CAL LUTHERAN IS HOPING TO GET WELL TODAY.

Byline: Bill Schlotter Daily News Staff Writer

Flu germs and turnovers conspired to thwart the Cal Lutheran football team in Saturday's season opener as the Kingsmen fell 32-21 to Menlo College.

But with quarterback Zack Hernandez recovered from the flu and renewed vows to hold on to the ball, the Kingsmen are hoping for better things when they host Pacific Lutheran at 1 p.m. today at Mt. Clef Field.

The game is the first of what the two schools are calling the Lutheran Brotherhood Kickoff Classic. And it features an interesting coaching matchup: Kingsmen coach Scott Squires against his college mentor, the Lutes' Frosty Westerling.

Squires played for Westerling at the Tacoma, Wash., campus in 1985, '86 and '87. The Lutes won the NAIA Division II crown in '85 and were runners-up in '87.

Squires will be more concerned with today's game, however, than with reminiscing with Westerling.

Having Hernandez back will be a big help.

The junior from L.A. Baptist had the Kingsmen on top 14-0 when he left the game at halftime weakened by the flu.

Aided by a variety of Cal Lutheran mistakes, Menlo scored 32 points in the second half to take the victory.

Hernandez was 10 of 15 passing for 94 yards and a touchdown before leaving last week. He also led all Kingsmen rushers, picking up 66 yards and another touchdown on the run.

The Lutes, 7-3 last year and with seven starters back on offense, are led by two-time all-league quarterback Dak Jordan, who has thrown for over 5,000 yards and 32 TDs in his career.

Antelope Valley College at Moorpark College: The Raiders open their 30th season of football by playing the Marauders, the team that handed them their first defeat in their opening game in 1967.

Coach Jim Bittner, in his 19th season as head coach, has another talented squad. The Raiders were ranked 16th in the state in the J.C. Athletic Bureau's preseason poll.

Both the Raiders, who have been to bowl games in each of the past nine seasons, and the Marauders prefer keeping the ball on the ground.

George Jones, a sophomore from Hueneme High School, is expected to start at quarterback. Bittner's preference at running back will be revealed tonight, but will likely be shared by Ventura's Aaron Davis, Agoura's Jason Gordon, Camarillo's Joe Hallowell and others.

The Raiders are just as deep at wide receiver, where Leodes Van Buren (Newbury Park) and Lawrence Lovett (Buena) return.

Other key players include: linebackers Judd Granzow (Faith Baptist), Antwan Simpson (Taft), Eric Crain (Newbury Park) and Jermaine Isaac (Louisiana); defensive lineman Ryan Wadkowski (Santa Paula); tight end Jim Ange (Thousand Oaks).

At Antelope Valley, head coach Brent Carder is beginning his 28th year as head coach. The Marauders were 5-5 last season and finished fifth in the Foothill Conference.

West L.A. College vs. Ventura College at Ventura High School: Ventura's Pirates are hoping a change of coaches means a reversal of last year's 4-6 misfortune, beginning with today's 7 p.m. game.

Offensive coordinator Terry Morris has been promoted to head coach this season and has a new staff of assistants and a young team made that includes 60 freshmen. Ten of the Pirates' defensive starters are freshmen. Eight offensive starters are freshmen.

Ventura will have size in its favor. Two projected starters, offensive tackle Jose Murillo of Channel Islands and defensive lineman David Bernal of St. Bonaventure, weigh in at over 300 pounds. Even starting quarterback Rolando Garcia, a Florida native, is big at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds.

West L.A. is coming off a 7-3 season and its first trip to a postseason game. Former Moorpark High School star Bryan Paul, a backup at Valley College last season, is the leading contender to be the West L.A. quarterback.

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