Coach Gets Line on Matadors

It took three weeks of spring practice for Coach Ron Ponciano to confirm what he already knew about his Cal State Northridge football team.

“We don’t have the speed on offense we should have and we have no depth at all on defense,” said Ponciano, in his first year as Northridge’s coach. “I’m not sure there were any real surprises.”

But Ponciano, a former Matador defensive coordinator hired in January to lead the program, wasn’t discouraged by what he saw in the workouts and scrimmages that ended Thursday.

“The first two weeks the defense played very well,” Ponciano said. “The third week, the offense came around and just did a phenomenal job.”

Ponciano praised the offensive line, calling it “probably the strongest part of the team.”

The line features returning starters Tafi Aina (6 feet 4, 300 pounds) at left guard, David San Vicente (6-3, 300) at left tackle and Julio Alcala (6-4, 275) at right tackle.

Ponciano said right guard Frank Alvarez (6-4, 280), a transfer from Colorado State, and center Beau Cherry (6-2, 270), a transfer from Eastern Michigan, stood out.

Northridge had some of the best receivers in the Big Sky Conference and in Division I-AA the past two seasons, and Ponciano said the Matadors still have a surplus of fine players at the position, led by Drew Hill, who made 69 receptions last season and Aaron Arnold had 58.

“The receivers are extremely disciplined in their routes,” Ponciano said.

Ponciano plans to emphasize more the run part of Northridge’s run-and-shoot scheme, and was pleased with the spring work done by running backs Melvin Blue, a transfer from Utah State, and Jaumal Bradley, a transfer from Mt. San Antonio College.

The quarterback position, vacated by the graduation of record-setter Aaron Flowers, is up for grabs.

Josh Fiske, who started three games last season while Flowers nursed a broken leg, redshirt freshman Marcus Brady and transfer David Lins are vying for the job.

“All three had a nice spring,” Ponciano said. “No one really solidified himself as the No. 1 guy. By Monday, we’ll decide who’s No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 [going into fall practice].”

The Matadors practiced the last three weeks mostly in muddy conditions, an experience Ponciano said could come in handy next season.

“We have to play in those elements to win in this conference,” Ponciano said.

Northridge starts the 1998 season with a nonconference game at Boise State on Sept. 5.

Under Jim Fenwick last year, the Matadors had a 6-6 record and finished tied for fourth place in the Big Sky at 4-4.

Fenwick resigned in January after one season at Northridge to become offensive coordinator at New Mexico.