Pierce Not Aiming for This Mark

Pierce College lost its 21st consecutive football game, 45-21, against Harbor last Saturday.

Just in case you were wondering, the Brahmas (0-3) have a way to go before setting any records for futility--not that anyone on campus is keeping track.

“As far as I’m concerned, I don’t know what the record [for consecutive losses] is and I don’t want to know,” Pierce Coach Bill Norton said.

For the record, Coahoma, Miss., holds the national junior college record with 50 consecutive losses from 1980-84. Coahoma also lost 49 in a row from 1988-93 and 33 in a row from 1985-88.

San Diego Mesa owns the state’s longest current losing streak--24 games.

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Speaking of streaks, Cal Lutheran is starting over after its 26-match Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women’s volleyball winning streak ended last week.

The string began in 1994 and didn’t end until the Regals were swept by La Verne after the Leopards rallied from a 10-0 deficit in the first game.

“We just kind of fell apart after that, and then they caught fire,” Cal Lutheran Coach James Park said. “The girls were pretty bummed afterward.”

The Regals (2-5, 2-1 in conference play) rebounded by defeating Whittier in five games in a SCIAC match Tuesday.

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Misery loves company, as two Cal Lutheran football players are proving.

Running back Fredrik Nanhed was injured before the season, taken out by a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Now Nanhed’s roommate, strong safety Mattias Wikstrom, is limping around.

Wikstrom, a junior, suffered a slight tear of the lateral meniscus in his left knee during the second quarter of a 28-21 loss to Redlands last Saturday.

Both players have been hobbling around between rehabilitation exercises.

“[Ours’] is kind of the gimps’ room right now,” Wikstrom said.

Although limited to light running and strengthening exercises during practice, Wikstrom said he plans to play Saturday against La Verne.

The Kingsmen (1-3) can use him. He leads Cal Lutheran with 47 tackles and has intercepted a pass.

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Cal State Northridge’s football depth chart is being revised again because of injuries to receivers Aaron Arnold and Eric Carpenter, and left tackle Jake Brinton in a 26-13 loss at Portland State on Saturday night.

Arnold, a sophomore who is fourth in the Big Sky Conference and second on the team with 466 yards receiving, is nursing a sprained right ankle. He might not play in the home game against Weber State on Saturday night.

Carpenter, a backup at two of four receiving slots in the team’s run-and-shoot scheme, is giving way to freshmen Ryan Beckwith and Ethan Beck. Carpenter broke his right foot and is expected to miss three weeks.

Junior David San Vicente is slated to start Saturday ahead of Brinton, who had a contusion on his left hand and is listed as probable.

Senior Jerome Henry, a projected starter in the preseason who has worked his way back after missing the first two games with a hairline break in his lower right leg, is taking over for Arnold.

Adding to the confusion is the status of Brian Comer, the team’s top receiver, who may be ineligible because of his transfer from Cal. Northridge might not have an answer before Saturday’s game.

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Trying to ebb an early season skid, Ventura football Coach Terry Morris has shuffled his offensive backfield.

Sophomore Patrick Bartley, a transfer from Mississippi, will start at quarterback Saturday against Harbor at Ventura.

Ventura (0-3) had a bye last week.

Bartley replaces freshman Rolando Garcia, who has had nine passes intercepted and completed only 41% of his passes.

“We’re not saying Rolando is not a good quarterback,” Morris said. “It’s just that Bartley is a little more vocal. We’re going to give him the opportunity to lead us. Hopefully, we can get something going.”

James Jenkins, a freshman linebacker and brother of former Hueneme High standout running back Ronney Jenkins, will move from linebacker to fullback.

“He has a lot more size than his brother does,” Morris said.

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Cal Lutheran’s men escaped with a 2-2 tie and the women lost, 1-0, in matches against UC San Diego on Sunday.

And, all things considered-- especially the opponent--they were pleased with the results.

“We’d feel better with a win, but we don’t feel too bad, either,” Cal Lutheran Coach Dan Kuntz said.

“They charged $2 to get in, and for that, I don’t think you could have gotten any better amateur entertainment than that anywhere in the country.”

The UC San Diego women are the top-ranked Division III team in the nation.

Cal Lutheran (7-3), ranked No. 12 among the women, has lost to the Tritons (9-1) in the West regional playoffs each of the past four seasons and played second-fiddle again but didn’t feel like it.

“The girls don’t like to lose to UCSD just because there’s a lot of history there, but it was a great match,” Kuntz said.

“Hopefully, we put on a show that shows that we’re one of the top teams anywhere as well.”

The men gained a tie against UCSD with a late goal by Edwin Astudillo.

Cal Lutheran (6-2-2) is off to one of its best starts in recent years.

“I’m just so proud of both of my teams,” Kuntz said.

“For players and coaches, these are the ones you work for and that you hope you’re worthy of. And I think we showed that we were.”

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Staff writers Fernando Dominguez, Vince Kowalick and correspondent Lauren Peterson contributed to this notes column.