Valley’s Evans Performs Like First-Stringer

Benny Evans won’t make Valley College football fans forget Howard Blackwell, but the 5-foot-6 sophomore from Los Angeles produced when he was counted on at tailback.

With Blackwell sitting out because of a bruised kidney, Evans switched from slotback to tailback and Valley’s high-powered offense did not miss a beat.

Evans rushed for 157 yards and three touchdowns in 19 carries and caught four passes for 53 yards as the Monarchs defeated Los Angeles Southwest, 56-27.

“He’s just a little jitterbug guy, but he did a great job,” Valley Coach Jim Fenwick said. “He’s better than people think.”

Evans played tailback at Crenshaw High and was a reserve in the Valley backfield as a freshman. “He practices at it, and he played the position last year, so it really was pretty easy for him,” Fenwick said.

He certainly made it look that way.

Blackwell leads Western State Conference players in all-purpose running, averaging 163 yards a game. Evans accounted for 234 yards, including 24 on kick returns.

Blackwell, who also is the WSC rushing leader with 997 yards, is expected to return Saturday against West Los Angeles.

SLEEPLESS NIGHT

LeRoy Irvin recalls every game-winning catch he allowed in his 11 years as a defensive back in the National Football League. But the former Ram All-Pro cornerback said he never felt worse than he did Saturday night when his cornerbacks played poorly in Cal State Northridge’s 35-10 loss to Portland State.

Irvin, the Matadors’ defensive backs coach, watched film of the game five times in the North Campus Stadium locker room before falling asleep in the coaches’ office.

He relived the pair of 80-yard touchdown pass plays cornerback Vinnie Johnson surrendered and the missed tackle by cornerback Ralph Henderson that contributed to a 45-yard run on a fourth-and-one play.

Johnson and Henderson also had difficulty sleeping.

“I guess I let the defense down,” Henderson said. “I should have made the plays when my number was called.”

DEFENDING THE CAUSE

Anyone who thinks Glendale ran up the score in a 75-0 win over Compton was not in attendance.

In a game in which the Vaqueros forced 12 fumbles (recovering four), made four interceptions and, in the third quarter, scored 26 points on only six offensive plays, Glendale’s most amazing accomplishment was that it managed not to score in the fourth quarter.

“We didn’t rub it in, but everybody thinks that,” Glendale Coach John Cicuto said. “They just kept fumbling. What could we do?”

The score was 49-0 at halftime, and when the margin continued to mount during the third quarter the referee agreed to play the rest of the game with a running clock.

FORCED INTO BATTLE

Glendale’s win over Compton was so lopsided the Vaqueros actually forced second-string quarterback Chris Ray into more playing time than he preferred.

Ray, a freshman, was too ill to practice Thursday and Friday, and Glendale coaches were concerned enough to call him Saturday to make sure he planned to attend the game.

“We told him we needed him there just in case something unexpected happened to (starter Eric Kiesau),” Cicuto said.

As it was, Ray was sent in during the third quarter as Glendale lifted Kiesau to keep him healthy for Saturday’s game against Harbor.

Ray did not attempt a pass. Said Cicuto: “We told him, ‘Just hand off and protect yourself.’ ”

TO TELL THE TRUTH

Valley’s defense, statistically one of the worst in the WSC, played its best game in more than a month against L.A. Southwest.

Fenwick listed three reasons:

1) “We kept the defense simpler and we didn’t make as many mistakes.”

2) “The kids played hard the whole game.”

3) “Southwest is not very strong on offense.”

Emphasis probably should be given to the last reason.

ODE TO A GAMBLER

Because kicker Aaron Solinger was injured, West L.A. was forced to attempt two-point conversions in a 14-12 loss to Pierce. But while the Oilers’ kicking was nonexistent, it was only slightly worse than the punting game.

West L.A. came into the game averaging less than 30 yards a punt. It was time for a new method of operation. So, more often than not, the Oilers chose to run or pass rather than punt on fourth down.

“They gambled a bunch,” Pierce Coach Bill Norton said. “Once they even went for it on fourth and eight.”

Not to be outdone, Norton also took some chances.

In the fourth quarter, Pierce twice went for first downs on fourth-and-one situations--once near midfield, and again near the goal line. The Brahmas failed both times.

“If I’d been in Vegas, I’d have gone home without a car,” Norton said. “I gambled a bunch and it never paid off. I guess you could say our defense bought me a stake. The first thing I did after the game was thank the team for saving my life.”

SHORT PASSING GAME

Lamart Cooper, who as a runner, receiver or kick returner is Antelope Valley’s game-breaker, added a chore against Mt. San Jacinto. He also played three series at quarterback, completing one of three passes.

“It’s just another way to get the ball in his hands,” said Coach Brent Carder, who has promised to play Cooper again at quarterback. “He’s a very good passer, it’s just that you can’t do much dropping back unless it’s from the shotgun because it’s hard for him to see over our offensive line.”

Cooper is listed at 5-6 but is probably closer to 5-4. Conversely, the Marauder line features William Knight (6-8), Sean Evans (6-7) and George Murdock (6-7).

WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

Gil Carrillo apparently has learned it is best to stroke the hand that feeds you. After rushing for 259 yards and two touchdowns in 17 carries against Harbor, Moorpark’s fullback was quick to credit the work of his unsung teammates.

“The way our offensive line played tonight, they all should get Division I scholarships,” Carrillo said.

Carrillo, a freshman from Simi Valley, wasn’t bad himself. On several of his runs, he broke three or four tackles before finally being pulled to the turf.

And, true to form, he didn’t take credit for that, either.

“My dad always told me to never stop (moving) my legs,” Carrillo said. “He said second and third efforts are what you have to do.”

TWICE SHY

Try telling the Cal Lutheran women’s soccer team that lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place.

The Regals, on the verge of making an appearance in the NCAA Division III semifinals in only their fourth year of existence, lost to host UC San Diego, 3-2, Sunday in the West regional final.

Last year, they also lost to the eventual national-champion Tritons at UC San Diego, 2-0, in the West regional final.

Going into this year’s match, the Regals (17-4) were confident. They were ranked third in the nation and first in the West and had beaten UC San Diego on the road, 2-0, in October.

And after Cal Lutheran easily defeated Trinity (Texas), 3-0, in a first-round match Saturday, assistant Scott Murray said the difference between the 1992 Regals and the 1991 team “is like night and day.”

“We were very positive,” senior Vanessa Martin said. “There was no doubt in our mind we were going to win.”

The loss was especially tough for the seniors, who helped start Cal Lutheran’s first team in 1989.

“I’ve seen the team grow in spirit and in heart,” Martin said. “To me, that’s really hard to leave because it’s just like leaving a family. In time, there’s definitely going to be a national championship at CLU, in the next couple of years.

“But I thought it was going to be this year.”

TAPPED OUT

The Cal Lutheran men’s soccer team also lost Sunday in a regional final, falling to top-seeded Colorado College, 2-0.

A win would have sent the Kingsmen (15-5-2) to the Division III quarterfinals.

They defeated conference rival Claremont-Mudd, 1-0, in a first-round match Saturday.

“It was a knock-down, drag-out, brotherly fight Saturday,” Coach George Kuntz said. “There was a lot of emotion spent, and our guys had nothing left for Sunday.”

IT HAPPENS

Kuntz, who coaches both Cal Lutheran soccer teams, was thrilled that both teams made the playoffs for the second year in a row.

“I don’t know if it can ever happen again,” Kuntz said.

He paused.

“But that’s what I said last year.”