Burt to Place Trust in Basics Next Season

The season was finally over, and a dismal one it was.

There were plenty of reasons for Northridge Coach Bob Burt’s postgame interview to be both sarcastic and humorous after a season-ending, 55-12 Western Football Conference loss to Cal State Sacramento.

“Last year, we win a conference championship but we’re boring because we run the ball,” Burt said. “This year, we’re all over the place, throwing the ball. We’re exciting, and we’re 3-7.

“We’re gonna go back to real boring, trust me. And we’re gonna have better players. They are coming, trust me. We’re gonna play our brand of football, run the ball, play-action pass, throw two to three times a game and win the league. You think I’m kidding? Trust me.

“If we have to give scholarships with no money, I’ll get the players. We’re gonna get players and get back to winning.”

LOFTY ASPIRATIONS

Although Burt believes Northridge needs a greater influx of talent, he also is under the impression that a few of this season’s seniors have a chance to play professionally.

Cornerback Tremelle Barnes and offensive tackle Don Goodman have attracted interest from National Football League scouts.

Barnes, who blocked a punt and an extra-point attempt in Northridge’s loss to Sacramento, is confident he can succeed in the NFL--if given the chance.

“I’d like an invitation to the scouting combines so I can show them how I rate with others in the nation,” he said.

Barnes plans to run the 100 and 200 meters for Northridge’s indoor track team this winter in an effort to stay in condition.

JUNKYARD ‘DOGS

Credit Redlands with an assist in Cal Lutheran’s 21-10 football victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday. It seems that word travels fast.

In the days preceding the game, word made it back to Cal Lutheran that Redlands, ranked fourth in Division III at the time, thought little of the Kingsmen--particularly of the team’s relatively diminutive offensive line.

“(Redlands) just talked trash on us,” said Mike Sylvester, a Cal Lutheran defensive back who went to high school in nearby Fontana and has friends at Redlands.

Sylvester spread the word among his teammates and “the guys got fired up,” he said. Cal Lutheran maintained the charge for the game and made Redlands eat crow.

“They said our line was tiny,” said Cassidy O’Sullivan, CLU’s tailback. “But (our) guys worked them over.”

AT A LOSS

Glendale’s 34-7 loss to Moorpark in a Western State Conference football game on Saturday night guaranteed the Vaqueros (3-6) of their first losing season since 1980 when they finished 4-5-1.

From 1981-90, Glendale compiled a record of 77-27-1.

CROSS-COUNTRY JAUNT

Two cross-country runners from Cal Lutheran ran personal bests in the NCAA Division III regional in San Diego last week and qualified for the national championships in Newport News, Va., this Saturday.

Jonz Norine, a junior, won the men’s regional, covering the 8,000-meter course in 25 minutes 12 seconds. His previous best was 25:14 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships earlier this month.

Marissa van der Valk finished eighth in the women’s race and also qualified for nationals. Van der Valk, a sophomore, covered the 5,000-meter course in 19:52, much faster than her previous best of 20:24 in the SCIAC meet.

Cal Lutheran almost had a third qualifier. Rick DeLeon was in third place in the men’s race before losing his footing around a sharp turn toward the end of the race. He finished eighth.

WINNING TRADITION

Jean Harvey of Antelope Valley won the women’s three-mile race in the state junior college cross-country championships at Sierra College in Rocklin, Calif., on Saturday, becoming the third individual state champion that Mark Covert has coached.

But Covert’s success has not been limited strictly to individuals or to coaching. He guided the Glendale men to the 1974 state title in the small-schools division and the Valley women to the state title in 1985.

As a competitor, Covert won the 1968 state individual title for Valley and led the Monarchs to team titles in 1968 and ’69. At Cal State Fullerton, he won the NCAA Division II title in 1970 and led the Titans to the team title the following year.

REST FOR THE WEARY

Do not expect to see Harvey’s name in race results until next February.

After competing in track from February through August, and in cross-country from September through November, the sophomore from Paraclete High is going to take a well-deserved rest.

She will ease off in training for the next week or two, then gradually build back up to about 100 miles a week in preparation for the 1992 track season.

“There won’t be any races looming on the horizon for the next three months and that should help her recharge her batteries for track,” Covert said.

CHAMPIONS, SORT OF

Cal Lutheran will not officially join the SCIAC in football until next season, but the Kingsmen walked away from their victory over Redlands feeling like champions.

Cal Lutheran played every SCIAC except Pomona-Pitzer and was 3-1, its only loss coming to La Verne.

La Verne went 4-1 in conference action, its only loss to Redlands, which also finished 4-1.

With that in mind, Cal Lutheran Coach Joe Harper emerged from the Redlands win feeling like he was on top of the world--or at least the standings.

“We feel like we got a piece of the SCIAC championship anyway,” he said.

MOVING UP THE LADDER

Moorpark sophomore Deana Fuess placed a surprising eighth in the women’s race in the state junior college cross-country championships Saturday after finishing 10th in the Southern California regional the previous week.

In the state meet, she defeated five of the nine runners who finished in front of her in the regional.

Staff writers Mike Hiserman, Theresa Munoz, John Ortega and Wendy Witherspoon contributed to this notebook.

A look at last week’s top performers from area colleges.

PASSING

Player Att. Cmp. Yds. TD Marty Washington, AV 17 12 246 2 Eric Kiesau, Glendale 31 25 234 1 Corey Tucker, Moorpark 20 13 225 3

RUSHING

Player TCB Yds TD LaShante Parker, Pierce 21 136 3 Cassidy O’Sullivan, CLU 36 136 2 Terrance Brown, Valley 30 133 2

RECEIVING

Player Rec. Yds TD Curtis Marsh, Moorpark 11 171 2 Joe Wade, Glendale 8 92 1 Cornell Ward, CSUN 6 45 0