Northridge Might Be Able to Cash In on NCAA Ruling

The NCAA’s announcement Tuesday that, starting in 1998, Division I-A football teams can count one game against a I-AA school every four years to meet the minimum six-victory requirement to qualify for a bowl game was good news for Paul Bubb, Cal State Northridge’s athletic director.

“That’s significant,” Bubb said. “Now, a good double-A team can schedule a I-A opponent and you may see the larger paydays coming back. Two of the schools I’ve been talking to right now have been waiting to hear about this.”

The Matadors, a I-AA program, have two open dates next season and Bubb hopes to fill one with a I-A opponent. Northridge opened this season with games at I-A Boise State, Hawaii and New Mexico State.

“This might help me finalize some of the games,” Bubb said.

UCLA and USC officials indicated little interest in scheduling Northridge.

BASKETBALL

Homecoming: David Redmond, who played basketball at Canoga Park High, has enrolled at College of the Canyons and hopes to play this season for the Cougars.

Redmond was attending Barton County Junior College in Kansas before deciding to return to Southern California.

The 6-foot-9 Redmond has always been considered a talent, but has encountered difficulty staying academically eligible. Canyons Coach Lee Smelser said Redmond has been practicing for three weeks.

SOFTBALL

Committed: Corrie Roberts, shortstop at Harvard-Westlake High, has committed to New Mexico State.

Roberts, a guard on the Wolverines’ Mission League-champion basketball team, will focus only on softball as a freshman in New Mexico, but may play both sports in future seasons.

COACHING CHANGES

On the staff: Burroughs High has hired Jennifer Gomez as softball coach and Steve Hubbell as track coach, assistant principal Damon Dragos said Monday. Gomez and Hubbell are both Burroughs graduates.

Next in line: Eric Pryor, a former Oak Park High infielder, has been hired as baseball coach at his alma mater. He is the third Oak Park baseball coach in the past three seasons.

VOLLEYBALL

Snow-bound: Melissa Snow, a 5-10 outside hitter from Monache High in Porterville, has committed to Pepperdine. Snow is the fifth player to commit to Pepperdine and likely concludes the Waves’ recruiting class.

SOCCER

Kickback: Forward Federico Arroyo of Cal State Northridge has been chosen Mountain Pacific Sports Federation player of the week in men’s soccer.

Arroyo, a sophomore who played at Van Nuys High, helped the Matadors (3-10-1, 2-2-1) to a scoreless tie with UC Irvine and a 3-2 victory over Cal State Fullerton in which he scored twice, including the winning goal in overtime.

Arroyo has scored five of his six goals in conference play, has scored both the Matadors’ winning goals in overtime and has scored or assisted on 11 of 13 goals.

Final fours: Ventura College will be host to the men’s and women’s state junior college soccer championships Nov. 29-30, Ventura women’s Coach Steve Hoffman said.

Semifinal matches will be played Nov. 29, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The men’s matches will take place at Oxnard College and the women’s matches at Ventura College. The men’s and women’s finals will be played Nov. 30 at Ventura College.

BOXING

Whitaker wins: Heavyweight Lance Whitaker of Granada Hills improved to 10-0 with a second-round knockout of Larry Manafee on Saturday in Phoenix. The knockout was Whitaker’s 10th. The loss was Manafee’s first after 10 victories.

Whitaker is tentatively scheduled to fight Nov. 9 at the Reseda Country Club.

TENNIS

Double-deal: Dina Birch and Kirstin Smith, both of Calabasas, won the women’s doubles title in the USTA Southern California Sectional Championships Sunday at Studio City Racquet Centre.

Birch and Smith defeated Quynh Le of Irvine and Heide Schuler of Riverside, 6-2, 6-1, in the final.

Birch teamed with Desi McBride of Woodland Hills to defeat Smith and Chris Neuer of Woodland Hills, 7-6, 6-1, in the mixed doubles final.

Kara Warkentin of Santa Barbara beat Birch, 2-6, 6-1, 6-1, in the women’s singles final.

In the men’s singles final, Pat Crow of Long Beach defeated Otis Smith of Los Angeles, 7-5, 6-3.

Crow and Chris Ganz of Hun-

tington Beach beat Alex Brown and Chris Brown, both of Mission Viejo, 6-4, 6-4, in the men’s doubles final.

Seniority: Tina Karwasky of Glendale defeated Judy Louie of Corona del Mar, 6-2, 6-2, to win the 45 singles title Sunday at the Burbank Tennis Center Senior Women’s Tournament.

Nancy Garrison of Newbury Park and Mindy McCarthy-Oki of North Hollywood beat Karwasky and Dee Williams-Horne of Los Angeles, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, in the 45 doubles final.

In other tournament finals, Lajla Feichter of Huntington Beach, defeated Jennifer Chapman of Van Nuys, 6-1, 6-1, in 25 singles; Kandy Chain of Los Angeles beat Betsy Skidmore of Agua Dulce, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), in 40 singles; Annabelle Nye-Belknap of West Hills defeated Audrey Folden of Claremont, 6-4, 6-4, in 55 singles, and Dorothy Knode of Los Angeles downed Joanne Foley of Woodland Hills, 6-0, 6-0, in 65 singles.

Rae Murbach of Glendale and Penny Thomas of Hemet defeated Kay Cohen and Kathi Stanley of Avila Beach, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), in the 45 doubles final; Laurie King of Van Nuys and Dorothy Matthiesson of Pasadena beat Barbara Oldfield of Bakersfield and Penny Winkler of Newport Beach, 6-3, 6-1, in 55 doubles; and Phyllis Adler of Toluca Lake and Sybi Totten of Studio City defeated Knode and Marion Bell of Studio City, 7-5, 7-5, in 65 doubles.