike Pembroke, who led the conference in passing efficiency last year, and SCIAC rushing leader Chris Dabrow, who ran for 1,265 yards.

The defense, which led the SCIAC last year and at one point didn’t allow a touchdown in three games, should be even stronger up front, with the line intact.

The Stags will open at home Sept. 19 against UC Santa Barbara.

WHITTIER 1986--5-5 overall, 2-2-1 SCIAC (4th)

Whittier Coach Hugh Mendez had a strong recruiting year, but freshmen traditionally get off to slow starts in the SCIAC, where the emphasis is on academics.

So, the burden is on the returning players, who struggled more than expected last season. Mendez has option quarterback Ramon Juarez, one of the best athletes in the conference.

The Poets will open Sept. 12 at home against Menlo.

LA VERNE 1986--6-3 overall, 3-1-1 SCIAC (2nd)

The Leopards won the wildest SCIAC game of the year last season, beating Occidental, 53-52, in overtime, but 40-year Coach Roland Ortmayer doesn’t figure to have that kind of firepower this year.

He has to replace four-year starting quarterback Mark Van Allen, but his team is still picked to finish in the upper half of the conference. Running back Keirsten Lamb and receiver Brian Ninde are among the returners. Sophomore Mark Brown, who started one game, appears to be the choice at quarterback. Ninde, probably the team’s best player, is also one of the conference’s leading punters.

La Verne’s defense may be spotty, but there is good size on the line. The most intriguing player may be George Gipson, who is 6-4 and 305. He didn’t play last year because of a knee injury and is described by coaches as raw, but in weight room contests he was rated the strongest lineman in California.

The Leopards will open Sept. 19 at Occidental.

POMONA-PITZER 1986--3-6 overall, 1-3-1 SCIAC (5th)

The Sagehens graduated standout quarterback Robbie Bristow, who threw for about 250 yards a game, and several other key players--and struggled when they had them. So this would appear to be a rebuilding year. The team is not especially deep.

The Sagehens will open Sept. 19 at home against Colorado College.

REDLANDS 1986--0-10 overall, 0-5 SCIAC (6th)

The Bulldogs are sound at the skill positions but are not deep in the lines, particularly on offense.

Junior running back Eric Carlson leads the attack. He rushed for 1,253 yards last season, second in the SCIAC. Coach Ken Miller is hoping for some quick help in the offensive line from junior college transfer David Radke and on defense from Bart Groninger, who returns to Redlands after a year at junior college.

Freshman quarterback Steve Killebrew will get a shot at starting.

The Bulldogs will open at home Sept. 19 against the University of San Diego.