Kernen Clears Way for O’Laughlin to Make Career Move

If his injured right shoulder heals, Cal State Northridge quarterback J.J. O’Laughlin might have a career waiting on another playing field.

Responding to news last week that O’Laughlin is interested in resuming a baseball career, Northridge baseball Coach Bill Kernen said he would welcome O’Laughlin, a junior transfer from Illinois, to try out.

O’Laughlin, a two-time All-Baseline League player at Glendora High, was recruited by Illinois to play both sports. Loyola Marymount baseball Coach Jody Robinson, a former Northridge assistant, was an assistant to Coach Augie Garrido at Illinois.

When Robinson heard O’Laughlin had transferred to Northridge, he called to advise Kernen that he is a potential player.

O’Laughlin, with Garrido leaving and because of football team commitments, never played baseball in three years at Illinois. In high school, he pitched, played third base and the outfield. Some recruiters thought he had a future as a catcher because of his size--6-foot-3, 200 pounds--and strong arm.

“I’m a little concerned if he hasn’t picked up a ball in a few years, but I would be willing to give him a shot,” Kernen said.

JUNIOR COLLEGES

End of the Reign?

With only two Western State Conference matches remaining, the Moorpark wrestling team is in danger of having its conference championship-winning streak snapped at four.

The Raiders are 2-1 in WSC dual meets after being upset by Cuesta last week, 28-18, for their first conference defeat since 1988.

“We have to win the rest of our matches and Cuesta hopefully will get beat,” Moorpark Coach John Keever said.

“We haven’t pieced it together yet. We haven’t put the right team on the mat yet. We’ve had injuries, personal problems and illness.”

An illness to freshman Robert Clarizio was crucial in Moorpark’s loss to Cuesta. Clarizio, a 126-pounder from Simi Valley High, has been out with the mumps for about two weeks. The Raiders forfeited his bout against Cuesta.

Clarizio is scheduled to return this week.

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Glendale’s men’s cross-country team finished fourth in the recent Johnie O Invitational at Moorpark College, guaranteeing the Vaqueros a berth in the state championships in Fresno on Nov. 20. The Vaqueros are capable of running better, because Dio Almendariz struggled to an 87th-place finish.

Almendariz, a freshman from Burbank High, was Glendale’s top runner in the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational on Oct. 15, but he was the Vaqueros’ sixth runner at Moorpark.

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Burt Fuller, women’s volleyball coach at Pierce College, is hoping that the recent return of two players who redshirted last season might help the Brahmas finish no worse than third in the 10-team Western State Conference and perhaps win an at-large berth in the Southern California Regional in late November.

The Brahmas are 10-5 and tied with Ventura in third place in the conference. Cuesta, unbeaten in 15 matches, and Bakersfield (13-2) are first and second.

Fuller said the additions to the Brahma roster, outside hitter Veronica Trujillo and setter Noelle Hagenburger, have solidified a squad that went 5-4 in the first round of conference play. Both played at Pierce in 1991.

“We could possibly go 7-2 in the second round and hopefully make the playoffs,” Fuller said. “Veronica and Noelle have helped a lot.”

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Let’s play a little word association game. Here are the names and you come up with the sport: Hubert Rush. Matt Downs. Dan Drown. LaVarr Ball.

The first two are ridiculously easy. The third one could apply to two sports. And with the last name, there are a number of choices.

Football, of course, is the answer for the first two names.

Rush, who played at Camp Kilpatrick, is a running back at Santa Monica and Downs is an offensive lineman at Desert.

There are two excellent choices for Drown. If you said water polo, you hit the mark. He plays for Ventura.

Ball is a wide receiver at Long Beach City.

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Staff writers Fernando Dominguez, Mike Hiserman and John Ortega contributed to this notebook.