SportsScope : U.S. Takes on Yugoslavia’s Olympic Water Polo Champs

Yugoslavia’s water polo team, gold medalist in the 1984 Olympics, will play the U.S. team, runner-up to Yugoslavia, at 4 p.m. July 9 at Pepperdine University’s Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool in Malibu. Tickets are $8 for grandstand seats and $5 for general admission.

The match will be the last of six between the teams in a tour that starts Friday in Stockton. The teams will also meet Sunday at Palo Alto, Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, Wednesday night at UC San Diego and July 8 at 7 p.m. at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach.

Terry Schroeder, the U.S. team captain, said the matches “will serve as an important part of our pre-Olympic training.”

Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, Schroeder said, “will likely be the favored teams at the Olympics, but a good showing will certainly enhance our chances of being a gold medal contender.”

In world rankings released by U.S. Water Polo Inc., Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union are tied for first place, Italy is third and the United States fourth.

The U.S. team is reportedly fast and talented but does not have much international experience.

The 12th Los Angeles Prep Senior Bowl, an all-star football game for 1988 high school graduates from Southern California, will be played at 7:30 p.m. July 9 at Santa Monica College.

The Optimist Club of Santa Monica is sponsoring the game between the Southwest and Northeast all-star teams. Proceeds will benefit club charities. General admission is $7 for ages 18 and older, $5 for high school students with identification and $3 for children 11 and younger.

Kermit Alexander, the former UCLA and National Football League star, is executive director of the game, and the honorary chairman is Michael Stennis, a top quarterback at Palisades High School, the University of Hawaii and in the Canadian Football League.

The Southwest coaches are Bill Stansbury of Beverly Hills High School and Duke Dulgarian of St. Bernard High. The Northwest will be coached by Randy Rodriguez of Los Angeles Lincoln and Lalo Mendoza of Verbum Dei.