DIGEST : Cole Dismissed From Depleted Glendale Team

Within the last week, the Glendale High football team has received one piece of bad news after another. Most recently, the team lost leading rusher Shawn Cole because of academic reasons and his replacement Chris Carr, who suffered torn ligaments in his only carry last week. Neither player will return this season.

Also, running back-defensive back Neal Sowter will miss the rest of the season because of torn knee ligaments.

Cole, who leads the Dynamiters with 540 yards in 72 carries, has been “dismissed from the team,” Coach Don Shoemaker said, because of an “accumulation of school problems.”

Defensive tackle Mike Zorn of Cal State Northridge has been named Western Football Conference defensive player of the week, marking the second consecutive week a Matador player has been honored.

Zorn made 11 tackles, including eight solo and two for losses totaling eight yards, in the Matadors’ 14-13 win over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The 6-foot-3, 261-pound senior from Hacienda Heights also recorded two quarterback hurries.

Joe Mauldin of Valley College, Brett Washington of Santa Monica and Eric Kiesau of Glendale shared Western State Conference offensive player-of-the-week honors.

Mauldin, a sophomore from San Fernando High, accounted for 385 yards in offense. He rushed 13 times for 219 yards and completed 10 of 22 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns in Valley’s 44-41 loss to Santa Monica.

Washington, a sophomore from Granada Hills High, tied a school record with four rushing touchdowns. He carried 26 times for 159 yards. Kiesau, a sophomore from Glendale, completed 11 of 15 for 219 yards and a touchdown as the Vaqueros defeated Santa Barbara, 48-22.

Moorpark’s Brian Vellmure, a sophomore defensive back from Camarillo High, shared defensive player-of-the-week honors with L.A. Southwest’s Donovan Johnson and Bakersfield’s Theron Miller. Vellmure made 12 tackles, five unassisted, and returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown.

Three teams from the Western State Conference Northern Division are ranked this week among the top nine junior college football teams in the Southland.

L. A. Harbor (6-0) is No. 6, followed by Moorpark (5-0-1) at No. 8 and Glendale (5-1) at No. 9. Saddleback (7-0) remained in the top spot for the sixth consecutive week.