FISKE STARTING IN A TOUGH SPOT; NORTHRIDGE QB DOESN'T DWELL ON REPLACING RECORD-SETTING PASSER.Byline: Howard Beck Daily News Staff Writer When your mailman retires, no one tells the new guy, ``Hey, bud, better stuff them envelopes in the box as well as the last guy.'' And it's not often anyone questions the Slurpee-making skills of the new mini-mart clerk. Quarterbacks have no such luxury. Josh Fiske is replacing the injured Aaron Flowers as Cal State Northridge's starting quarterback, probably for the next month. All he has to do is replace the guy who has obliterated o·blit·er·ate tr.v. o·blit·er·at·ed, o·blit·er·at·ing, o·blit·er·ates 1. To do away with completely so as to leave no trace. See Synonyms at abolish. 2. the CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge record book in just 15 games, the guy who heads to the infirmary leading Division I-AA in total offense, the guy who is arguably ar·gu·a·ble adj. 1. Open to argument: an arguable question, still unresolved. 2. That can be argued plausibly; defensible in argument: three arguable points of law. the best quarterback in all of I-AA. Fiske should be worried, nervous, maybe a little edgy. He's not. Sporting a goatee, earring earring, a personal adornment, sometimes an amulet, worn attached to the ear lobe. Since prehistoric times the ear has been pierced for the insertion of the earring; certain primitive tribes distort the lobe with plugs several inches in diameter or with heavy stones. and a cap pulled down tight, Fiske was a portrait of cool at Matadors practice Tuesday, his first day as the starter. He's doing just what his former high school mentor always told him: Stay cool, calm and collected. ``I've been thinking the last couple nights. I feel that I'm not going to try to go out and do what Aaron does. I'm concerned about doing what Josh Fiske does,'' Fiske said. ``If I think about putting up numbers like (Flowers) does, I'm going to be thinking too much about that and not concentrating on the game. ``I'm trying to block it out. That's one more thing I don't need on my mind.'' For the record, though, here's what Flowers' fractured fibula fibula (fĭb`yələ): see leg. has taken away: 5,079 passing yards and 44 touchdowns, both CSUN records, and a wealth of experience. If CSUN is to contend for a playoff spot and a Big Sky Conference championship, the Matadors will have to survive at least three games with Fiske, a sophomore who has thrown 12 passes in his college career. A full-scholarship player, Fiske has already shown he's got a great arm. And Flowers said Fiske is the stronger and faster of the two of them. The skills are all there, as he showed when he hit 7 of 11 attempts and threw a touchdown pass Saturday against Azusa Pacific. He impressed head coach Jim Fenwick and Flowers, and he'll have practiced two weeks with the starting unit before his first start, Oct. 4 at Portland State. ``He'll be prepared when he goes into the game. It's just a matter of him having confidence and the team having confidence,'' Flowers said. That shouldn't be a problem for Fiske, who exudes a quiet, but not cocky, confidence. He chalks up his composure to lessons learned from his Youth Football League coach, Jeff Rio. Rio coached Fiske from age 10 all the way through YFL YFL Youth Football League YFL Your Fearless Leader , junior varsity junior varsity n. Abbr. JV A high-school or college team that competes in interschool sports on the level below varsity. Noun 1. and varsity at Santa Ynez Valley The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the San Rafael Mountains. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. Union, in Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. County. Rio was 25 when he died in an auto accident in the spring of 1996, but Fiske said his mentor's words are still with him. ``Every game, he told me, `Be cool, calm, and collected.' And that will never leave my mind,'' he said. So when he entered Saturday's game in the third quarter, ``I wasn't nervous at all. I was comfortable.'' A 3-foot-by-3-foot photo of Fiske and Rio hangs in his living room, with Rio's advice inscribed in·scribe tr.v. in·scribed, in·scrib·ing, in·scribes 1. a. To write, print, carve, or engrave (words or letters) on or in a surface. b. To mark or engrave (a surface) with words or letters. at the top of the frame. ``He was an inspiration to me,'' he said. ``And before every game since I've been here, I say a little prayer to him. I know he's looking over me when I'm on the field.'' Fiske passed for more than 4,600 yards in two-plus seasons in high school. But the offense was run-oriented, and he never threw more than 17 passes in a single game. CSUN has averaged 45 passes a game this season. Fiske said his arm is in great shape, and he can't wait to air it out. Now he just needs to watch a lot of film, learn to adjust to defenses and communicate with the offense. Flowers joked he just hopes to have a job when his leg heals. ``Hopefully he'll play so well that coach will have to make a decision when I get back - a little quarterback controversy.'' JOSH FISKE Year: Sophomore Height: 6-foot-3 Weight: 200 pounds 1997: 8 of 12, 140 yards, 1 TD in 1997 1996: No. 2 QB as redshirt freshman, didn't throw pass High School: 297 of 714, 4,660 yards, 41 TDs in 2-1/2 seasons at Santa Ynez Valley Union Personal: Wears No. 7 in honor of NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga QB John Elway John Albert Elway, Jr. (born June 28, 1960) played American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos from 1983 through 1998. Elway holds many college and professional records and was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is the only , his favorite player as a kid. CAPTION(S): Photo, Box Photo: no caption (Josh Fiske) Myung J. Chun / Daily News Box: JOSH FISKE (see text) |
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