At 275 pounds, Murrieta Valley heavyweight R.J. Casey is not exactly going to be nicknamed "Twinkle Toes". But according to his coach, Dean Nielsen, it is Casey's nimble footwork that has helped him become one of the top wrestlers in Riverside County.

"It (great footwork) is not something you immediately point out in a heavyweight. Most people watch a heavyweight match and see two guys leaning on one another, so they end up looking like dancing bears," Nielsen said. "But R.J. has great coordination and great balance, and those are his strengths."

Two weeks ago, Casey (28-0) finished first in his weight class at the Riverside County Wrestling Championships at Riverside Arlington High, pinning Hemet's Jared Stevens 4 minutes, 30 seconds into the match. Casey, who finished fifth in last year's meet, was not seriously challenged in his four tournament matches.

Casey continued his winning ways over the weekend at the Cougar Classic Wrestling Tournament at Moreno Valley Canyon Springs High, but it wasn't so easy this time around. Casey needed an overtime victory in his final match to claim the heavyweight title.

"R.J. is definitely on a roll right now," Nielsen said. "We all knew that he would face some of his toughest competition over these two tournaments. It's great to have him win at both tournaments."

Balance and footwork are not the only two areas in which Casey defies the heavyweight stereotype. He is extremely low-key and usually is seen sitting alone before matches.

"We try to get him pumped up and jumping around before matches," Nielsen said. "But that just doesn't work for him."

Nielsen said the future could be bright for Casey, but that Casey will "have to have some luck" somewhere down the line.

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This season has been full of many ups and downs for the Lake Elsinore Temescal Canyon girls' soccer team, but this may be the ultimate downer.

Temescal Canyon learned Monday it will have to forfeit Thursday's 1-0 Southwestern League victory over crosstown rival Elsinore after it was discovered that a suspended player attended the game. The player was given a red card in the Titans' previous match against Temecula Valley, and per California Interscholastic Federation rules, should not have been allowed on the premises for the match against Elsinore.

Coach Fernando Betanzos notified Lake Elsinore Unified School District Athletic Director Roger Blake of the situation, and Blake took the matter to the CIF. Betanzos said the CIF immediately ruled against Temescal Canyon.

"I take full responsibility for this," Betanzos said. "I knew she was there, but I should have been more cognizant of the rule. I had an inkling that it could be a problem, but it wasn't until after the fact that I fully realized it.

"I made sure I let the girls know this was my fault. I did not want them faulting the player who was involved. I told them that I should have done something about it."

Temescal Canyon (2-3 in league, 8-9-1 overall) now faces an uphill battle to earn a playoff spot. The Titans play Murrieta Valley on Thursday in what Betanzos now calls a "must-win game." Temescal Canyon closes the season against Temecula Valley and Temecula Chaparral, the league's top two teams.

"We have been dealt a bad card, but we'll just have to push harder," Betanzos said.

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When Natalie Fox signed with Cedarville University last week, she became the fourth consecutive ace pitcher from Temecula Linfield to accept a college scholarship.

Fox, a senior, follows in the footsteps of former Lions pitchers, Janelle Gonzales, sister Nicole Fox and Lisa Fenton. All three helped Linfield reach California Interscholastic Federation Division 6 title games.

Natalie Fox played pitcher and third base last season, but an arm injury limited her time in the pitcher's circle. With Fenton lost to graduation, Fox figures to be Linfield's ace this year.

Gonzales, a two-time CIF Division 6 player of the year, is a senior at Hawaii. She compiled a 24-22 record and 2.80 earned run average in her first three seasons with the Rainbows. Gonzales helped lead Linfield to four consecutive CIF title games, including championships in 1994, 1995 and 1997.

Nicole Fox, a three-time all-CIF selection, is a sophomore at Marist, a Division I college in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. She was 9-8 with a 2.82 ERA last season for the Red Foxes. She played in three CIF title games (1995-97).

Fenton, an all-CIF selection last year, is a freshmen at Simpson College, a Division III college in Redding. She helped lead Linfield to the Division 6 title game last season and was the starting right fielder on the 1997 championship team.

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Murrieta Valley football standouts Ryan Berry and Travis Yenne have made their college choices, Nighthawks coach Wally Clark said Monday.

Berry, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound defensive tackle, chose Northern Arizona, a Division I-AA college in Flagstaff, Ariz., after taking a campus visit over the weekend. Clark said Berry, a two-year starter, also was considering Nevada and Boise State.

Yenne, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound offensive tackle, chose Colorado School of Mines, a Division II college in Golden, Colo. Clark said Yenne, an all-Riverside County second-team selection, also was considering Cal State Northridge.

"It is great for our program to have them go on (to play college football)," Clark said. "They are good citizens and good players."