Fann Named WFC Offensive Player of Year for 2nd Season

Four running backs had more rushing yardage, but when it came time for Western Football Conference coaches to vote for the conference’s top offensive player of this season, the choice was clear.

Albert Fann of Cal State Northridge was selected as the WFC’s top offensive player for the second consecutive season, it was announced Tuesday. Pat Moore of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo was the defensive player of the year.

Fann, a senior tailback, rushed for 918 yards and 10 touchdowns and led the Matadors in receptions with 28 catches for 218 yards. He averaged 20.4 yards on 23 kickoff returns despite playing injured in all or part of four games.

“Some other people had better statistics, but Albert was the dominant player in the league,” said Northridge’s Bob Burt, who shared WFC coach-of-the-year honors with San Luis Obispo’s Lyle Setencich. “If you don’t stop Albert, he’s going to beat you.”

Fann, a Division II All-American last year, becomes Northridge’s first four-time, first-team, all-conference football player.

“My stats weren’t great, but head to head with the other guys I outplayed them, I suppose,” Fann said. “I think that made the difference.”

Portland State tailback Curtis Delgardo, Cal State Sacramento tailback Troy Mills, San Luis Obispo quarterback David Lafferty and Southern Utah State lineman Randy Bostic also were nominated for the award.

When Northridge played Portland State, Fann outgained Delgardo, 127 yards to 75; he rushed for 181 yards and three touchdowns in 32 carries, compared to 121 yards in 24 carries for Mills.

San Luis Obispo, which shared the WFC championship with Northridge, placed a conference-leading 17 players on the 70-member squad. Moore, a 6-foot-2, 265-pound defensive end, is a two-time first-team selection.

Predictably, Northridge and San Luis Obispo dominated the honors for defense. The Matadors and the Mustangs have two of the stingiest defenses against the run in Division II and they combined to place nine players on the 14-member first team.

Alo Sila, CSUN’s 6-1, 265-pound junior nose tackle, joined a trio of San Luis Obispo players--including Andres Washington, a 6-2, 255-pound end who played at Glendale College--on the line.

Baron Atkinson of Northridge made the first team at cornerback and Matador linebackers Terrell Taylor, Ken Wallace, Kenny Vaughn and Mario Hull all received votes.

Taylor and Wallace, both seniors, were first-team selections. Vaughn, a junior from Toledo, Ohio, made the second team and Hull, who starred at Cleveland High, was an honorable-mention selection despite missing the last two games of the season because of a knee injury.

Tackle Tom Berry, a senior from La Palma, Calif., and safety Eric Treibatch, a sophomore who attended Montclair Prep, were Northridge’s other second-team selections on defense.

Three Northridge offensive linemen were named to the all-conference team: tackle Don Goodman and center Skip Allum were second-team selections and tackle John Chase was honorable mention.