Kingsmen Squire in a New Look With Their New Coach

The new look to Cal Lutheran’s football team isn’t confined to the the team’s first-year head coach, Scott Squires.

The Kingsmen will sport recently redesigned headgear in their opener against the University of San Diego tonight at 7 in San Diego.

Cal Lutheran’s helmets used to be solid gold. The new look includes lances and a knight’s armored face mask above each earflap.

The design is the work of Tim Hengst, a medical illustrator and Cal Lutheran graduate who lives in Thousand Oaks.

Hengst, 46, played offensive tackle for Cal Lutheran from 1968-71. He was a starter his last two years and the Kingsmen won an NAIA national championship in his senior season.

“That season was certainly one of the highlights of my life,” Hengst said.

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Second time around: Zack Hernandez spent one year as a reserve quarterback at Cal Lutheran, transferred to Valley College to spend another year as an understudy, only to return to Cal Lutheran where tonight he begins the season as . . .

The reserve quarterback--to senior Ryan Huisenga, the same guy he backed up two years ago.

This time, the former L.A. Baptist standout says he is more willing to accept his role.

“When I left here two years ago, I left because of football,” Hernandez said. “I loved the school. Now I’m here for school.

“I’m more mature now, and if I have to be the backup, that’s OK. . . . All I told the coaches was, I wanted a chance.”

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Name game: There’s a theme to Cal State Northridge’s early season football schedule. If your nickname is Aggies, you’re in.

Northridge’s first three games are against, in order, the Utah State Aggies, the UC Davis Aggies and the New Mexico State Aggies.

Since Texas A&M; will be busy with Colorado on Sept. 28, the Matadors will break their streak and settle for a game against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.

Hitting three in a row is quite a coincidence considering there are only eight schools in the nation nicknamed the Aggies. The others are Cameron University in Lawton, Okla., North Carolina A&T;, Oklahoma Panhandle State and Delaware Valley in Doylestown, Pa.