Northridge, Cal Lutheran Conclude Football Seasons

The last time Cal State Northridge and Cal State Sacramento met on the football field, the championship of the Western Football Conference was on the line. No such luck this season.

When the same teams meet at 7:30 tonight at North Campus Stadium, virtually nothing will be at stake. Except pride. Northridge still is smarting from a 21-17 loss to the Hornets at Sacramento last season.

The Matadors led until Sacramento quarterback Drew Wyant hit Lin Klinkhammer with a 13-yard scoring pass with 28 seconds left. That memory is still fresh in the minds of Northridge seniors, 13 of whom will be starting their last college football game.

Northridge (6-4, 3-2 in the WFC) has dropped two consecutive games, including a 38-22 decision to third-ranked Portland State last week. The Matadors can clinch a second-place tie with a victory. Sacramento (4-6, 2-3) lost last week to 10th-ranked UC Davis, 28-10, a team that blanked CSUN, 28-0 two weeks ago.

Cal Lutheran (4-6) plays host to St. Mary’s (8-2) at 1:30 p.m. at Mount Clef Stadium in a nonconference game. The Kingsmen lost to the Gaels a year ago, 49-35, despite quarterback Tom Bonds’ record-breaking performance. He set the NCAA Division II and NAIA mark for most completions in a game with 44. This is Bonds’ last game for the Kingsmen, marking the end of a standout career that includes 7,669 passing yards and 56 touchdowns.

Receivers Joe Monarrez, who has caught 50 passes, and John Bankhead, who has 36 catches for 780 yards, probably will be busy. St. Mary’s also has a strong passing attack led by quarterback Tim Rosenkranz, who has completed 131 of 255 passes for 1,635 yards and 16 touchdowns. In addition, running back James Javier has gained 564 yards in 118 carries and scored 5 touchdowns. Against CLU last year, he rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

CLU leads the series with St. Mary’s, 7-2.