Boller Injured, Won’t Play

Winless California suffered another loss Tuesday when it was announced quarterback and UCLA nemesis Kyle Boller will not play against the Bruins because of a back disk injury.

The junior from Newhall Hart High has played with back pain all season and Coach Tom Holmoe decided this was an opportune time to hold him out. X-rays were negative and Boller had an MRI on Tuesday evening.

“He’s had some symptoms today that are way worse than what he’s had,” Holmoe said. “He has a little numbness in his legs. We need to get him healthy. I made the decision right away. He’s out of this game even if the MRI comes back clean. I want those symptoms gone.”

Boller, a three-year starter, guided the Bears to victories over the Bruins the last two seasons. He passed for 252 yards and three touchdowns in a triple-overtime victory last year.

His replacement will be Eric Holtfreter, a senior from L.A. Valley College and Quartz Hill High who has played in four of five games, completing 25 of 48 passes for 313 yards with four interceptions and one touchdown.

“I didn’t know [Boller] was hurt,” Holtfreter said. “[Monday] we went out and threw the ball around a little bit and he didn’t mention anything to me. I’ve known about his back problems but didn’t know he was under that much pain.”

Not subjecting an ailing Boller to the punishing UCLA defense is prudent of Holmoe.

The Bruins have 16 sacks by 11 players, and Washington quarterback Taylor Barton was hit 21 times and suffered a concussion and foot injury in the Bruins’ 35-13 victory Saturday.

Barton, a junior college transfer, was filling in for injured starter Cody Pickett.

In two years at Valley, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Holtfreter passed for 4,376 yards and 34 touchdowns.