FOOTBALL ’92 : THE JUNIOR COLLEGES : Pierce, Valley Work to Block Migration : Preview: Resurgent programs offer local players attractive alternatives to Moorpark, Glendale.

The New Kids on the Block have caused a stir among the region’s junior college football programs. And their success is expected to last.

The records show that Pierce College, in its fourth season of play after the resurrection of its team, was 1-10 last season under first-year Coach Bill Norton. But the Brahmas were 7-3-1 on the field; six victories and a tie were wiped away after school officials discovered the team unintentionally had used an ineligible player.

Meanwhile, Valley College, previously buried within the Western State Conference’s second echelon, rose to 5-5 in Coach Jim Fenwick’s first season.

Opposing coaches would like to believe the popularity of these New Kids will fade as fast as a teeny-bopper fad.

But they know better.

Norton and Fenwick have roots. Norton was coach at Palmdale High and later an assistant at Glendale College. Fenwick was coach at Pierce during its glory years of the early ‘80s, before waves of budget cuts washed away the bowl games and national rankings.

“They’re both good coaches who run good programs,” Glendale Coach John Cicuto said. “They’re here to stay, so the rest of us will just have to adjust.”

Norton and Fenwick are energetic recruiters, and the shock waves of their battles for players in the San Fernando Valley are being felt from Glendale to Ventura to Antelope Valley.

Two years ago, Valley, the only local option for some players, had a program that was struggling. Now, suddenly, players have at least two viable alternatives.

Ventura College Coach Dick James is one who welcomes the competition. “The more choices athletes have, the better,” he said. “Hopefully, it should even things out and increase the strength of the whole conference.”

Of course, the relative geographic isolation of Ventura affords James a cheery outlook. Ventura must compete only with Moorpark for players in Ventura County.

Glendale is not as fortunate. The Vaqueros had won or shared Western State Conference divisional championships in five of six years before last season’s 4-6 finish.

A coincidence? Probably not.

“We’re not getting some players we used to get,” Cicuto said. There are only three high schools in Glendale’s district. “It used to be that we could always count on 10 to 12 kids from the Valley that could come in and really help us.”

Those players can make a difference. Just ask Moorpark Coach Jim Bittner. Moorpark has a streak of four consecutive 9-2 seasons and bowl game appearances that started three seasons after Pierce disbanded its program.

In 1987, the Raiders had only a few players from the Valley. The following season they had more than two dozen. Moorpark, only about a half-hour drive from the heart of the Valley, once was considered remote. Then, in 1983, the 118 Freeway was extended through Simi Valley. Two years later, Pierce dropped football and many players from the Valley migrated to Moorpark.

“It’s no mistake that our program turned around when the freeway went through and Pierce dropped its program,” Bittner said. “People didn’t even know where Moorpark was before.”

Bittner said Moorpark will rely on word of mouth to keep its pipeline to the Valley alive. But he is aware that Norton and Fenwick are out to head off the top players at the pass.

“Those guys are really hunting around and trying to keep the better guys,” Bittner said. “It’s probably going to affect all of the surrounding schools a little bit.”

But despite his best efforts, Fenwick still lost a fair share of recruits this season. He said one went to Citrus in Azusa, two others to Moorpark and Ventura.

“These kids have a lot of options,” Fenwick said. “My only goal is to build a good football program with good academics to convince the kids right here that they don’t have to make that half-hour drive.”