Kicking Duties to Be Settled

The last remaining lineup battles are expected to be decided in the next few days, all dealing with the kicking game and the difficult task of replacing the versatile Chris Sailer.

Sailer, the punter his first two seasons, handled punts, field goals and kickoffs the last two seasons. The jobs probably will be split up in 1999. Freshman Nathan Fikse could end up doing all three in time, but the Bruins don’t want to overload him.

Fikse, from Esperanza High in Anaheim, and redshirt freshman Chris Griffith are going back and forth for the No. 1 spot on field goals and kickoffs. UCLA Coach Bob Toledo, who plans to use today’s scrimmage as the final step in the decision-making process, has said he probably will give one job to each.

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Starting right tackle Brian Polak was high school teammates for a season at La Puente Bishop Amat with Paul Reyna, the Boise State freshman defensive lineman who died Monday after suffering a head injury five days earlier. The two had talked as recently as a month ago, even joking about the possibility of matching up when the Broncos come to the Rose Bowl for the Sept. 4 season opener.

“I will be thinking about it constantly,” Polak said of the meeting that could have been. “He’s been in my thoughts and prayers since I heard about it [the injury during a scrimmage]. I’ll be thinking a lot about it. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.”

Polak was a senior at Bishop Amat when Reyna was a sophomore.

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James Ghezzi, wanting to put the handicapped-parking fallout in the past, indicated he plans to plead no contest at the arraignment today if offered the same sentence as most of the other Bruins involved in the scam. Durell Price, who also postponed the July 28 proceedings because his attorney, Robert Shapiro, wanted more time to study the misdemeanor case, already has said he plans to take the same course.

Three former players--Craig Walendy, DuVal Hicks and Mark Reynosa-- also will be arraigned.