Schedule Looms as Toughest Test for Moorpark

The Moorpark men’s basketball team begins Western State Conference play on Saturday, but the Raiders will play four of their first five conference games on the road.

“We’re going to make a good thing out of it,” Moorpark Coach Al Nordquist said of the schedule, which will bring Moorpark home for five of its last seven games. “If I had a choice, I’d rather have everything evened out.”

However, the schedule isn’t entirely biased against Moorpark (12-5). The Raiders will host conference favorite Santa Monica on Feb. 5. The sternest test of the conference slate could be a Jan. 20 match at Glendale.

“If we were to get one of those two and split with Ventura and win the others we could do it,” Nordquist said. “I don’t think anybody will go through undefeated. I think Moorpark can definitely win the conference.”