‘Freak Accident’ Hurts Northridge in WFC Ratings for Run Defense

Cal State Northridge, which had the best defense against the rush in Division II last week, isn’t even No. 1 in the Western Football Conference after its bout last Saturday with Lamar Kirkland and the Cal State Hayward veer offense.

The Matadors had allowed only 1.3 yards a carry and 48 yards a game before the Pioneers gained 247 yards, including 185 by Kirkland. The experience left an impression on Northridge defenders, who admitted after their 38-27 victory that they might have taken Hayward (0-4) a little too lightly.

“It was scary,” said inside linebacker Mark Dozier, who leads CSUN in tackles. “The coaches said to expect a tough game, but I don’t know if some of us believed them.”

Of Kirkland’s yardage total, Dozier said, “Nobody is going to do that to us again. That’s what’s called a freak accident.”

Northridge has fallen behind Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in WFC ratings for defense against the rush. The Matadors’ average climbed to 97.8 yards a game; San Luis Obispo allows only 50.

LeVelle Brown, a two-year starter at fullback for Northridge, was benched for the Matadors’ game at Hayward.

“LeVelle Brown has given us a very poor effort the last two weeks and he is either going to learn to do better than that or he will not play,” Coach Bob Burt said.

Questioned immediately after the Hayward game, Brown said he had been slowed by an injury but was ready to play. “I don’t know what the problem is,” he said.

Said Burt: “The problem isn’t when he’s running with the ball. He can be a bull. But when he doesn’t have it, he’s not doing anything. If he blocked like he ran, we wouldn’t have a problem.”

Richard Brown, who is four inches shorter and 55 pounds lighter than LeVelle, started at fullback against Hayward and rushed for 94 yards.

Burt has not named his starter for the Cal Lutheran game.

Cal Lutheran’s rushing attack is finally showing signs of life. The Kingsmen, who had averaged a measly 18 yards rushing in their first two games, cracked the 100-yard mark for the second consecutive game last Saturday in a 23-18 loss to Southern Utah State. Cal Lutheran gained 119 yards on 24 carries.

After alternating with two other quarterbacks all last season, Dan Nagelmann probably thought he had a lock on the job after an impressive wire-to-wire performance against Long Beach City two weeks ago.

Enter Kenny Durr. Against Ventura, Durr passed twice for 106 yards and two touchdowns. He accounted for 242 of Moorpark’s 456 total yards in a 51-21 victory.

But there is room for Nagelmann and Durr in the lineup--Durr is the tailback, and he rushed for 136 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown, in addition to the two option passes.

Moorpark has won four consecutive football games for the first time in school history. The Raiders have outscored opponents, 131-33, going into Saturday’s game at home against Bakersfield, the first of four home games.

Both Valley-area junior college football teams moved up in the rankings this week.

Moorpark (4-0) is ranked 15th in the nation by the JC Grid-Wire. The Raiders were ranked 17th last week.

In ratings compiled by the JC Athletic Bureau, Moorpark moved up one spot to fourth in the state and second in Southern California. Valley jumped from seventh to fifth in the state. The Monarchs are ranked third in Southern California.

The Cal Lutheran women’s volleyball team (21-1), ranked eighth in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics, has won seven matches in a row.

Tuesday night, the Regals defeated Christ College, 15-8, 15-9, 15-1, to improve their record to 7-0 in the Golden State Athletic Conference.

Cal Lutheran has its biggest conference match Oct. 15 at home against Biola, which finished eighth in the nation last season. Biola handed the Regals their only defeat of the season in September during the championship match of the Azusa Tournament.

The UCLA women’s volleyball team defeated top-ranked Pacific on Wednesday to end the two-time defending national champion’s win streak at 35 matches.

Senior middle blocker Stacy Buck, who played at Taft High, had a career-high 25 kills and 11 blocks for the Bruins. Sophomore middle blocker Daiva Tomkus, who played at Chaminade High, also had a career-high 20 kills, 22 digs and 7 blocks.

UCLA plays host this weekend to the eight-team National Invitational Volleyball Tournament, which begins Friday at 6 p.m.at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA opens against Loyola-Marymount, which knocked the Bruins out of the NCAA playoffs in the first round last season--the earliest playoff exit ever for a UCLA volleyball team.

Elizabeth Tagg, a 6-0 sophomore middle blocker, has a lot to do with Moorpark’s second-place standing in the Western State Conference volleyball standings.

She is fourth in the WSC in stuff blocks, fifth in service aces and eighth in hitting. Tagg, a first-team all-conference selection last year, is Moorpark’s second-leading passer.

Sophomore Erin Marasca, a 5-10 outside hitter, is third in conference in stuff blocks and fifth in hitting. She was second-team all-conference last season.

Moorpark (4-1, 3-1) is tied for second in conference with Santa Monica and Santa Barbara behind two-time defending champion Cuesta. The Raiders will play host to Bakersfield today and compete in the College of the Sequoias tournament Friday and Saturday.

Ross Boomhower is expected to undergo orthoscopic knee surgery next week and will miss part of Moorpark’s wrestling season. The 190-pound sophomore placed third in the state finals last season.

Dan Rutan (177) is also expected to miss two dual meets and the Cuesta College invitational tournament Saturday because of a face infection. Sam Marquez (142) might miss the next dual meet because of a neck injury. Moorpark will play host to San Bernardino tonight.

Chris Pressman, a sophomore on the Moorpark cross-country team who suffered ligament damage after spraining his ankle on a training run, is expected to undergo ankle surgery this week and will miss the rest of the season.

Pressman, who was Coach Manny Trevino’s only sophomore runner, suffered ligament damage after spraining his ankle on a training run after the Moorpark Invitational.

Times staff writers Tim Brown, Mike Hiserman, Gary Klein and Ralph Nichols contributed to this story.