Lucky Break for Moorpark : Raider Defense Gets Thumbs Up From CLU Transfer Goslin

A broken thumb was probably the best thing that happened to John Goslin as a freshman at Cal Lutheran.

It also turned out to be fortuitous for the Moorpark College football team.

After just 2 games at Cal Lutheran, Goslin knew he no longer wanted to remain with the Kingsmen. So he filed for hardship status after breaking his thumb, sat out most of his first year and joined the Moorpark team the following season as a redshirt freshman.

“It was nothing against the players or anything at Cal Lutheran,” Goslin said. “I just wasn’t happy with the organization in general.”

Cal Lutheran’s loss was Moorpark’s gain. Goslin, a 6-foot, 3 1/2-inch, 260-pound sophomore, quickly found a home with the Raiders. He was an All-Western State Conference selection as a defensive lineman last season.

This year, Goslin is among the main reasons the Raiders lead the state and the WSC in team defense.

Moorpark (7-0, 6-0 in conference play) limits opponents to 136.9 yards a game, has posted 2 shutouts and allowed just 7 points in its past 3 games. The Raider defense has given up 958 yards in 7 games, including 443 yards rushing yards.

Gil Mendoza, Moorpark’s defensive line coach, says Goslin’s tenacity and aggressiveness are his best assets.

“He’s a great athlete,” Mendoza said. “Our problem is that we have to make him more disciplined. He’s so gifted that he wants to do it all on the field. On defense, he has to work within a unit.”

Mendoza is the primary reason for Goslin’s contentment. A 16-year coaching veteran at Moorpark, Mendoza doesn’t hesitate to discipline players on the field. But he also frequently hosts barbecues and parties for the defense at his house.

“I love Coach Mendoza,” Goslin said. “He is the type of guy who can be professional on the field but who can have a good time when you’re not playing.”

Mendoza needs to be disciplined to keep his linemen under control. Johnny Ruiz, a sophomore nose guard, often gets so excited during games that Mendoza needs to bench him to calm him down.

“Goslin and Ruiz, those two are really boisterous,” Mendoza said. “On offense, you have to be more calm. But on defense, we want to have what we call a controlled violence.”

Ruiz (5-11, 260) would rather play on the line than anywhere else. He even tailors his uniform to his position by cutting off his sleeves so as not to give opposing linemen anything to grab and hold.

“The line is where the action is,” Ruiz said. “You might not get all of the glory, but if it wasn’t for the linemen, then the glory guys wouldn’t get any glory, either.”

Coach Jim Bittner expects Goslin and Ruiz to be leaders on the field. But the pair have taken their roles a step further. Both players shaved their heads earlier this season as a demonstration of team unity.

Their leadership must have worked because Moorpark is fielding one of its most cohesive defensive teams in years.

“I have had teams with better individual talent, but this team plays so well together,” Mendoza said. “We don’t have any real great ballplayers, but they all play well as a team.”

Ruiz agrees with Mendoza’s assessment.

“This defense is a lot closer than last year,” Ruiz said. “On the line, you can almost feel what the other guy is going to do and when he’s going to do it.”

Moorpark lacks depth on the defensive line, however. Mendoza only has 5 players--Mike Blanton, Don Anderson, David Joller, Goslin and Ruiz--for 3 positions. But that lack of depth has not hurt. Moorpark has allowed only 43 points and has not given up more than 2 touchdowns in a game.

Mendoza’s line will get its toughest test against Glendale on Saturday in a game that will go a long way toward determining the WSC Northern Division champion.

For Goslin, the Glendale game has special significance.

“I was pushed around by Glendale a lot last year,” Goslin said. “They did a lot of controlled blocks and things I had not seen before, so I have some pay back to give in this game.”