It Was Another Breakup for Moore

Chazz Moore has broken up his share of passes playing cornerback for Cal State Northridge.

Saturday, Moore broke up his teammates and the media during a postgame news conference after the Matadors’ 41-27 victory over Idaho State.

Receiver Aaron Arnold had the floor and was discussing his 39-yard touchdown run in the final minutes.

“To tell you the truth, during the week I didn’t think that play was going to work,” Arnold said.

Blurted Moore: “That’s because you were running it against our defense.”

Fitting for Moore to step in ahead of Arnold. A senior and two-year starter, Moore has made the majority of his moves against Arnold--and vice-versa--during practice.

The duels are inspiring, Moore said.

“I don’t keep tabs on him, but in the back of my mind, I remember his catches against me,” Moore said. “And he knows how many times he caught a pass or how many times I stopped him.”

In pads, Arnold and Moore could practically pass for twins. Moore is listed at 6 feet 3, 210 pounds, Arnold at 6-1, 190. But they probably are closer in size than that. Their builds are similar and so are their moves.

“It’s very competitive between us,” Moore said. “We both want to get better. That’s the main thing in our minds is to improve each practice. So I tell him, ‘Go hard.’ And he tells me the same thing.”

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Arnold and women’s volleyball player Laura Szymanski were selected athletes of the month by the Northridge Student Athletic Congress.

Arnold became the Matadors’ career leader in receptions, reception yards and touchdown receptions during September.

Arnold, a senior, leads the Big Sky Conference in receiving, averaging 8.67 catches a game.

Szymanski, a sophomore outside hitter from Berlin, Germany, led the Big Sky in kills per conference game in September.

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Safety Hassan Abdul-Malik, plagued by a sore hamstring, will redshirt this season, interim Coach Jeff Kearin said.

Abdul-Malik was injured during summer practice and re-injured the hamstring in the opener against Western Oregon.

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Ethan Beck of Northridge ranks first in the Big Sky and second nationally in Division I-AA in punting, averaging 43.9 yards a punt.

Beck, a 6-foot-4 junior, ranks fourth among Northridge receivers with eight catches.

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Scott Himelstein, a graduate of Chaminade High, has been hired as play-by-play announcer by campus radio station KCSN (FM-88.5), which broadcasts Northridge road games.