Fenwick Sends Boss at Valley on Scouting Trip

Jim Fenwick found himself in a bind last week but he knew just where to turn--to the very man he replaced as Valley College football coach.

With an open date on Valley’s schedule last Saturday, Fenwick and his staff spent the evening scouting Antelope Valley, the Monarchs’ opponent tonight.

However, Fenwick also wanted someone he could trust to scout Moorpark, Valley’s opponent Sept. 28, against Riverside on the same night.

So Fenwick turned to his boss, Valley Athletic Director Chuck Ferrero, coach of the Monarchs for the previous 10 years. Ferrero ended a 24-year coaching career when he became Valley’s men’s and women’s athletic director last summer.

“He asked me if I could help and I said sure,” Ferrero said. “(Scouting) was kind of fun. My love for the game hasn’t changed.”

Or his meticulous work habits.

With a tape recorder in hand, play-diagram cards on the table and two assistants at his side, Ferrero documented Moorpark’s every move during the Raiders’ 23-21 win.

“Down, distance, hash mark, yard line, offensive formation . . . then you draw the play just as the offense runs it,” Ferrero explained. “When you’re scouting you never have time to breathe when you’re doing it right.”

So now the question becomes: Will the upstart Monarchs be ready for powerful Moorpark in two weeks?

Said Ferrero: “On paper they will.”

Air-Traffic Control

The biggest question about the Moorpark football team was whether the Raiders could establish an effective passing game.

Last season’s passers are gone and the freshman who was being groomed for the job is a converted option quarterback.

But when the Raiders opened their season last week with a 23-21 upset of a Riverside team that was ranked second in the nation by the J.C. Grid-Wire, Moorpark Coach Jim Bittner watched the air attack take off. Corey Tucker, a 6-foot, 175-pound freshman from Camarillo High, completed 11 of 21 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown.

“I knew coming here that I would have to throw,” Tucker said. “Over the summer I got together with a few of the receivers and threw and threw and threw.”

With all due respect to Tucker, the highlight of the Moorpark air show was turned in by receiver Curtis Marsh.

Marsh took a reverse handoff in the second quarter and connected with Tim Blakely for a 56-yard touchdown.

“We knew Riverside was tough, and we needed some special plays,” Marsh said. “It worked out.”

Adley Awaits Old Friends

After getting his first taste of game competition in 3 1/2 years, Northridge nose guard Carlos Adley is eager for more.

“I can’t wait for next week,” Adley said last Saturday after making four tackles in Northridge’s 12-10 win over Eastern New Mexico.

“It is nice to be back. I felt real comfortable, but I’m not used to not making big plays. It’ll come in time.”

Coach Bob Burt described Adley’s performance as “average for him.” Adley believes he will play better his second time out and he certainly has reason to be motivated for the game. Cal State Fullerton, the school for which Adley played in 1984, ’85 and ‘87, is the Matadors’ opponent today at 1 p.m. at Santa Ana Stadium.

None of Adley’s old teammates play for the Titans, but they are coached by Gene Murphy, the head coach during Adley’s stay at Fullerton.

Burt was Murphy’s defensive coordinator for six seasons at Fullerton before accepting the Northridge job.

Matador wide receiver Adam McKinney and offensive tackle Jack Montes also will return to their old stomping grounds. McKinney, Northridge’s leading receiver with six catches for 57 yards, was on the Fullerton team in 1987 and ’88. Montes, a 6-4, 265-pound starting left tackle, was on the Titan squad in ’88.

The Fullback Is Back

The return of starting fullback Anthony Nicholson from an ankle injury is critical if Northridge is to topple the Titans. Although freshman Aaron Brumfield played well in his debut, gaining 17 yards in seven carries in the first half of last week’s game, his inexperience showed. He missed holes on the draw play and failed to execute the blocking schemes in the Matador offense.

“It is great having Nicholson back,” Burt said. “He will really help us and the experience down the road will help Brumfield.”

Titanic Losing Streak

Fullerton owns the longest losing streak in Division I-A. The Titans have lost 13 consecutive games since defeating Sonoma State, 38-24, in their 1990 opener.

Northridge and Fullerton have played 11 football games, and the Titans have won all but one. Northridge’s only victory was a 16-10 decision in 1976.

Wagner Gets Booted

Bryan Wagner, a two-time Division II All-American punter who last played for Northridge in 1984, was waived Monday by the New England Patriots.

But at least he didn’t bow out with a whimper. Wagner’s next-to-last punt directly resulted in a touchdown--for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Punting from the Patriots’ end zone, Wagner’s kick hit blocker Eugene Lockhart in the back and Pittsburgh’s Ernie Mills fell on the ball for a touchdown with 3 minutes 18 seconds left in the game. The Steelers won, 20-6.

New England Coach Dick MacPherson blamed the mishap on Lockhart, but it was Wagner who suffered for it Monday. Wagner averaged 39.1 yards on 14 punts this season, but opponents seemed to have little trouble returning them. His 29.1-yard net average was second worst in the AFC.

Wagner’s final punt for the Patriots was typical. It traveled 50 yards, but Pittsburgh’s Ron Woodson returned the ball 40 yards.

Ron Twersky and staff writers Mike Hiserman and Theresa Munoz contributed to this notebook.