Cortez, Brache Continue to Get In Their Pac-10 Kicks

There was a field-goal shootout in Corvallis, Ore., on Saturday between two former Valley boys.

Jose Cortez of Oregon State, a Van Nuys High graduate, kicked field goals of 30, 55, 21 and 46 yards.

Ignacio Brache of California, a Village Christian graduate, converted field goals of 29 and 45 yards, the latter coming with 11:01 left to give the Golden Bears a 20-19 Pacific 10 Conference victory.

Brache, battling former Simi Valley kicker Tim Wolleck for the starting job, missed field-goal attempts of 29 and 49 yards against the Beavers.

“Two of four is not a good day, even though I made the big one,” Brache told the San Francisco Examiner. “Knowing that I did kick the 45-yard one, I know I can make them.”

Cortez is contending for all-conference honors, having made 14 of 20 field-goal attempts. He was selected Pac-10 player of the week for the second time this season.

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Tony Walker, a freshman at Utah State, returned an interception 33 yards to help the Aggies defeat New Mexico State, 29-26, in overtime. Walker, from Antelope Valley High, also had 45 yards in two kickoff returns and returned four punts for 15 yards.

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Former Hart High quarterback David Neill, a freshman at Nevada, is ranked No. 8 nationally in passing efficiency after completing 20 of 39 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns in Nevada’s 52-24 victory over Boise State. His efficiency rating is 156.82.

Neill has passed for 2,182 yards and 18 touchdowns, with seven interceptions, in six games. He is fifth in the nation in total offense with an average of 358.83 yards per game.

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Tight end Peter Foy, a junior at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., returned to action after being sidelined for several weeks because of a broken bone in his foot.

The former Chaminade High player had three catches for 43 yards in a loss to Elon College.