After landing perhaps its top recruiting class ever, including a high-profile quarterback transfer, the Kingsmen of California Lutheran (CLU) hope to return to championship form in 2014.
Under head coach Ben McEnroe, a CLU alum, the Kingsmen had captured four straight Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles, until last season’s 4-5 record brought the run to a halt.
McEnroe’s 2014 CLU travel roster of 50 players includes 18 newcomers, 10 of them freshmen. Leading the group of newbies is quarter back Nick Isham. The dual-threat QB began his collegiate career at Louisiana Tech. After a brief stop at Arizona, Isham landed on the Thousand Oaks campus.
On the season, Isham is 51-of-97 for 725 yards and three touchdowns, with an equal number of picks. His legs have greatly aided the Kingsmen cause to the tune of a team leading 226 yards on 31 carries.
After dropping their first two non-conference games, including a narrow 35-28 loss at Pacific Lutheran, the Kingsmen opened SCIAC play with a 34-24 win over the Whittier Poets. Isham ran for a score and tossed a touchdown pass in the conference opener.
Isham’s favorite receivers are wide outs Sean Bellotti and Anthony Worthley. Bellotti has 14 catches for 218 yards and a touchdown. After the leading the team with 19 receptions for 225 yards and two scores last year, Worthley, a junior from Dinuba, Calif. has pulled in 12 passes for 226 yard and three scores
Another well-travelled transfer is getting it done on the defensive side of the ball. Senior linebacker Robert Foy’s career began in Indiana at Valparaiso University. He then returned to his hometown of Salinas, Calif. (where he had prepped at Palma High School) to play for a season at Hartnell Junior College.
While at Hartnell, Foy compiled a team leading 83 tackles, adding 3.5 sacks and two interceptions. He earned first-team All-Coast Conference and All-California Region III honors.
Yet, things didn’t start fast at CLU for Foy. In his junior campaign, he played in only one game. His stats for the year: a total of two assisted tackles.
Foy’s 2014 season got off to a quick start. He recorded 11 tackles in the Pac Lutheran loss and 12 more in a 42-24 loss to Willamette.
This season, Foy leads the team with 31 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and he has added a pick. Another newcomer freshmen defensive back Eddie Flores is second on the team with 18 tackles.
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