SIDELINES : They Can Deliver a Baby, but Victory Is Another Thing

Coach or obstetrician?

This from Bob Burt, Cal State Northridge football coach:

“Well, we’ve had a nine-month gestation period and we’re going to give birth on Friday when we get on the plane, and the baby will take its first steps Saturday night at Boise. . . . “Labor has been long and difficult. We’re just hoping the birth is what we think it will be and that the baby will mature quickly. That’s basically an overall on our football team.”

Burt’s metaphorical maundering was taped and aired on Cal State Northridge’s sports information audio line last week before the Matadors’ opener at Boise State.

Postpartum depression: Boise State 40, Northridge 19.

Can’t you just wait till the terrible twos?

Shining moment: With a little help from above, Agoura High goalie Chris Miko scored on a 60-foot, length-of-the-pool shot just before the halftime buzzer Monday during a water polo match against Hoover at Agoura.

Looking directly into the sun, the Hoover goalie could only flinch as the ball “went right past him” and deflected off the crossbar and into the net, according to Agoura Coach Jason Rosenthal.

Miko scored again, this time from about 40 feet, against Crescenta Valley on Tuesday.

Miko’s goals could signal the start of a trend. At least until daylight-saving time ends.

Big fish, small pond: Many small-enrollment schools have the equivalent of a Napoleon complex--concern that their teams get shortchanged by observers despite their accomplishments.

Conversely, Don Hyatt, La Reina High girls’ volleyball coach, thought his team was getting too much credit. With only three players back from a team that advanced to the Southern Section quarterfinals last season, La Reina was ranked sixth in the Division IV preseason poll.

But maybe those pollsters were right. Paced by senior middle blocker Shane Anderson, who had 45 kills and 15 blocks, La Reina finished second in the San Luis Obispo tournament last Saturday.

Stats

Brett Strahan of Hart High completed a grand slam of sorts Saturday when he won the senior boys’ cross-country race of the Seaside Invitational at San Buenaventura State Beach in Ventura. Strahan, who ran 14 minutes 30 seconds over the three-mile course, won the freshman race in 1991 (15:25), the sophomore race in 1992 (15:33) and the junior race last year (14:42).

Swift kick: As ZZ Top would say, Chris Sailer has leg. And he knows how to use it.

Sailer, a Notre Dame High senior, kicked a 51-yard field goal on the Knights’ opening possession against Alemany on Friday. The kick tied his personal best, and he later added a 31-yard field goal and an extra point to account for seven of Notre Dame’s points in a 13-9 victory.

Last season Sailer made 40 of 42 extra-point attempts and six of 12 field-goal tries to account for 58 points. As a sophomore, Sailer scored 40 points, including all 25 conversion kicks.

Points aplenty: Chuma Lewis, Keeman Irvina, Ramon Venegas, Junior Brignac, Eric Brown and William Amaya all scored for the Cleveland High football team in a 33-14 victory over Poly.

That’s points from six players--one more than scored all last season for an offense that produced only 54 points.

Doubling up: Scott Boldvich, Burroughs High’s senior quarterback, threw two touchdown passes as the Indians defeated Fairfax, 14-12. That’s twice as many as he passed for all last season. The only scoring pass of Boldvich’s junior campaign came in the playoffs.

Trends: The Northridge football team has lost six consecutive openers.

Update

You hear about the people who finish college, then drop everything to tour Europe rather than enter the work force.

Teresa Palmisano is doing both.

The former Buena High basketball player recently signed a $50,000 contract to play in a women’s basketball league in Barcelona, Spain. Since graduating from California in 1991, Palmisano has played one season of pro basketball in Germany and another in France.

Heal that line: A pair of Northridge defensive linemen were sidelined during Saturday night’s loss to Boise State, leaving what was once a team strength somewhat thin over the next few games.

Senior transfer Ken Freitas, a defensive end, left the game because of a sprained right ankle and isn’t expected to play Saturday night against UC Davis. Jeff Bodholdt, a freshman who started at nose tackle, left the game because of lower-back pain and is listed as questionable.

Quotebook

Keith O’Doherty, Thousand Oaks High cross-country runner, after he finished a surprising second in the talent-laden senior boys’ race of the Seaside Invitational at San Buenaventura State Beach on Saturday:

“It was nice to run with these guys instead of just congratulating them afterward.”

Honors

Duc Ngo, a senior wide receiver at Northridge, caught eight passes for a career-high 108 yards against Boise State to earn team offensive player-of-the-week honors. He tied his career high for receptions. Joseph Vaughn intercepted pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown and was named defensive player of the week.

Net gains: Kari Norberg of Newbury Park High was selected most valuable player in a girls’ volleyball tournament at Calabasas High last weekend. The senior setter paced the Panthers to victories over, among others, reigning City Section 3-A Division champion Van Nuys (15-5, 15-4); fifth-ranked (in Southern Section Division V) Bell-Jeff (15-4, 15-6); and, in the final, La Canada (15-5, 15-7).

Things to Do

Tonight, 7, at the Cal State Northridge gym: Idaho visits Northridge for the first women’s volleyball match between the schools. Idaho is 7-1. Northridge is 4-3 but two of its losses have been against No. 15 USC and No. 17 Arizona.