Foreign Aid Keeps Ventura Afloat

This, that and the other from the world of sports. . . .

In keeping with his international outreach program, Ventura men’s water polo Coach Larry Baratte has three foreign players on the team--drivers Antonio Alvarez of Mexico and Eduardo Paes de Barros of Brazil, and two-meter man Serghei Vaculeac of Moldova.

Paes de Barros has played on Brazil’s national team. Alvarez, who plays on the Mexican junior team, spent last year playing in Hungary. Vaculeac plays on Moldova’s national team.

Paes de Barros is the latest in a long line of top-notch Brazilian players who have played under Baratte, in his eighth season at Ventura.

“He’s a very, very talented scorer,” Baratte said. “He makes a lot of things happen.”

The Pirates have several outstanding freshmen, including left-handed driver Ryan Apperson, the state’s co-leader in assists with 29. Apperson scored 68 goals last season at Royal High and was a Times’ All-Ventura County selection.

Ventura (9-5) has battled through inexperience and injuries and is ranked No. 10 in the state.

“We are learning to play together,” Baratte said.

Alvarez was sidelined the last three weeks with a dislocated shoulder but is expected to play today and Saturday, when the Pirates host a tournament that features nine of the top 10 teams in the state.

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Remember that bitter-beer face Cal State Northridge bigwigs made concerning football coaches allegedly drinking alcohol in the locker room?

It was part of the school’s investigation into alleged NCAA violations by the program, which cost former coach Ron Ponciano and top assistant Rob Phenicie their jobs.

How interesting, then, to see a huge, inflatable beer can at one end zone of Northridge’s North Campus Stadium at the game against Idaho State last week.

Northridge administrators, while chastising from one side of the mouth about alleged boozers in their midst, sweet talk their way out of the other side into a sponsoring deal with a brewery.

Talk about hypocritical. Talk about lack of institutional control.

Northridge’s athletic program, the ultimate welfare state, needs the cash. But a soft-drink bottle where the beer can stands would project a more wholesome image, especially under the circumstances.

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Even with a cast on his left hand, Glendale linebacker Chris Oliver keeps blocking kicks.

The 5-foot-11 sophomore from Crescenta Valley blocked one against Valley on Saturday, extending his school record to nine.

What’s his secret?

“I don’t take anything for granted,” Oliver said. “A lot of people think special teams are a time to [relax].”

Oliver broke his right thumb in Glendale’s 29-28 loss to Santa Monica on Sept. 18. The cast is coming in, well, handy.

“The kick [at Valley] hit off my cast, so I didn’t feel anything,” he said.

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While Oliver is messing up opponents’ kicks, the Vaqueros can hardly convert their own.

Glendale lost sophomore kicker Sean Doyle to a hip injury before the season and his replacements haven’t done the job. Doyle, who made 17 extra points and one field goal last year, is out for the season.

The Vaqueros are four of nine in extra-point attempts, don’t have a field goal, and attempted seven two-point conversions in their first two games.

Moreover, the Vaqueros are giving up precious field position with poor kickoffs.

“It’s been a real problem not being able to go for short field goals or extra points,” Coach John Cicuto said.

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Hard to believe a football team can score 50 points and lose.

Chuck Lyon, coach at Canyons, is thinking the same after the Cougars lost at Hancock, 52-50.

It wasn’t the first 100-point game in Lyon’s coaching career.

“When I was coaching at Pasadena, we were playing Palomar [in 1995] at Palomar and we beat them, 52-48,” Lyon said.

The Cougars host Pierce on Saturday in a Western State Conference Northern Division game. Lyon is thinking positively.

“If we can keep them under 40 points, we might win,” Lyon said.

Coincidently, Pierce was the last WSC team to score 50 or more points and lose. The Brahmas lost to Glendale, 57-51, on Nov. 19, 1994.

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Dept. of Incidental Information: Cal Lutheran’s football team has not scored in the third quarter, Antelope Valley has not scored in the first quarter. . . . Ed Cicoria of Valley is the state’s top scoring kicker with 38 points. He has made his 20 extra-point attempts and his six field-goal tries. . . . Chad Heydorff of Glendale leads the state with 40 receptions, 693 yards and nine touchdowns.