SPORTSCOPE : Azusa Cougars Eye Whittier as Third SCIAC Grid Victim

With back-to-back victories over the University of Redlands and La Verne, not to mention an early season win over Occidental that it forfeited because of an ineligible player, the Azusa Pacific football team has had a lot of success against Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams this year.

The Cougars, who have a 2-2 record, will try to continue their winning ways against SCIAC teams when they play host to Whittier at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Azusa Pacific will face a struggling Whittier squad that has a 1-4 record and lost to Redlands 46-14 last week.

Azusa is fresh from a 42-14 victory over La Verne last week, which was highlighted by a strong rushing effort by senior fullback Tommy Daniel.

Slowed by injuries to his shoulder and ankle the last two seasons, Daniel rushed for a career-high 158 yards in 17 carries. He has 304 yards in 38 carries for the season.

The Cougars have also received solid rushing performances in recent games from running back James Brewer and quarterback Fitz Wilson, and Coach Jim Milhon credits the success to the line.

Whittier, which holds a 9-7 advantage in the series with Azusa, has been led by its passing combination of quarterback Mike Haney and wide receiver Ian Yates.

In other games matching four-year colleges Saturday, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (2-3) is at home against Occidental (4-1) at 1:30 p.m. La Verne (1-4) visits the University of San Diego (5-1) and Pomona-Pitzer (1-3) goes to Redlands (2-3) in 7:30 p.m. games.

It will be a battle of winning streaks when Claremont and Occidental meet in a SCIAC game. Claremont has won two straight and Occidental four in a row.

After dropping its first three games, Claremont has produced 87 points in winning its last two games over Trinity of Texas (42-20) and Pomona-Pitzer (45-0). Occidental scored its most impressive victory of the season last week, 23-17 over undefeated San Diego.

Claremont has been led by the running and passing of quarterback Mike Pembroke and the catches of wide receiver Darin Carlsen. Occidental’s leaders include quarterback Tony Werbelow and running back Gary Little, who rushed for 263 yards and two touchdowns in 31 carries against San Diego.

Five teams from the San Gabriel Valley are in the first Kinney California State High School Cross-Country Rankings for 1989.

Topping the list is Maranatha of Sierra Madre, which has both its boys and girls teams ranked in Division III. The Minutemen are ranked No. 3 in the boys division and No. 5 among girls.

Another valley team ranked in boys Division III is La Salle of Pasadena at No. 5. South Pasadena is rated No. 5 in boys Division II and San Marino is at No. 8 in girls Division II.

Jeff Kowatch, former assistant coach at Grace College in Indiana, has been named an assistant men’s basketball coach at Azusa Pacific University.

Grace, 30, coached at Grace from 1981 through 1987 after graduating from the college in 1981. He has a master’s degree from USC.