Fit for Kingsmen : Conditioning Makes the Offensive Line a Strength for Cal Lutheran

Joe Harper, in his sixth season as Cal Lutheran football coach, laughed then paused for a moment when asked what kind of team he has.

“I wish I knew,” he said. “I really don’t know. We have a lot of new people that I haven’t really seen play.”

One thing is for sure though. Cal Lutheran’s offensive line will be better than last season’s, when quarterback Ryan Huisenga was sacked 17 times and the Kingsmen rushed for a mere 1,388 yards and passed for 1,805. The experience of four returning starters combined with a better work ethic will change that, Harper says.

Seniors Paul Ferguson (6 feet 1, 265 pounds), Greg Olquin (6-0, 260) and Tony Papa (6-3, 230) and junior center Tim Johnson (5-11, 235) are back in better condition and with renewed confidence.

“They’re all improved physically from a year ago,” Harper said. “Their agility and strength is much better. It’s our most-improved area by far.”

Huisenga, back for his second season at quarterback, agrees with Harper and is relieved to see the stronger offensive line. Last season Huisenga completed 52% of his passes for 1,754 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“I think last year they got blamed a lot for situations that were not really their fault,” Huisenga said. “They were asked to do incredibly hard things for their experience level.”

Huisenga, a 5-11, 185-pound junior from Moorpark High, has another good thing going for him--the return of his favorite receivers, Billy Parra and Tom Herman.

Parra (5-10, 180) caught 46 passes for 605 yards and four touchdowns as a junior last season. Herman had 26 receptions for 425 yards and two touchdowns.

While Harper is confident of his team’s passing game, he is concerned about its ability to gain yards on the ground.

“The biggest question for us is at tailback,” Harper said. “We have a guy who hasn’t played here before and doesn’t have much experience and a guy who is really small.”

Ken Herbs, who will turn 30 on Oct. 4, is the team’s oldest player but its most inexperienced. Herbs (5-10, 130) is a graduate of Van Nuys High who played at Pierce College in 1992. Harper says Herbs is strong and has good speed, but it may take him a while to get into playing form.

Aaron Molinar, a redshirt freshman from San Marcos High in Santa Barbara is 5-8 and 140 pounds. He rushed for 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns as a high school senior, but Harper worries about the transition to the college game.

“He definitely has talent, but he is small for this level,” Harper said.

Defensively, the Kingsmen should be in good shape. Returning starters include linebackers Chris Peltonen (6-2, 210) and Al Schoffstall (5-8, 180) and linemen Tyler Blackmore (5-10, 225), Jeff Cahill (6-0, 235) and Matt Cascardo (6-1, 285).

Peltonen, from Moorpark High, was named a preseason All-American by the College Football Preview. As a sophomore and junior Peltonen was a second-team All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference pick. Last season he had 83 tackles, two quarterback sacks and two interceptions.

“He’s a key guy for us who really makes things work up front,” Harper said. “He has a great combination of quickness and strength.”

Punter Jeff Shea, a sophomore, ranked second in the conference last season. Transfers Tim Cronk (Valley) and Bach Stabile (Hawaii) will share kicking duties. Cronk is a graduate of Hart High and Stabile a Crespi graduate.

Cal Lutheran’s season opener is Saturday at Chapman College, which is ranked No. 25 among the nation’s Division III schools. The Kingsmen ended the 1994 season with a 27-7 loss to Chapman.

“It’s going to be a real tough one and it will tell us where we are,” Harper said. “It will be a real challenge for our defense because they were very productive offensively last year and they will be again this year.”

Occidental and La Verne, ranked 16th in Sports Illustrated’s Division III preseason poll, are also expected to be tough SCIAC opponents. Cal Lutheran’s home opener is Sept. 23 against NCAA Division I-AA San Diego.