COMMUNITY COLLEGE NOTEBOOK / STEVE KRESAL : Rustlers Seeking Another Water Polo Title

When it comes time to talk about the state water polo championships, it follows that Golden West is the first college mentioned.

The Rustlers have won the last three titles under Coach Ken Hamdorf, but their dominance isn’t only a recent accomplishment.

Golden West won five consecutive titles from 1978 to 1982 under then-coach Tom Hermstad, who is now the college’s athletic director. He is also a part-time assistant to Hamdorf. Hermstad’s teams also won state titles in 1976 and ’85.

This year’s Rustler team is in prime position for a fourth consecutive title when the tournament starts Friday at the Long Beach Belmont Plaza Pool.

Golden West (30-2) has dominated its competition most of the season and is the top-seeded team from Southern California.

The Rustlers play Diablo Valley at 10:30 a.m. in the first round. The other first-round match in Golden West’s bracket is DeAnza vs. Long Beach at 11:45 a.m. The winners meet in one semifinal Saturday at 10:15 a.m.

In the other bracket: West Valley plays Cuesta at 8 a.m. and Grossmont takes on Merced at 9:15 a.m. That semifinal match is 9 a.m. Saturday. The state title match is at 4:15 p.m. Saturday.

Curt Bowman, a freshman from Irvine High School, leads Golden West in scoring with 55 goals, and Ted Simpkins, a freshman from Corona del Mar, and Shroder Baker, a freshman from Oregon, are tied for second with 51 each. Shawn King, a sophomore from Los Amigos, has 35.

Goalie Brandon Douglas, also a sophomore from Los Amigos, has been impressive, allowing only six goals per match.

Basketball: Even the most ardent basketball fans should be satisfied this week when four tournaments take place in Orange County.

On the men’s side, Cypress, Fullerton and Rancho Santiago play host to tournaments. Golden West plays host to a women’s tournament.

Play starts at Fullerton Wednesday, when San Bernardino Valley takes on Grossmont at 6 p.m. and Fullerton plays host to a team of Marines from Camp Pendleton at 8 p.m.

The first round continues Thursday, when Saddleback takes on East Los Angeles at 6 p.m. and Long Beach plays Arizona South Mountain at 8 p.m.

Play also starts Thursday at Cypress with four games.

Los Angeles Harbor opens against Central Arizona at 2 p.m., El Camino plays Edwards Air Force Base at 4 p.m., Santa Rosa takes on defending state champion Cerritos at 6 p.m. and Pt. Loma JV goes against Cypress at 8 p.m.

The Golden West women’s tournament also starts Thursday, when Rancho Santiago plays Southwestern at 2 p.m., Los Angeles Southwestern takes on College of the Sequoias at 4 p.m., host Golden West meets Grossmont at 6 p.m., and Cuesta battles Compton at 8 p.m.

The Rancho Santiago men’s tournament starts Friday with Glendale meeting Arizona Yavapai at 6 p.m. and Rancho Santiago taking on Chaffey at 8 p.m.

Football: Saddleback (9-0) remained the top-ranked team in the Southland Poll this week and the Gauchos are a victory away from completing their first undefeated regular season since 1985.

That year, Saddleback went on to beat Fullerton in the PONY Bowl and win a share of the J.C. Grid-Wire national title with Snow College of Utah.

Saddleback closes out its season at 7 p.m. Saturday with a home game against Golden West (3-6), which has been playing better of late, winning its past two games.

Mt. San Antonio (8-2), which clinched the Northern Division championship of the Mission Conference, is ranked second in the Southland Poll. San Bernardino Valley (8-0-1) is third, Palomar (8-1) fourth, Moorpark (8-0-1) fifth, Glendale (8-1) sixth, El Camino (7-2) seventh, Orange Coast (6-3) eighth, Bakersfield (7-1-1) ninth and Pasadena (7-2) 10th.

Sherbeck honored: Since Fullerton College didn’t have its own football field, it was impossible to name a stadium after long-time Coach Hal Sherbeck, who retired last March after 31 seasons.

The Hornets played most of their games at Fullerton District Stadium on the campus of Fullerton High School.

But the college found the next best thing to name after the man who established the college as a national power. This Friday at noon there will be a ceremony to name the on-campus football practice field “Sherbeck Field.”

Sherbeck, who now lives near Flathead Lake, Mont., where he is building a home, will be on hand for the festivities.

Sherbeck will also be in attendance at Fullerton’s game against Rancho Santiago the next night at Cal State Fullerton, where there will be a ceremony to honor his 1967 national championship team that went 12-0.