Laments About CSUN Football Funding Old News to Elway

Jack Elway knew the territory. He also knew the fiscal song and dance.

The former Cal State Northridge football coach was on campus last week to watch highly regarded Matador quarterback J.J. O’Laughlin work out at North Campus Stadium. Elway, who coached at Northridge from 1976-78, is a scout for the Denver Broncos.

Elway’s son John, of course, is the Broncos’ All-Pro quarterback. John played ball two blocks north of Northridge at Granada Hills High.

Elway and Northridge Coach Bob Burt watched O’Laughlin work out last Thursday, the day a controversial student referendum was to decide if Northridge would field a football team in 1995.

As Burt groused about the team’s perpetual funding problems, Elway shook his head continuously.

“I kept going on,” Burt said. “He kept saying, ‘Sounds familiar,’ and ‘Not much has changed.’ ”

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U. must be kidding: Elway wasn’t the only guy with Southland ties who turned up to eyeball O’Laughlin’s wares. Former Ram quarterback James Harris, a scout with the Buffalo Bills, also was on hand. The NFL draft is April 22-23 and O’Laughlin’s name conceivably could be called.

Said O’Laughlin: “It’s exciting.”

Another former Matador quarterback, Arena league standout Sherdrick Bonner, last week signed with the Miami Dolphins.

“What can I say? We’ve become Quarterback U.,” Burt said.

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Trivia question: Bob Burt is one of two coaches to have compiled a winning record as football coach at Cal State Northridge. Who is the other?

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Rain dance: Torrential rains that hammered the Pacific Coast last week might prove to be a very good friend of the Cal State Northridge baseball team.

A three-game series at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Northridge’s season-opening series in Western Athletic Conference play, was postponed over the weekend and no obvious makeup dates are in sight.

The best time for Northridge to play the series is this week, since the Matadors (13-8) have no games scheduled until Friday. However, Cal Poly--which is on the quarter system--is in the midst of final exams this week and has no open weekends until late May.

As a result, the games might be made up with three doubleheaders April 21-23, when Cal Poly plays at Northridge.

If the makeup games are held at Northridge, the Matadors will play 18 of 30 conference games at home, including 12 of the final 18.

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Injury update: Cal Lutheran shortstop Richard Hernandez, a graduate of Moorpark High who transferred from Arizona, will seek a medical redshirt season because of a sore shoulder. Hernandez played in the Kingsmen’s first game but has not played since.

But Coach Marty Slimak has been lucky. Hernandez’s replacement, freshman Travis Protzeller, is batting .333.

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He was stuttering too: When a softball player looks to her coach for comfort she expects to get it, especially when the coach is her father.

But when Agoura High freshman pitcher Jennifer Grennan was about to make her first start of the season, and mentioned to her coach she was nervous, this is what she got:

“I looked at her and I said, ‘So am I,’ ” said Pat Grennan, Jennifer’s father.

Apparently, Jennifer worked through the nerves without Dad’s help. She pitched a one-hitter and Agoura defeated Louisville, 7-0.

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Yes man: When Bob Wade took over as Westlake High baseball coach after Rich Herrera’s resignation in January, he was to serve as interim coach for only the 1995 season.

However, Wade is off to a 4-1 start with the Warriors and he’s not so sure he wants to give up the position.

“I think now if they asked me if I wanted to stick around,” he said, “I’d say yes.”

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Trivia answer: Jack Elway (1976-78) compiled a record of 20-11-1, best winning percentage by a coach in Northridge history. Burt’s teams are 49-46.

Quotebook

“Those Pacific storms are just lining up, one by one, and laughing at all us baseball coaches.”

--Alemany High baseball Coach Tim Browne, after rain forced postponement of several early season games.

“I felt really awkward coming out of the blocks. I felt like a big old goon out there.”

--Hart High distance standing Brett Strahan after running 24.3 seconds to finish second in the 220-yard dash in last week’s dual meet against Quartz Hill.

Honors

Montclair Prep High senior outfielder Darrell Dent has been named a first-team, preseason All-American by Baseball America magazine.

Chatsworth High’s Jon Tucker, a first baseman, was a third-team selection.

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All-American West: Mike Dorsey, top scorer and rebounder on the Cal State Northridge men’s basketball team, was selected All-American West Conference team by a vote of conference coaches. The junior forward averaged 12.7 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Seniors Peter Micelli and Ryan Martin were second-team selections. Senior Shane O’Doherty received honorable mention. Trenton Cross shared honors as the conference’s top freshman.

Northridge junior Carrie Dormire made the All-AWC women’s squad. Junior Maureen Batiste made the second team along with Pam Karbowski, who was chosen as the top freshman in the conference.

* Compiled by Mike Hiserman. Contributing: Steve Elling, Jeff Fletcher, Vince Kowalick and John Ortega.