Conference Puts Teams in Motion Again : College football: Ever-changing WSC reconfigures divisions for second consecutive year. Moorpark move puts Bakersfield in same division as Pierce.

In its ever-diligent quest to save a buck--and what junior college in California isn’t trying to do that?--the Western State Conference again has tinkered with its football alignment, uprooting two teams from their longtime divisional homesteads.

Under the new format, Moorpark, the three-time defending North Division champion, has been shifted to the South, switching places with mighty Bakersfield, winner of the South Division six of the past seven seasons.

The move was made, at least partly, for economic reasons. Moorpark and Bakersfield have been placed in more geographically compatible divisions and theoretically can save money on transportation and other travel expenses by playing road games closer to home.

In reality, Bakersfield is in a financial bind no matter how the divisions settle. The school is isolated from the other WSC members and never has short trips on its schedule.

But the Renegades are no match for Hancock in the mileage derby.

Located in Santa Maria, Hancock returned to the WSC last season after a six-year absence and prompted a divisional restructuring.

Now the conference has been reshaped once more, albeit minimally, and not everyone is pleased.

“I don’t like it,” said Jim Bittner, Moorpark coach. “I was against it but was outvoted.”

The new North Division features Bakersfield, Glendale, Hancock, Pierce, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The South Division has Compton, Harbor, L.A. Southwest, Moorpark, Santa Monica, Valley and West L.A.

Bittner, in his 17th season as Raider coach, said he wanted to stay in the North to preserve Moorpark’s rivalries with Glendale, Pierce and Ventura.

The Raiders will face Ventura and Glendale this season but might not in future years because WSC teams annually will rotate interdivisional games.

The Raiders most likely will battle Valley for the South title and won’t have to play Bakersfield, a team they upset last year. No such luck for Pierce, however.

The Brahmas are back in the same division with Bakersfield, a bully from which they hoped to escape. Until last season, Pierce played in the South and helplessly watched the Renegades dominate the division. But when Harbor asked last year to switch divisions, the Brahmas took Harbor’s spot in the North.

It was a swap that Bill Norton, the Pierce coach, made gladly. Norton wanted to get away from Bakersfield and have an opportunity to challenge for a divisional title.

The Brahmas have a 4-18 record against Bakersfield and are winless against the Renegades since Norton took over in 1991. Pierce last defeated Bakersfield in 1979.

And even with a new coach, Dallas Grider, the Renegades look as strong as ever. After a 10-1 season in 1994, they are ranked seventh in the nation in the J.C. Grid-Wire preseason poll.

All of which doesn’t make Norton sleep any better.

“I don’t want to have to beat them every year to win a championship,” Norton said. “If you go to Las Vegas and they see your schedule, you might get some pretty good odds for winning your division. They see Bakersfield is on your schedule, you are a longshot.”

Norton shouldn’t worry too much. At this rate, odds are pretty good the conference will realign again next year.