Ventura Boosted by Tennessee Connection

Travis Rogers departed Morristown, Tenn., and arrived in Morristown, Calif., . . . in a manner of speaking.

“That’s why he’s playing for me,” quipped Terry Morris, football coach at Ventura College.

Indeed, Morris’ ties to Tennessee, where he honed his coaching skills as an assistant at Lambeth University, appear to have aided Ventura. The Pirates, 1-9 last season, are 2-0 after defeating Moorpark, 26-9, their first victory over their Ventura County rival since 1988.

Rogers, a freshman tailback from Morristown West High, rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown against Moorpark. After two games, he is the state’s rushing leader with 425 yards.

Rogers, 5 feet 10 and 197 pounds, graduated in 1996 after rushing for 986 yards as a senior. He did not play football the last two seasons.

In January, Rogers moved to Southern California and enrolled at Ventura.

“I’d never been to California and I didn’t know what to expect,” Rogers said. “But I like it here.

“I didn’t have any idea of what school I wanted to go to. I just know what I can do. I’m kind of quick and just a little bit powerful.”

Rogers headed west at the suggestion of Maurice Young, a running back for Ventura last season from Morristown.

Morris, in his second season as head coach, joined the Ventura staff as an assistant in 1996 after serving as defensive coordinator at Lambeth, in Jackson, Tenn., from 1991-95.

“He’s been here since January, so he’s been in our program learning for a while,” Morris said of Rogers. “It’s not like he just showed up during two-a-days.”

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Showtime comes to College of the Canyons on Saturday night when the Cougars play host to Compton in their first home game since 1981.

The occasion will not pass without celebration. Nor will the Cougars’ subsequent four home games in Canyons’ first season in 17 years.

“Obviously, this is the first home game in a lot of years, so there will be a little ceremony [before the game],” said Len Mohny, the school’s athletic director. “We just want to kick it off right.”

Each home game will follow a theme that includes free admission. Saturday is “Athletic Expansion Night.” Children 12 and under wearing the athletic uniform of their team will be admitted free.

Other theme nights scheduled will offer free admission to seniors and to those dressed in costume for the Cougars’ Oct. 31 game against Glendale.

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Mike Frost, a freshman from Ayala High, has won the starting quarterback job at Glendale, edging sophomore Chris Cervantes, a returning starter and former standout at Sylmar High.

Frost, 6-1 and 215 pounds, leads the Western State Conference in passing with 517 yards and touchdown passes with four.

“Chris is still in the picture,” Glendale Coach John Cicuto said. “But Mike has a much stronger arm and has just performed pretty good.”

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Two women’s volleyball players from the region are playing key roles for Northern Arizona.

Outside hitter and team co-captain Cate Weaver, a senior from La Canada High, last week reached 509 career kills in the Lumberjacks’ victory over Montana.

Senior outside hitter Darcy Frandsen, who played at Canyon, established a Big Sky Conference single-match record with 42 kills in a five-game loss to Montana State. Frandsen set a single-match record with 88 attacks for Northern Arizona (5-4, 1-1).

Cal State Northridge senior Crystal Newquist needs five kills in the team’s nonconference match at San Diego tonight to reach 600 in her career.

Northridge (5-3, 1-1) ranks 10th in digs in Division I, averaging 18.95 per match.

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Paul Griffin will donate a ceremonial check for $100,000 to Moorpark College’s Project Millenium during halftime of the football game between visiting Santa Barbara City and Moorpark on Saturday.

Griffin, for whom Moorpark’s stadium is named, will donate $20,000 a year over the next five years to help the school raise funds for an all-weather track and field facility and to upgrade seating.

Staff writers Vince Kowalick, Fernando Dominguez and John Ortega contributed to this notes column.

* COLLEGE ROUNDUP: C10