Matadors’ Sells Singled Out for His Special Play

Julien Sells of Cal State Northridge was selected Big Sky Conference special teams player of the week after returning a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in a 34-30 loss to Montana on Saturday at Northridge.

Sells, a junior and former all-state running back at San Diego Castle Park High, returned another kick 24 yards against the Grizzlies and is averaging better than 34 yards a return.

Sells’ return was the longest for the Matadors since Terrence Jones’ 86-yard return for a score last season at Eastern Washington. It is the Matadors’ second-longest kickoff return for a touchdown. Richard Brown holds the record with a 99-yard return for a touchdown against St. Mary’s in 1985.

Sells rushed for 2,019 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior and led Castle Park to a San Diego Section championship. He transferred to Northridge from Fresno State last season after playing two seasons at Grossmont College.

Sells, 5 feet 9 and 198 pounds, is likely to log a few carries for Northridge this season, Coach Jeff Kearin said.

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Next up for Northridge is a Big Sky game Saturday at Montana State. Call it the battle of the beatens: Northridge is 1-5, 0-4 in the Big Sky. The Bobcats are 0-6, 0-3.

“We’ll be battling for the golden doormat,” Kearin cracked.

The Matadors last season earned their only victory in four games against Montana State, escaping with a 24-21 victory at Bozeman when Carson Souter missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt on the final play.

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Quarterback Drew Miller of Montana will be sidelined approximately four weeks because of a shoulder sprain sustained Saturday against Northridge.

Miller, who leads the Big Sky with 1,936 yards passing and 13 touchdown passes, was knocked out of the game in the second quarter after being hit by linebacker Isaac Gardner.

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The fifth Countrywide Home Loans intercollegiate golf tournament, hosted by Northridge at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Simi Valley, is scheduled to conclude today with an 18-hole round.

Northridge finished 10th in the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate tournament Oct. 6-7 at University Golf Course in Las Cruces, N.M. Senior Manny Hays and sophomore Scott Bashin tied for 17th at two-over-par 218.