THE COLLEGES / MIKE HISERMAN : WFC Football Coaches Cautiously Make Title Calls

The topic was football. Answering questions were four Western Football Conference coaches. All of them had been on the opposite sideline this season in games against Cal State Northridge and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The goal: To coerce them into picking a winner in tonight’s WFC championship game at North Campus Stadium.

It wasn’t easy. There were tight-rope acts that would have brought a circus crowd to its feet. But they did agree on a couple of things, namely:

* The two best teams in the conference are playing.

* The game will be close.

* Regardless of the outcome, both teams justifiably belong in the 16-team Division II playoff field.

That said, let’s hear it from the WFC’s WFCs--that’s Wiley Football Coaches:

Pokey Allen, Portland State: “Everybody knows Cal Poly has the best defensive line around. You’ve got to neutralize them, and I don’t know if Northridge can. . . .”

“Cal Poly’s (defensive) line has to dominate. If they don’t, Northridge will be right in the game. . . .”

“Northridge has a good defense, but it’s just not as solid. . . .”

Portland lost to Northridge, 19-18 and to San Luis Obispo, 36-23.

Bob Mattos, Cal State Sacramento: “Cal Poly’s defensive line may be the best I’ve ever seen in the conference against a running attack. There are a couple of NFL players there, but I think Northridge’s linebackers are better. They’ve got a couple who are gonna get NFL shots too. . . .”

“(CSUN’s Sherdrick) Bonner has the capability of hurting you, but (Cal Poly’s David) Lafferty throws the ball better. The offensive lines are very similar. They both have good size but are inexperienced. . . .”

“There’s a little more balance in Cal Poly’s attack, but I think Northridge had a little tougher nonconference schedule and that might help them in a close game. Northridge has been to the well.”

Sacramento lost to Northridge, 24-13, and defeated San Luis Obispo, 20-17.

Terry Malley, Santa Clara: “I think the quarterbacks are going to decide the game. Bonner is such a good athlete he scares you every time he walks out on the field. He can be very average all night and you still have to be afraid. He can make the big plays at the end. With Lafferty, it depends on which guy shows up. The one that took apart Portland State, or the one that threw four interceptions against Sacramento. . . .”

“People talk about Cal Poly’s defense, but against us that Northridge defense was really something. We didn’t block some of those kids all night. . . .”

“The kicking game will give better field position to Cal Poly on a consistent basis. Cal Poly’s punter (Doug) O’Neill is excellent and (kicker, Tom) McCook is pretty consistent. . . .”

Santa Clara lost to Northridge, 10-7, and to San Luis Obispo, 29-0.

Offensive coordinator Wayne McQuivey, Southern Utah State: “I’m very impressed with Cal Poly’s defensive line, but when you take a look at the whole front, adding Northridge’s linebackers, they’re every bit as good. . . .”

“On the offensive line I’d give Cal Poly the tip, but in running backs you have to go with Northridge and (Albert) Fann. . . .”

“If Lafferty shows up, he gives them an edge offensively. I wasn’t very impressed with him on film, but he ate us up the way he ran their offense and threw the ball. . . . “

“The home field, and it being their homecoming, is an advantage for Northridge. If it was at Cal Poly or on a neutral field, I’d probably go with them. . . .”

Southern Utah lost to Northridge, 34-24, and to San Luis Obispo, 42-21.

The final tally: Three coaches picked San Luis Obispo, one picked Northridge.

The view from here: The difference could be the kicking game and San Luis Obispo has a big edge there. All else being equal, always go with the team that has the dominant player. In Fann, Northridge has him. Expect a pitchers’ duel.

Diplomatic enough? Every circus needs a juggling routine.

Briefly: Happy to hear KADY Channel 63 (in Oxnard) is airing tonight’s Northridge-San Luis Obispo game, tape-delay beginning at 11 p.m. The only better news for local college football fans would be if the same station junked coverage of Cal Lutheran’s Saturday afternoon home games. Maybe it could televise re-runs of Kingsmen games from the ‘70s. . . .

The decision made by Coach Brent Carder to have Antelope Valley fake a punt near midfield on fourth and three and leading by five points with little more than a minute remaining made no sense. Carder later said he assumed College of the Desert would not be able to drive 60 yards to score with its second-string quarterback at the controls. It did. And Antelope Valley lost, 15-12. Coach, you know what happens when one assumes. . . .

Marty Fisher, Northridge’s second-string quarterback, has appeared in the Matadors’ past four games. Twice he has substituted for a struggling Sherdrick Bonner and twice he came in while Bonner was shaking off an injury. In three of the games he has attempted only one pass, completing each one. Against Southern Utah, he was four of six for 47 yards. . . .

The Northridge soccer team was all but packed for a flight to Berkeley for a match against Cal on Friday when a scheduling discrepancy was discovered. Cal was on Northridge’s schedule, but Northridge wasn’t on Cal’s. Had Northridge actually flown to the Bay Area “that would have really been embarrassing,” CSUN Coach Marwan Ass’ad said. Would have been? . . .

The soccer mix-up started when Ass’ad scheduled a game with a Cal coach who was replaced before the season. Marwan, it is common courtesy to call before you drop in--especially when it’s someone you don’t know. . . .

Just in case, maybe CSUN’s Pete Cassidy should give Lou Campanelli a call. Cal is scheduled to play host to Northridge in basketball March 5. . . .

Two of the top five ballcarriers in the Pacific-10 Conference are Valley region products. Cal’s Russell White, from Crespi High, is second behind Washington’s Greg Lewis in rushing yards (737), rushing average (92.1 a game), yards per carry (5.3) and scoring (66 points). Oregon’s Sean Burwell, from Cleveland and Chaminade highs, is fourth in rushing yards (713) and fifth in average (89.1).

Considering the difference in supporting casts, New Mexico’s Jeremy Leach held up pretty well in his matchup last week against Heisman hopeful Ty Detmer and Brigham Young. Leach, a former Granada Hills standout, completed 22 of 40 passes for 293 yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions. Detmer completed 26 of 41 for 464 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions. . . .

Albert Fann, Northridge’s senior tailback, won’t stop running when the Matadors’ season is completed. He already is scheduled to appear in the 2nd All-American Bowl all-star game in Tampa, Fla., on Jan. 20 and he has been nominated for the East-West Shrine Game at Stanford on Jan. 26. . . .

Basketball fans, mark Nov. 12 on your calendars. That’s when Antelope Valley, with swingman J.R. Rider in the lineup, plays host to Glendale in an early season matchup of two top junior college basketball teams. . . .