Small Kicker, Big Contribution

At 5 feet 2, Manny Marquez is by far the shortest Northridge football player.

He is, however, a major contributor.

Going into the game Saturday with Weber State, Marquez, a junior from Bishop Diego High in Santa Barbara, had converted all 20 point-after attempts he had tried this season for a streak of 34 consecutive dating to the ninth game last season.

But after making his first two attempts Saturday, Marquez had one blocked, ending the string at 36.

He had been approaching the Matador record. Although Northridge records are sketchy, Abo Velasco apparently set the school mark with 59 consecutive from 1988-90.

“The way our offense scores points, I should have a chance to get that [record],” Marquez said before the game.

Marquez established a Northridge single-game standard with nine extra points in a 63-23 victory over Weber State on Aug. 30 and his 43 PATs last year are a school single-season record.

But Marquez said he is not happy with his field-goal kicking this season. He made only one of four tries in the first three games but has converted three in a row and is four of seven with a long of 37 yards.

“I got a late start in the summer,” Marquez said. “I didn’t do too much kicking. . . . I went down to Mexico to visit [relatives]. Maybe I did too much partying.”

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Northridge quarterback Aaron Flowers, sidelined with a fractured right fibula and not expected to return for two more weeks, was doing a little coaching Saturday night.

Flowers talked throughout the game to his replacement, sophomore Josh Fiske, giving him pointers.

“I’m just helping as much as I can,” Flowers said.

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Two Matadors, running back Jahi Arnold and punter Brian Walker, changed their jersey numbers. Arhold switched to No. 3 from No. 20 and Walker to No. 12 from No. 41.

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Sophomore Steve Forte started at right cornerback for injured Bennie Herron, Northridge’s All-Big Sky pick last season who is nursing a strained lower back.

Junior transfer Mike Ogas and freshman Ryan Smith started at wide receiver, replacing injured Aaron Arnold and Brian Comer, whose eligibility is being reviewed by the NCAA for a possible double-transfer rule violation.

Arnold is recovering from a sprained right ankle.

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Scott Shields’ wind-aided 47-yard field goal for Weber State in the second quarter was seven yards short of the North Campus Stadium record, established by former Northridge and NFL kicker Bryan Wagner against UC Davis in 1984.

But it wasn’t a career-best for Shields, who last week converted a school-record five field goals. He had a 52-yarder against Western State last season.

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The loss against the Matadors kept Dave Arslanian from becoming Weber State’s winningest coach.

Arslanian, in his ninth year with the Wildcats, is tied with his father, Sark, who coached the Wildcats from 1965-72. Each have 50 victories.