Matadors Making Progress on Run

Cal State Northridge’s excellent defense against the run in a 30-20 victory over Weber State on Saturday night, a departure from recent games, has Coach Jim Fenwick waxing optimistic.

“We didn’t have very many lapses on defense,” Fenwick said. “It’s a sign of a great team when you can stay focused like that.

“Everyone seemed hungry. It looked like everyone wanted a piece of the ball. . . . We’ve created some expectations defensively.”

Fenwick hopes the Matadors (3-3, 1-1 in Big Sky Conference play) can fulfill those expectations at Montana State (3-2, 2-1) on Saturday.

Northridge, 96th in Division I-AA in rushing defense at 201.7 yards per game, held Weber State to 156 yards on the ground.

“The concept has been reestablished that we want to pressure people,” Fenwick said.

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Trying to punt in 30-mph winds at North Campus Stadium on Saturday night was a tall order for Northridge’s Brian Walker and Weber State’s Scott Shields.

Walker went into the game with a 42.5-yard average and left at 39.5 yards after punting for 225 yards in seven kicks.

Shields dropped from 44.8 to 41.8 yards, averaging 23 yards on two punts. He slipped from seventh to 18th among Division I-AA punters.

“I tried to keep [the ball] low and hard,” Walker said. “I was trying all sorts of things.”

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Some people at Northridge believe free safety Jeremy Golden, a freshman from Westlake High, will develop into an impact player.

He caught their attention with 10 tackles and a 65-yard interception return at Hawaii on Sept. 6, and became a starter the following week at New Mexico State.

Golden, 6 feet and 180 pounds, is third on the team with 34 tackles.

But after making five tackles and breaking up a pass against Weber State, Golden mishandled a punt and was tackled at the Matador two-yard line with 7:45 to play and Northridge ahead, 23-20.

“I almost tipped [the ball] and I thought the ref might call it, so I went to get it,” Golden said. “I had someone at my feet right away and five guys on my face.”

Sophomore quarterback Josh Fiske methodically worked the Matadors out of danger, engineering an 18-play, 98-yard touchdown march that consumed nearly seven minutes and iced the game.

It was the sixth of 11 scoring drives directed by Fiske in the past 2 1/2 games to cover 60 or more yards.

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The 30th football meeting between Pierce and Valley on Saturday night will be televised live on TCI, an East Valley cable channel. Longtime local broadcaster Geoff Witcher will provide play-by-play, with Times’ regional sports columnist Eric Sondheimer adding commentary.

The 7 p.m. telecast of the Western State Conference interdivision game is the first of two scheduled this season from Valley. The Nov. 15 Western State Conference game between Valley and Santa Monica also will be televised.

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Cal Lutheran quarterback Zack Hernandez will not play Saturday against Whittier, which leads the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Hernandez, a junior, missed most of Cal Lutheran’s game against La Verne last week after experiencing lingering effects from a concussion suffered two weeks ago. He will sit out this week as a precaution.

Although Hernandez has not complained of further dizziness or headaches since a 34-7 victory over La Verne, he has not practiced.

“I think he’s fine,” Cal Lutheran Coach Scott Squires said. “But I think maybe we rushed him a little bit last week, and we just want to be extra careful.”

Derek Brown, who passed for 199 yards and two touchdowns last week, will start at quarterback.

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Whittier has been a conference doormat in recent years, with 1-8 records in each of the past three seasons. The Poets’ only victory last season was over the Kingsmen.

But as Whittier’s 3-1 record (2-0 in conference play) might indicate, the team has changed since then.

The Poets’ backfield is made up entirely of transfers, including quarterback Steve Luce from Southern Illinois. Luce’s passing has the Poets averaging 362 yards per game through the air, second-best in the NCAA Division III rankings.

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The Cal Lutheran men’s soccer team is listed in the Division III rankings for the first time since 1992.

The Kingsmen (9-2-1, 3-0) took a nine-game unbeaten streak and a No. 23 ranking in the National Soccer Coaches Assn. poll into Wednesday’s match at Whittier. They rank third in the NSCA Far West regional poll.

“We know rankings don’t mean much, but we’re kind of proud of it because we haven’t been in them for a while,” Cal Lutheran Coach Dan Kuntz said.

“What’s fun is you have a team that’s worked very hard and I think they’ve earned it. I think we’re a good team. It’s kind of flattering that other people are noticing and recognizing the same thing.”

Cal Lutheran’s rise has coincided with that of sophomore forward Oskar Kantoft, a native of Sweden who leads the Kingsmen with 11 goals and has three assists.

“I think Oskar has really found his way,” Kuntz said. “Last year was his first year in the United States, and he did OK with the team, but it wasn’t like it is now. This year, he’s comfortable, he has friends that he’s gotten to know and that have gotten to know him. Now, he’s just playing.”

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Cal Lutheran has an experienced midfield that includes seniors Sebastian Alvarado and Edwin Astudillo, and juniors Jeff Smilen and Charlie Noble.

“I think my midfield has come together a lot,” Kuntz said. “They’ve learned each other’s style of play and where everybody’s supposed to go in different situations.”

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