With Green Light, He Is on a Roll

Danny Green was one of eight quarterbacks fighting for the starting position when football practice began for Redlands in August.

Green quickly won the job, but under Coach Mike Maynard, Redlands had gained a reputation as a run-oriented team that did not like to pass. In 11 games last season, the Bulldogs threw for only 890 yards.

“My first goal was to start when the season started,” said Green, a 6-foot-1 junior transfer from Modesto Junior College. “Then if I did, I didn’t expect to throw the ball too much.”

In losing their first two games, the Bulldogs struggled to find the right mix on offense. Then finally, they turned to Green.

“We have an offense that emphasizes short passes and quick drops,” said Green, whose brother, Ryan, is a tight end for Pacific. “We can control the ball on offense even though we pass the ball so much.”

In leading Redlands to four consecutive victories, Green has taken over as the passing and total offense leader in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Green has completed 126 of 188 passes for 1,456 yards and 12 touchdowns with only two interceptions. He has thrown 139 consecutive passes without an interception, including 23 in a row in the Bulldogs’ 16-3 victory over San Diego last Saturday.

“I can’t complain at all,” Green said about his passing this season. “I’m definitely not an option quarterback. It’s just great that I’m able to put the ball up in the air so much.”

Against Claremont-Mudd, Green set a single-game school record by completing 34 of 46 passes for 395 yards and three touchdowns. The next week against Pomona-Pitzer, he completed 21 of 32 for 315 yards and four touchdowns.

With 186 more passing yards, Green will break Wes Dell’s 11-year school single-season record of 1,641 yards.

“I had no idea that I would be breaking records here,” said Green, who began his collegiate career as a point guard at DeAnza College before switching back to football. “I just want us to win league, and if we made the playoffs that would be a bonus.”

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La Verne running back Anthony Jones rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns to lead the undefeated Leopards to a 51-17 victory over Azusa Pacific last Saturday. La Verne (6-0) leads the NCAA Division III in scoring by averaging 51 points per game, while also averaging 335 yards rushing.

Jones leads the SCIAC with 970 yards rushing and has 15 touchdowns this season, one shy of the school record set by Darren MacLellan last season. Wide receiver Anthony Rice leads the team in receiving with 24 catches, but he also has rushed for 423 yards and eight touchdowns in only 37 attempts for a 11.4 yards per carry average.

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The Westmont College men’s soccer team, No. 6 in the NAIA, stretched its home unbeaten streak to 30 games (28-0-2) with a 2-0 victory over Cal Baptist last Saturday.

The Warriors, who have been ranked in the top 20 of the NAIA since 1986, are 12-2-2 overall and 6-1 in the Golden State Athletic Conference. Todd Emblem leads the GSAC with 27 points, including seven goals, followed by teammates Jorg Delamora’s 26 points and Trevor Schuurman’s 25.

Azusa Pacific dealt Westmont its only loss in the GSAC with a 1-0 shutout two weeks ago, thanks to a penalty-kick goal by Shayon Jalayer and the play of Cougar goal keeper Jason Volcek. It was the first time Azusa Pacific had defeated the Warriors since 1982.

The 20th ranked Cougars are 5-2 in league play and 12-5 overall, two victories away from their best season.

The Westmont women’s soccer team is also in first place in the GSAC with a 7-0 record and is 12-4 overall, thanks to a 3-1 victory over Cal Baptist. Jennifer Wills, a sophomore forward, has scored goals in seven consecutive games.

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Cal State Bakersfield handed CS Los Angeles key defeats in both men’s soccer and women’s volleyball last Saturday.

After being ranked 10th nationally at the start of the season, the injury-plagued Golden Eagles, 2-5 in the CCAA and 6-8-1 overall, saw their soccer playoff hopes end after a 2-0 loss to Bakersfield.

Ayman Hamid and Fredrik Olsson scored for No. 3 Bakersfield (6-0 and 12-2-1).

In women’s volleyball, Bakersfield, ranked sixth nationally, defeated the Golden Eagles, 15-9, 19-17, 15-4.

The victory gives Bakersfield (7-1 and 19-5) sole possession of first-place in the CCAA. No. 11 Cal State L.A. dropped to 6-2 in the league and 15-5 overall.

College Division Notes

Cal State Dominguez Hills upset No. 20 Cal Poly Pomona in women’s volleyball, 12-15, 5-15, 17-15, 15-3, 15-13 last Saturday. . . . Cal Lutheran’s Fredrik Nanhead, a freshman tailback from Sweden who has been in the United States for two months, set a school-record with 313 yards in 46 carries in the Kingsmen’s 38-24 victory over Claremont two weeks ago. . . . Azusa Pacific’s John Gachao finished seventh in the Arizona State cross country invitational two weeks ago as the Cougars finished third overall.