Claremont-Mudd Gridders Open at Home Against Highly Rated Santa Barbara

Claremont-Mudd College, which won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football title last season and is one of the favorites again, will open with a non-conference game against UC Santa Barbara at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Claremont-Mudd.

If Santa Barbara’s season opener last week against Azusa Pacific is indicative, it will not be an easy game for the Stags. Santa Barbara rolled to a 34-7 victory.

Santa Barbara held Azusa Pacific to minus 48 yards rushing, but Claremont-Mudd has an outstanding runner in senior Chris Dabrow, who led the SCIAC in rushing last season with 1,265 yards. The Stags also have an outstanding quarterback in Mike Pembroke, one of the conference’s top passers last season.

Claremont has 12 other starters returning from its team that finished 8-1. The Stags figure to be particularly strong on defense with eight starters returning from a group that was the best in the conference. Santa Barbara has a strong defense that had seven quarterback sacks against Azusa Pacific.

In another game at 1:30 Saturday, Azusa Pacific will try to rebound when it plays host to Whittier. While Azusa Pacific had problems rushing last week, the passing game appeared strong with quarterback Richard Jimenez and wide receiver Jeff Westra.

Jimenez, a sophomore, passed for 186 yards and his team’s only touchdown. Westra, a freshman, had six receptions for 64 yards.

In other games matching four-year colleges Saturday, La Verne opens its season with a SCIAC game against host Occidental (0-0-1) at 7:30 p.m. in Eagle Rock and Pomona-Pitzer opens its schedule with a 7:30 non-conference game against visiting Colorado College (0-1).

After an impressive season-opening win over Citrus College last week, Mt. San Antonio will play its first home game against Grossmont in a non-conference test at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Walnut.

Mt. Sac displayed a strong rush in its 38-24 victory over Citrus. The Mounties were led by running back Tim Callier, who ran for 178 yards in 17 carries.

In other games at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Pasadena visits Ventura in the season opener for both and Rio Hondo (0-1) visits Mt. San Jacinto (1-0). Rio Hondo suffered a 41-14 loss to Long Beach last week and Mt. San Jacinto defeated San Diego City, 27-13.

A men’s team from the Claremont Tennis Club will compete in the U. S. Tennis Assn./Volvo Tennis League 3.0 National Championships today through Sunday at Seabrook Island, S. C.

Claremont, which advanced by winning the Southern California regionals in August, is one of 16 that will compete in the tournament.

Claremont is headed by John Muzdakis and the team includes Bud Brizinski, Art Saviano, Gerald Clingman, George Peasley, Mel Butler, Ray Bennett, Don McDonald, Bob Shamah, Bill Norin, Rafael Rocha and Sandy Artino.

A team from La Canada Flintridge will compete in the women’s 3.5 national championships today through Sunday in Las Vegas. The team, which represents the Flint Canyon Tennis Club, won the Southern California regionals.

Mickey McAulay, girls basketball coach at Katella High in Anaheim the last four years, has been named an assistant women’s coach at Cal Poly Pomona.

The 27-year-old McAulay will join a team that has won 341 games in the last 13 years under Coach Darlene May, including last year’s team that finished second in the NCAA Division II.

At Katella, McAulay had a four-year record of 60-35. She had her best team last year, finishing with a 27-3 record and reaching the CIF 3-A Division finals.

“My ultimate dream is to be a head coach at a four-year school, and Cal Poly is one of the outstanding programs in the nation,” McAulay said. “I believe that Darlene May is one of the top three coaches in the nation (in any division).”