Matadors Line Up Big New Kids for Old Stumbling Block

NORTHRIDGE —  Sometimes, you do get what you wished for.

After watching Cal State Northridge play much of last season with patchwork offensive and defensive lines, Coach Ron Ponciano had one main recruiting goal.

He wanted to lure blue-chip high school linemen to Northridge, something the Matadors hardly ever accomplished before.

Ponciano and the Matadors hit a sizable jackpot by landing six linemen among 18 recruits who signed with the Matadors on Wednesday, the start of the national letter of intent period.

It is the largest number signed by Northridge at one time and, with the five players signed during mid-semester, increases the total to 23 new Matadors.

“We really filled every position with quality players,” said Ponciano, who is headed for his second season with the Matadors. “Every lineman we got is a Division I-A type of player.”

The linemen secured include Ashcon Madjid of L.A. Baptist High, Nick Longshore of Canyon, Alatini Malu of Torrance, Nick Koufos of Lancaster and Isaac Aronson of Curtis High in Tacoma, Wash.

Wide receiver Travis Campbell of Westlake, a two-time All-Ventura County selection by The Times, and running backs Brandon McElvaine of Highland and Bruce Molock of Antelope Valley also were prized acquisitions.

But Ponciano knows the most significant battles in football games are fought in the trenches.

“All of a sudden, we have created competition at the [line] positions,” Ponciano said. “That’s where we really had to improve as quickly as we can.

“We got physical, big freshmen who could play next season. I’m very confident about playing young guys.”

The Matadors last season were 7-4, 5-3 in the Big Sky Conference and came within one victory of winning the conference championship after being picked by the coaches to finish seventh.

They lost the season finale at last-place Idaho State, 32-29, dropping to second and out of consideration for the Division I-AA playoffs.

It was a remarkable showing by a team stocked well at skill positions but seriously short on depth in the lines, which were hurt by injuries and academic problems from the start.

The lines were adjusted virtually every week, often with guys playing out of position or with overmatched backups. A tight end was forced to fill in at tackle a couple of times. It wasn’t much different in previous years.

But, Ponciano said, the tide is turning in Northridge’s favor.

“It’s a big momentum year for us,” Ponciano said. “It’s not the same place it was four years ago, trying to sell this program.

“There’s going to be some questioning going on [at I-A schools] when they realize they missed these guys.”

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New Matadors

Players signed by Cal State Northridge’s football team: *--*

Name Pos. Ht Wt School Isaac Aronson OL 6-7 270 Tacoma (Wash.) Curtis HS Travis Campbell DB 6-0 180 Westlake HS Jeff Connick LB 6-0 220 Hancock College Kevin Cooper TE 6-7 260 University of Washington Donald Curry LB 5-11 220 Arcadia HS Joe Gilliam WR 6-2 185 Fresno Edison HS De Juan Gilmore RB 5-8 200 Washington State Jermaine Hunsacker DB 5-11 180 Washington State Nick Koufos DL 6-3 270 Lancaster HS Nick Longshore OL 6-6 262 Canyon HS Ashcon Madjid OL 6-3 300 L.A. Baptist HS Erube Magana LB 6-2 225 College of the Siskiyous Jason Mageo DL 6-1 255 Oregon State Alatini Malu OL 6-4 310 Torrance HS Jay Marcus TE 6-4 244 Mt. San Jacinto College Brandon McElvaine RB 6-1 210 Highland HS Crayton Milton RB 6-0 245 St. Francis HS Bruce Molock RB 5-10 195 Antelope Valley HS Greg Orlando WR 5-10 175 Rancho Santa Margarita HS Edwin Reed DL 6-3 235 Highland HS Cameron Stewart LB 6-2 215 Hancock College Shawn Watson DB 5-10 180 Saddleback College Barrett Woods LB 6-2 222 Anaheim Esperanza HS

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