Moorpark Line Emerging as a Blockbuster

Moorpark College has the state’s top-rated defensive unit and much of the credit goes to a light but heavy-hitting line coached by Gil Mendoza.

“You can block them,” Pierce Coach Bill Norton said. “The problem is they don’t stay blocked very long.”

If that is the case, Mendoza says, the Raiders have learned their lessons well.

“You teach kids how to react to beat a block, but you know as well as I do that you’re going to get beat by somebody. What do you do then? We teach our kids what to do when they’re defeated.”

In short: Escape quickly and battle back.

“It’s like wrestling. You start at a negative point and work from it,” Mendoza said. “It takes a while for them to get used to it, but once they understand how it works, it helps our kids a lot.”

NAME THAT TUNE

When he spurned four-year scholarship offers out of Canyon High four years ago, Justin Fix said his devotion to music was one of the reasons.

He said he had interests other than football. Among them was playing bass in a band.

Fix, who has resurrected his career playing nose guard for Pierce this season, no longer plays in a band.

He still plays bass, however, so when the Brahmas got together for their annual preseason team talent show, Fix brought along his guitar.

“It was easy to see how he could be a musician,” Norton said.

Yes, Norton actually liked what Fix played. He just can’t describe what Fix played.

“I don’t think anyone on our team could recognize what it was,” Norton said. “It wasn’t heavy metal. It wasn’t rap. It wasn’t hard rock. It wasn’t anything.

“But it was good. You could see he has talent.”

REVERSAL OF FORTUNES

Antelope Valley’s game against San Bernardino Valley last week was billed as a game for first place in the Foothill Conference.

However, that is not to say San Bernardino Valley, the winner, will necessarily win the conference title.

Antelope Valley has learned that the hard way.

Before last week, the Marauders had won four of their five previous games against the Indians. But San Bernardino Valley won conference titles twice in years it lost to Antelope Valley.

In 1988, when the Marauders won, 48-3, and again last season when Antelope Valley won, 7-0, San Bernardino Valley was crowned champion.

After a 48-21 loss to the Indians last week, Antelope Valley Coach Brent Carder, whose team, like San Bernardino Valley, had entered last week’s game unbeaten, can only hope the trend works in reverse this season.

“We weren’t talking championship before the San Bernardino game, and we’re not after it, either,” Carder said. “We’ve always tried to focus on each ballgame and let things sort themselves out in the end.”

IN DOUBT, PANIC

Last week’s Antelope Valley-San Bernardino Valley game was decided shortly after it started.

Antelope Valley fumbled the opening kickoff, setting the tone for a first-quarter comedy of errors.

San Bernardino Valley’s first touchdown came after a 33-yard, third-down pass play, but Carder says film of the game shows the pass should have been ruled incomplete.

The Indians’ second score was set up by an Antelope Valley fumble deep in Marauder territory.

San Bernardino Valley scored for the third time on a long pass play that developed because two defenders in the secondary collided.

Suddenly, the Indians were up, 21-0, “and we’re out of our game plan,” Carder said. “We like to run inside the tackles and you can’t do that when it’s the first quarter and you’re already down by three touchdowns.”

FRESHMEN HELP

Several freshman contributed to the Cal Lutheran football victory a week ago. The most prominent were Ivan Moreno, who rushed for 69 yards, and Ben Schuldheisz, who had the winning field goal.

Moreno is surprised he is playing a key role so early in his collegiate career.

“I didn’t think I was going to start when I got here,” said Moreno, a Maranatha High graduate.

To Moreno, the biggest difference between high school football and college football is the amount of physical contact.

“Your body takes more of a pounding,” the 5-foot-10, 198-pound Moreno said. “I’m still not used to it.”

Among those grateful for Moreno’s performance is Cassidy O’Sullivan, the Kingsmen’s leading rusher.

“(Defenses) just can’t key on me any more,” O’Sullivan said. “He’s the greatest thing to happen to me at Cal Lutheran.”

Moreno also may end up helping another team at Cal Lutheran. A first baseman, he plans to try out for baseball.

Freshmen were especially helpful at tight end. After Scott Wheeler was ejected in the second quarter--he had bumped an official after an interception--Craig Undlin came in and made two receptions for 30 yards.

After Undlin twisted an ankle in the second half, David Harrington came in and caught three passes for 12 yards.

IVY’S TIME

Ivy Calvin has tied up key blockers while Cal State Northridge teammates Ralph Henderson, Vinnie Johnson and Mike Brown have blocked field goals and extra points.

In the Matadors’ 42-18 win over Santa Clara a week ago, however, it was Calvin’s turn to get his hands on the ball . . . and he didn’t disappoint. Bursting up the middle--instead of around right end, from which the other blocks were executed--Calvin got both hands on a Bronco extra-point attempt and nearly caught the ball.

“I wish I could have caught it,” he said shaking his head.