The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 62

CIO SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1996 LOS ANGELES TIMES Pulling Through After a Big Scare fa re Ifllfl wnnq llol it if i s';" provide little in the way of elbow room. "It was a big bus," Martin said. "But I'm big too." Martin's sudden complaint of a headache and numbness in his legs alarmed teammates and coaches, and understandably so. Last month, Reseda High player Eric Hoggatt was found dead in his bed the morning after a home game against Chatsworth. A coroner's report eventually concluded that Hoggatt died from a blow to the head sustained during the game.

A week after Hoggatt's death, quarterback Adrian Taufaasau of Coronado High in San Diego died of head injuries suffered two days earlier in a game against Costa Mesa. "That was all running through my mind," said Birmingham running back Emmanuel Evans, who sat in front of Martin on the bus. "He just stopped talking and then said, 'I can't "I thought he was playing around. It was right when we pulled up. I didn't know what was going on, but I was scared." Quarterback Scott Doherty, among the first players off the bus, was unaware of his teammate's troubles until he had entered the locker room, Please see COLLAPSE, Cll Football: Lineman Tony Martin from Birmingham, who collapsed on team bus, had nothing more than muscle spasms.

By VINCE KOWALICK TIMES STAFF WRITERS VAN NUYS-As a last-second Hail Mary pass fell incomplete Friday night at Granada Hills High, center Tony Martin of Birmingham dropped to his knees and wept over his team's 25-22 loss. A bit later, teammates and coaches were praying Martin wouldn't become another high school football player to die mysteriously moments after a game. Thankfully, Martin wasn't. Martin was resting at home Saturday night after an overnight stay at Northridge Hospital Medical Center for what was diagnosed as muscle spasms in both legs as part of an ordeal in which paramedics employed the jaws of life to remove him from the team bus. Moments after arriving at Birmingham's Van Nuys campus, Martin, a 270-pound junior affectionately known as "Biggie," collapsed near the rear of the bus the confines of which JILL CONNELLY ForTheTimo Northridge quarterback Aaron Flowers tries to elude Montana State defender Morgan Harris during the Matadors' 24-17 defeat Saturday night.

Matadors Suffer the Ache, 24-17 Football: Big crowd at North Campus Stadium sees lightly regarded Montana State pound Northridge quarterback Aaron Flowers in Big Sky upset. an incomplete pass just as he was buried by Montana State defenders. Again. "I think they won the offensive and defensive lines," Baldwin said. "They hit Aaron Flowers too much." Flowers was sacked only twice, but he was constantly on the run.

"I think our O-line handled their D-line," Northridge left guard To-ma Popescu said, "but we missed assignments." Flowers completed 19 of 41 passes for 215 yards. Receiver David Romines caught eight passes giving him a Northridge-record 68 catches this season for 104 yards. Running back Norman Clarke gained 98 yards in 20 carries. Northridge scored on its first possession for the fifth time in seven games. Please see CSUN, C12 THE HIGH SCHOOLSSTEVE HENSON Benkert, Kelly Had Handle on Situation From Start to Finish ference game played before a North Campus Stadium crowd of 5,631, the largest in nearly four years.

The fans saw Northridge take a 10-0 first-quarter lead, then struggle offensively and defensively for the rest of the game. "They just outplayed us," Flowers said. "They came to play and we didn't." The Matadors (4-3, 1-2 in conference) entered the game with the second best rushing defense in Division I-AA. They held the Bobcats to only 139 yards-123 by Matt Engelking but what hurt Northridge were a few big pass plays by Montana State By JEFF FLETCHER TIMES STAFF WRITER NORTHRIDGE Quarterback Aaron Flowers sat in his cubicle in the Cal State Northridge locker room with his face buried in a red football jersey in his hands. He conducted his postgame interviews with reporters seeing nothing but the top of his blond buzz cut.

He groaned. "I just have a headache," he said through his hands. It was the perfect symbol of what the Matadors endured in a 24-17 loss to Montana State on Saturday night in a Big Sky Con Seconds after Northridge had tied the score, 17-17, Montana State's Kenyatte Morgan, a speedy 5-foot-7 receiver, took a short pass from Rob Compson, then darted through several missed tackles, sprinting 80 yards for a touchdown with 9 minutes 51 seconds to play. "We missed too many tackles," Northridge Coach Dave Baldwin said of the game in general, and Morgan's run in particular. After that score, the Matadors had three more cracks to tie, but mistakes cost them each time.

On one drive, the Matadors' moved the ball to the 31 before Flowers' lob into the end zone was intercepted by Dylan Tripp with Northridge got the ball back for one more series in the final two minutes. Jerome Henry dropped a would-be touchdown pass. The drive ended when Flowers threw TODD BIGELOW For The Times Percolating with the supercharged subplot of a cross-town rivalry, Thousand Oaks' 25-21 victory over top-ranked Westlake before an overflow crowd of 8,000 was a game the players will never forget Yet its aftermath was especially revealing of the coaches, Mike Kelly of Thousand Oaks and Jim Benkert of Westlake. Moments after the momentous victory on Friday, the Lancers inexplicably made a mad dash for the locker room. "Hey, where are you Kelly yelled.

"Stay here and enjoy Kelly wanted his team to linger on the field, hug parents and kiss girlfriends the way victorious football players have done for decades. He wanted them to bask in the glow until somebody with a bunch of keys dangling from his belt turned out the stadium lights. Meanwhile, Benkert gathered his squad and calmly put the Marmonte League loss in perspective. No blaming, no excuse-making. Benkert spoke as plainly and rationally as an executive speaking to stockholders.

Westlake's communications system from the sidelines to assistant coaches above the press box failed early in the game, yet Benkert refused to say it was a factor. He lauded the Lancers and even managed a smile or two answering reporters' questions. "It hurts because it's our first loss and the kids have known the T.O. guys, some of them since grade school," he said. "But we have an excellent football team that has room to become even stronger." Silver anniversary: Another Lancer coach savoring the victory is Bob Shoup, the offensive coordinator, who 25 years ago led Cal Lutheran to a NAIA national championship.

Did beating Westlake come close to that magical day in 1971? "It does because this is today and that was 1971," Shoup said. "Of course, nothing can replace the feelings I have for that Cal Lu team." Shoup and players from the championship team were honored Saturday at Cal Lutheran's game against Occidental. Dream therapy: With Westlake's loss, unbeaten Taft probably will ascend to No. 1 in the area rankings, but the Toreadors must leave their best player behind. Sedric Hums, an explosive runner who has gained 619 yards, either tore or severely pulled ligaments in a knee, probably ending his season.

Not that Hums believes it for a second. "Sedric is enthused about coming back," said Larry Clark, Hums' stepfather. "He's not the type of person who mopes. Sedric is very optimistic. He thinks that with therapy he can come back in two weeks." Considering Hums' cast won't come off for four weeks, that's dreaming.

But don't count the tailback out if Taft advances deep into the City Section playoffs. "He will do what it takes to get back into the lineup as soon as it's safe," Clark said. "That's the kind of person he is." Add Injury: Rick Thomas, the Canyon quarterback knocked unconscious on a hit by Hart defensive end Seth Schienle, was fine Saturday, although he cannot remember anything of the game. Thomas felt tingling from his knees to his feet upon regaining consciousness on the field, and was taken to a hospital. Doctors will keep him out of practice until Friday, when his condition will be reevaluated.

Stat of the week: Newbury Park's 48-40 victory over Agoura was noteworthy in several respects, but none more than the fact that no turnovers were committed. Newbury Park's Chris Czernek set a Ventura County record by passing for 426 yards, breaking the mark of 423 set by Simi Valley's Eric Bennett in 1992. Czernek, who set a state record with 4,362 yards last season, has 1,954 this season, the most in the area. Agoura's Jason Gordon enhanced his reputation as the Marmonte League's best running back by gaining 200 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Gordon has 819 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.

Sound thinking: Leave it to a no-nonsense lineman to sort out Please see PREPS, Cll JC FOOTBALL ROUNDUP West L. A. Gets Nothing Out of Trip to Moorpark MOORPARK-West Los Angeles College entered Saturday night's Western State Conference game with a reputation as a new and improved team. That may no longer be the case after Moorpark trounced the Oilers, 33-0, in a Southern Division game at Moorpark College. The Raiders' talented group of backs set the tempo for Moorpark's offense.

Ivan McCrae capped Moorpark's first offensive series with a 25-yard touchdown run. McCrae finished with 83 yards in 12 carries. Bryan Wilkins added 73 yards in nine carries. Moorpark, (5-1, 2-0 in conference) had 293 yards rushing and 437 yards total. "We try and run a balanced offense and I think we did that tonight," Moorpark Coach Jim Bittner said.

Moorpark's defense, which is ranked No. 2 in the conference, posted its second consecutive shutout and held West Los Angeles' potent offense to 171 yards. The Oilers (3-3, 0-2) were averaging 455.6 yards. The Oilers mounted only two scoring threats. Chris Morales missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt, and a fumble deep in Moorpark territory ended another drive.

Moorpark, which led, 19-0, at the half, extended its lead when Lewis hit Leodes Van Buren with a 28-yard touchdown pass. Lewis threw his second touchdown pass, a 13-yard strike to Rich McDonald in the corner of the end zone for a 33-0 lead. Moorpark forced two turnovers and registered five sacks. -BRYAN RODGERS Please see JC, C12 jValley College receiver Eric Carpenter catches a pass over Pierce's Devin Harvey in the first half. Valley Sticks It to the Brahmas in Piercing Performance, 80-20 personnel until virtually the final whistle.

Valley outgained Pierce, 529 yards to 358, and outplayed the Brahmas (0-5) in every facet of the game from the get-go. The Monarchs even had two players reach team and national milestones. Sophomore running back Marcus Harvey, who finished with 14 carries for 95 yards, moved into second place in the school's all-time scoring list with 162 points. He scored on runs of 20, two and 16 yards, and on a 60-yard punt return. Matt Kohl's 11 extra point kicks set a national junior college record.

He tied the record last year and shared it with four others. Valley has defeated the Brahmas four consecutive times and keeps the Victory Bell that goes to Please see VALLEY, C12 Football: Lins throws for three touchdowns, Monarchs pile up 529 yards to bully neighborhood rivals. By FERNANDO DOMINGUEZ TIMES STAFF WRITER WOODLAND HILLS-It didn't figure to be close this? Powerful Valley College demolished Pierce, 80-20, in a Western State Conference interdivision-al game Saturday night at Pierce that highlighted the huge gap between the programs. The Monarchs (5-1), ranked ninth in the state, kept pouring it on with their vastly superior.