SIDELINES : Northridge’s O’Laughlin Shows a Degree of Loyalty to Illinois

If Cal State Northridge quarterback J.J. O’Laughlin succeeds in his quest for a professional career, he will be remembered around these parts as many things.

The best quarterback in Northridge history . . . member of a national honor society . . . stand-up guy with lots of friends.

Because of a scholastic quirk, though, the following won’t be included in his biography: Cal State Northridge graduate.

Huh? Even though he spent his junior and senior years at Northridge?

O’Laughlin, a kinesiology major, attended Illinois for three years before transferring to Northridge last fall.

Because he already had completed many core classes in his major, he will graduate with a degree from Illinois next spring--even though he hasn’t been there in months.

Digitized: The Chaminade High girls’ basketball team is becoming a skeleton crew. Skeletal problems are everywhere.

Guard Sheila Shalati has rheumatoid arthritis and center Nicole Rossi has a recurring shoulder problem.

“Her shoulder can dislocate at the snap of a finger,” Coach Lisa Magorien said.

Ouch. An unfortunate choice of words.

Kerrie Clavadetscher suffered a broken finger in a tournament game Friday. Rossi’s shoulder held up, but she too broke a finger the following day.

Absent-minded: The Nordhoff boys’ basketball team was already opening the season shorthanded because several players were still on the football team, but the Rangers almost began without their starting backcourt.

Herb and Allen Thornton transferred from Ventura in September. The brothers practiced with the team but were ineligible to play in games until the family moved to Ojai.

“Their parents said they were moving sometime during the season,” Coach Jim Hall said. “I hoped it would be soon--they had been trying since August.”

The Thorntons found a new house two weeks ago and the brothers set up shop on the court immediately thereafter. The pair have led the team in scoring in every game this season.

The Valley floor: Count the Valley College gym among the facilities that have been restored after suffering heavy damage in the Jan. 17 earthquake.

The school was able to land Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to pay for a new floor and lights in the men’s gym.

Chuck Ferrero, Valley’s athletic director, said the project cost an estimated $400,000, including the labor to remove the old floor and lights and to remove then reinstall the bleachers.

The new surface is imported from Denmark and has hand-painted graphics. Ferrero said it’s the same type of floor used throughout Europe and at several U.S. universities.

With all that stomping up and down the court, the floor already has started to take a beating. But not the Monarchs. The Valley men’s and women’s teams each are 2-0 on the floor.

Stats

It seemed as though the Valley College football record book would remain intact for years after what Sean Fitzgerald did in 1993. But along came Jim Arellanes to force a reprint.

Arellanes, a sophomore transfer from Northern Arizona, set career and single-season records with 3,908 yards and a 62.3% completion rate. He set single-season marks with 246 completions and 30 touchdowns. The latter also tied a career record set by Barry Hanks in 1986-87.

Arellanes also set a state single-game record with 639 yards against Bakersfield.

Arellanes surpassed Fitzgerald’s single-season records for yards (3,134), completions (234), touchdowns (27) and completion rate (58.8%) set last year. Fitzgerald plays at Pittsburgh.

Best ever: Junior running back Ted Iacenda of Hart High has 40 touchdowns, the best single-season performance in area history. Iacenda has scored 29 touchdowns rushing and 11 receiving. Iacenda passed Russell White, who had 38 touchdowns for Crespi in 1987.

Quotebook

Chatsworth boys’ basketball Coach Bill Whiting, after his Chancellors and Canoga Park teams had combined for 199 points: “Their offense was faster than our defense, and our offense was faster than their defense.”

Honors

Northridge setter Kathleen Shannon was named most valuable player of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship on Sunday after leading the Matadors to a victory over San Jose State in the title match.

Shannon, a senior transfer from Illinois, had 248 assists, 40 digs, 16 total blocks and 13 kills. Northridge (23-8) posted a 6-0 record in the tournament.

Senior outside hitter Missy Clements also was named to the All-NIVC team. Clements, Northridge’s all-time leader with 1,464 kills, had 92 kills with a .330 hitting percentage, 61 digs, 12 total blocks and five service aces.

Clements set two single-season records in 1994. Her 551 kills broke the mark of 546--set by Kristy Olson in 1984--and her 4.75 kills-per-game average shattered the mark of 4.20 set by Aimee Stone in 1993.

Things to Do

The Buena High girls’ basketball tournament, which includes state-ranked Alemany, Buena and Newbury Park in an eight-team field, will begin Thursday. The final is Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

Compiled by Steve Elling. Contributing: Dave Desmond, Fernando Dominguez, Steve Elling, Michael Lazarus and John Ortega.