Northridge’s New Offense Taps Into an Old Source : Football: Three-year veteran Matt Ornelaz kicks a 53-yard field goal during the Matadors’ first scrimmage under Coach Dave Baldwin.

Despite a new coaching staff bringing a new offense to a roster full of new players, one of Cal State Northridge’s best offensive weapons just might be Matt Ornelaz, a guy who’s been there for three years.

Ornelaz, a senior, kicked a 53-yard field goal Saturday at North Campus Stadium in the Matadors’ first scrimmage under Coach Dave Baldwin.

It was the longest kick Baldwin had seen Ornelaz make.

“He has that kind of a leg so I’m excited about that,” Baldwin said. “If you can go and get three points every time down the field, you’re in pretty good shape, because we’re not very good offensively right now.”

If Ornelaz, a two-year starter, can maintain the same form he showed on the 53-yarder, and avoid lapses like when he shanked a 42-yard attempt later in the day, he could prove to be Northridge’s savior.

He doesn’t see it that way, though.

“My view is I would rather kick [an extra point] than a field goal,” he said. “I’d rather kick four [points after touchdowns] in a game than four field goals.”

But Northridge, which has virtually no experienced players as it tries to figure out Baldwin’s complicated, pass-oriented offense, might need to rely on Ornelaz to carry it through the early part of the season. “He’s a definite weapon,” quarterback Clayton Millis said.

“We don’t need to go for fourth downs because if we get anywhere past the 50, he’s going to knock it through. He’s going to win some games for us.”

Ornelaz might never have found his way onto the Northridge football team if not for a letter from his aunt.

Ornelaz competed in baseball, football and soccer at Bakersfield High, and wanted to play baseball and football at UCLA. But Coach Terry Donahue wanted him to concentrate on football, and he spent the season kicking in practices.

So Ornelaz transferred to Northridge where he could play baseball, his first love. While he was sitting out the 1992 football season, his aunt wrote to Bob Burt, informing the former Matador football coach that her nephew was a good kicker and that he was on campus.

Burt invited Ornelaz to try out, and ultimately gave him a scholarship.

So much for baseball.

Ornelaz has been Northridge’s top kicker for two years, making 23 of 34 field-goal attempts and 36 of 41 extra-point tries. His longest field goal is 44 yards, which is probably why Matador coaches had not given him an opportunity to try a 50-yarder until Saturday.

But their thinking has changed now.

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Matador Notes

The only touchdown in the hour-long scrimmage was scored on a one-yard sneak by sophomore quarterback Derek Brown. The score was set up by the best offensive play of the day: a 67-yard pass from Brown to junior Weldon Washington. . . .

The most-impressive offensive player of the day, according to Baldwin, was senior fullback Tom Merrill, whom coaches had moved from linebacker this week. Merrill bowled over tacklers, particularly on one nice 14-yard run. . . .

Northridge was not called for any illegal procedure or delay of game penalties, which was heartening to Baldwin. . . . The Matador offense turned the ball over twice, both fumbles. . . . Senior safety James Woods blocked a punt. . . .

Senior linebacker Joe Pierro, a returning starter, didn’t play because coaches are waiting until a summer-school grade dispute is resolved.