JC Bowl Roundup : Saddleback Will Get a Shot at Fullerton Today

Saddleback College of Mission Viejo has a chance to win its first national community college football championship today when the Gauchos play Fullerton in the fifth PONY Bowl.

But what really has Coach Ken Swearingen excited about the game at 1 p.m. in Costa Mesa’s LeBard Stadium is that Saddleback has another opportunity to beat its big rival for the first time and prove that it is the best community college team in Orange County.

Saddleback was routed by Fullerton in the first meeting between the perennial powers in the 1982 PONY Bowl, 38-6, and lost to the Hornets in last year’s game, 13-10.

“Forget about the national title; we just want to beat Fullerton,” Swearingen said. “We don’t want to have to wait for a poll to decide how good we are. We want the scoreboard to decide.”

The Gauchos finished the regular season 10-0 and won the Mission Conference championship for the ninth consecutive year. They enter the game ranked No. 2 in the nation by the JC Grid Wire and No. 1 in the Southland.

If Snow College of Utah, ranked No. 1 nationally, loses to Northeastern Oklahoma in today’s Mid-American Bowl at Tulsa, Okla., Saddleback will be in position to win the national title.

Fullerton (8-2) is ranked No. 7 in the nation and No. 2 in the Southland.

If both Snow and Saddleback are beaten, that might open the door for Santa Rosa, which is ranked first in the state, ahead of Saddleback, but third in the national poll.

Santa Rosa, 10-0 this season and unbeaten for the second straight season, has a date with Merced College (8-1-1) in the Elks Bowl at Merced today at 1:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, Glendale College, 9-1 overall and co-champion of the Western State Conference, will play Taft (7-1-1) in the Potato Bowl at 1 p.m. today at Bakersfield College’s Memorial Stadium.

In other games:

--Los Angeles Pierce College (8-2) will play Moorpark (8-2) in the Kiwanis Brahma Bowl at Pierce tonight at 7:30. Pierce earned its berth in the first-time bowl with its third straight Southern California Conference championship. Moorpark tied with Glendale for the Western State Conference title.

--De Anza (8-2) will face Hartnell (8-1-1) in the Lions Bowl at Cabrillo College in Aptos, Calif. The game matches co-champions from the Golden Gate Conference and Coast Conference.

--Diablo Valley College (8-2) will be at Weed, Calif., for the Golden Valley Bowl against College of the Siskiyous (9-1).