Bowl Plans of Valley and Moorpark Don’t Pan Out

After wondering for weeks where they might fit in the California junior college bowl picture this year, Moorpark and Valley finally know.

And it isn’t exactly what either team had in mind.

In a meeting Wednesday between bowl officials and conference commissioners, Valley was matched against Hancock in the Western State Bowl and Moorpark against Cerritos in the Strawberry Bowl at Cerritos.

Both games are set for Dec. 7.

Valley (8-1) and Moorpark (8-2) are the only teams from the region with a record good enough to qualify for an invitation.

The Monarchs, ranked third in the state, most likely will host the game against Hancock (8-1), ranked sixth. Both play in the Western State Conference, Valley in the Southern Division and the Bulldogs in the Northern Division.

It’s not a bad matchup but it’s a far cry from what Valley wanted.

Valley was aiming for top-ranked Saddleback (10-0), one of only two undefeated teams in California, possibly for the mythical state championship.

But Saddleback, after reportedly being cold to the idea of facing second-ranked Sacramento (9-0), opted to meet the Panthers at Sacramento on Nov. 30.

“We are disappointed about that,” said Jim Fenwick, Valley coach. “I guess if we were in [Saddleback’s] shoes, we’d probably have done the same thing.”

The Monarchs could have finished ranked No. 1 by beating Saddleback, a victory that would help erase memories of last year’s 59-49 loss to Long Beach in the Strawberry Bowl for the mythical national championship.

“It would have been a good matchup between us and Saddleback,” Fenwick said.

Moorpark, ranked 14th, was hoping to host the Western State Bowl but now it’s headed to Cerritos and a rematch with the 13th-ranked Falcons (7-2), who two years ago manhandled the Raiders, 55-9, in the Strawberry Bowl.

It will be Moorpark’s ninth consecutive bowl appearance and 10th overall.

“Our second choice was going to the Strawberry Bowl, so we are excited about it,” said Jim Bittner, Moorpark coach.

None of the region’s other four junior colleges with football teams--Antelope Valley, Glendale, Pierce and Ventura--have been invited to a bowl game for at least three years.

The last one to do so was Antelope Valley, which lost to Orange Coast, 26-14, in the Orange County Bowl in 1993.

Glendale’s last appearance was a 24-23 loss to Antelope Valley in the 1992 Western State Bowl, one year after Pierce lost to Moorpark, 35-16, in the same bowl.

Ventura has gone bowl-less for seven years.

The Pirates lost to Palomar, 21-20, in San Diego’s Hall of Fame Bowl in 1989.

What a way for Paul Keysaw to break in as Moorpark’s wrestling coach.

Keysaw and the Raiders are headed for the South Regional on Saturday at Rancho Santiago fresh from winning the WSC title, the 18th in school history.

The Raiders finished 9-2, 4-0 in conference after dominating highly regarded Cuesta, 28-18, in the WSC title match last week. Of the 10 matches, Moorpark won the first seven.

Next up for the Raiders who qualify at the regional?

The state championships Dec. 6-7 at Victor Valley.

Moorpark won state titles in 1990 and 1991 under John Keever, who resigned after last season to concentrate on being the school’s athletic director.

Fullback Rahsaan Harrison needs 82 yards to become the 10th Glendale rusher with 1,000 or more yards in a season. . . . Northridge women’s volleyball Coach Lian Lu could balance his three-year record with the Matadors at 47-47 with two victories in the Big Sky Conference championships. . . . Valley’s Eric Ruhle is one touchdown reception short of the WSC single-season record of 13 set by Bakersfield’s Linzy Collins in 1988 and matched by Valley’s Brian Comer in 1994.