MOORPARK COLLEGE: FROM BUMMED TO BOWL GAME : MOORPARK GETS ONE MORE SHOT.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

After the regular-season finale, Moorpark College football coach Jim Bittner called his team's playoff chances ``slim.'' In the postgame huddle, athletic director John Keever thanked the players for representing the school, and a sense of dejection settled over the team.

But now, the Raiders are preparing for one more game.

Left out when the original bowl bids were announced, the Raiders will face L.A. Southwest in the Western State Conference Classic on Saturday at Moorpark College at 1 p.m.

The conference is treating the game as the first half of a doubleheader with the Western State Conference Bowl, which will feature Ventura and Allan Hancock at 7 p.m. at Nordhoff High.

``I had forgotten about that part of the conference constitution that said they could add a second bowl if two teams were worthy,'' Bittner said. ``The players are excited about it, it's definitely a good thing.

``It's really good for the sophomores, because now a lot of the four-year schools have finished playing, and their scouts can come down and watch some players in person.''

Defensive stand: In the first meeting with L.A. Southwest, Moorpark's defense, which struggled in the early part of the season, kept the team in the game when the offense sputtered.

The key member of the defensive unit, linebacker Jud Southwell, suffered a hand injury in the Hancock game but will play, and the Raiders will need him to duplicate their strong defensive performance after a bad week against Hancock.

L.A. Southwest ranks 15th (second-to-last) in the conference in team offense, with an average of 302.6 yards per game. Tailback Traveon Fulton has gained 961 yards and scored 16 touchdowns this season.

It's about time: The WSC Classic will be the first time this season that Bittner will have his full roster available. In the week leading up to the season opener, tailback Emmanuel Evans strained his knee, and since then the Raiders' sideline has seemed to feature more injured players than healthy ones.

Injuries at running back (to Evans and Bryant Phipps) and on the offensive line (to Jess Ortiz, Jose Caywood and Jeff Festerling) have been the most damaging, but all are back and Bittner is grateful.

``Jess is at about 80 percent with his knee, but other than that, we're great,'' Bittner said. ``Believe me, we were very careful during that week off.''

Closing in: After Saturday, someone in the Moorpark College athletic department might have to do some re-writing in the record book.

Quarterback Farhaad Azimi has already set school records for most yards gained in a season, most touchdown passes in a season and most passes attempted and completed in a game and a season.

If not for a broken collarbone that sidelined him for all of last season, Azimi likely would have broken every passing record in Moorpark history.

Azimi has completed 140 of 262 attempts this season for 2,280 yards and 23 touchdowns. The current wide-receivers coach, Damian Delfino, held the previous yardage record with 1,764 in 1994. The previous year, Todd Preston threw a then-record 19 touchdown passes.

Azimi's main target, receiver Shayne Sobel, could break two records with a big day against L.A. Southwest. Sobel, a sophomore, needs 10 catches and 129 yards to break Isaiah Mustafa's 1994 records for receptions (66) and yardage (1,086) in a season.

Sobel comes into the game with 57 catches for 958 yards, and has caught 10 passes in a game twice this season. Sobel is also the conference leader with 18 touchdowns.