Community Colleges Open Play

Orange County’s five community college football teams take part in scrimmages this weekend.

Orange Coast, Golden West and Rancho Santiago play today and Fullerton and Saddleback take the field Saturday.

Orange Coast plays host to Santa Monica at 1:30 p.m. Rancho Santiago travels to Mt. San Antonio at 6 p.m. and Golden West takes on Citrus at Orange Coast at 7 p.m.

Saturday: Fullerton goes to Long Beach at 11 a.m. and Saddleback is at Pasadena at 4 p.m.

The regular season starts Sept. 10 with Mt. San Antonio going against Fullerton at Cal State Fullerton, Pasadena at Orange Coast, Golden West at Long Beach and Rancho Santiago at El Camino all in 7 p.m. games.

Saddleback opens play Sept. 17 by playing host to Long Beach at 7 p.m. Saddleback Coach Ken Swearingen starts the season as the winningest community college coach in the nation (active or retired). He has a record of 246-73-6.

Golden West’s Ray Shackleford (155-113-9) is the second winningest active coach.

The five Orange County teams join Riverside and Southwestern to make up the Central Division of the Mission Conference.

The teams in the Northern Division are: Cerritos, El Camino, Long Beach, Mt. San Antonio, Palomar, Pasadena and San Diego Mesa. Riverside and Mt. San Antonio are the divisional favorites.

Palomar is the defending J.C. Grid-Wire national champion. Saddleback won the same title in 1992.