Sports

PREPS

Several of the San Gabriel Valley’s top football teams will be playing this week in regular-season finales that are also showdowns for league championships.

Rowland, 4-0 in league play, plays at 3-1 Diamond Bar tonight for the Sierra League championship.

Unbeaten Alhambra, which is having its first winning season since 1978, will play host to Montebello on Friday. Both teams are 4-0 in league play.

Rivals South Hills and Covina, who play Friday, are 4-0 in Valle Vista League play.

In the Miramonte League, Charter Oak plays at Walnut Friday in a battle between teams that are 4-0 in league play. Also on Friday, San Marino plays host to Temple City for the Rio Hondo League title.

Muir and Pasadena, both 4-0 in the Pacific League, play Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

*

The Bonita water polo team continued its dominance of the Valle Vista League by winning its third consecutive championship.

The Bearcats, who concluded the regular season with a 20-6 victory over La Puente, have won 24 consecutive league games. They entered the Division VI playoffs ranked fourth with a 20-6 record.

*

The top cross-country teams in the San Gabriel Valley will be among those competing Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College in the Southern Section prelims.

The top teams and individuals from the event qualify for the Southern Section championships Nov. 26 at Mt. SAC.

*

Many of the San Gabriel Valley schools that open playoff competition in girls’ tennis, girls’ volleyball and water polo this week are ranked in the latest Southern Section polls.

The Diamond Bar girls’ tennis team is ranked fifth and Arcadia is 10th in Division II. Pasadena Poly is third, Alhambra fourth and St. Lucy’s seventh in Division III. South Hills is No. 1, Duarte is second and Gladstone eighth in Division V.

The Arcadia girls’ volleyball team is ranked sixth in Division II. San Gabriel is third and Wilson fifth in Division III. Mayfield is third, Maranatha fourth and South Hills fifth in Division V.

South Pasadena is No. 2 in Division III water polo. In Division VI, Wilson is second, Rowland third, Bonita fourth, Charter Oak eighth, Walnut ninth and Los Altos 10th.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

The Mt. SAC football team (3-4-1), coming off a 31-10 win against Riverside, plays host to Long Beach. Quarterback Cody Lee Smith has passed for 2,359 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. Smith is 702 yards shy of the Mounties’ single-season record of 3,061 yards set by former La Puente High standout Anthony Calvillo in 1992.

Pasadena (2-5-1), coming off a 26-14 loss to Palomar, travels to Cerritos on Saturday. PCC’s Saladin McCullough rushed for 135 yards for the Lancers. Brian Zavala, Addison Hawthorne and Malichijah Perry each intercepted a pass.

Citrus College (2-5-1), coming off a 27-17 defeat against College of the Desert, plays at Antelope Valley.

*

The Mt. SAC women’s basketball team opens its season tonight and the men’s team begins play Friday in the seventh annual Tip-Off Classic.

Mt. SAC plays Rancho Santiago at 6 and Porterville plays L.A. Valley at 8. The championship and third-place games will be played Saturday.

In the men’s tournament, Fullerton plays L.A. Valley at 6 and Mt. SAC plays Citrus at 8. The championship and third-place games are also Saturday.

The Mt. SAC men’s team returns seven players from last season, including guard Travis Smith, who averaged 16 points a game, guard Brad Alley (11.6 points) and forward Brian Sherman (11.8).

COLLEGES

The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and a possible berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs will be on the line Saturday afternoon when La Verne plays host to Occidental.

La Verne (8-0) defeated Claremont-Mudd, 45-22, in a SCIAC game last week to improve to 5-0 in conference play. Darren MacLellan gained 295 yards and scored four touchdowns in 36 carries for La Verne, which has won 11 in a row dating back to last season. John Shipp passed for 349 yards and two touchdowns for Claremont.

Claremont-Mudd (2-6) plays at Pomona-Pitzer in another SCIAC finale, which will mark Claremont Coach John Zinda’s final game after 26 seasons. Pomona-Pitzer (1-7) is coming off a 61-14 nonconference loss to Chapman.

Azusa Pacific Coach Jim Milhon ends his 17-year career Saturday when the Cougars travel to Menlo. Azusa Pacific (2-6) is coming off a 49-21 loss to San Diego.

*

The Cal Poly Pomona men’s cross-country team won the NCAA Division II West Regional championship and will compete in the national finals Nov. 19 at Kearney, Neb.

Pomona placed five runners among the top 20, including Rondie Gibbs, who finished second in 32 minutes 32.1 seconds, and Cliff Curtis, who was third in 32:40.6. Michael Moreno (33:16.7) was 13th, Shawn Page (33:32.8) 18th and Chuck Foote (33:36.0) 20th.

*

The Azusa Pacific men’s and women’s cross-country teams won the Golden State Athletic Conference championship last weekend and will compete in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics championships on Nov. 19 in Kenosha, Wis.

Azusa Pacific’s John Gachao finished first and Anthony Fisher was second. The Cougar women were led by Michelle Teodoro, who finished second, and Beth Hake, who finished third.

*

The Azusa Pacific women’s volleyball team opens play in the NAIA Far West Regional on Saturday at home against Dominican.

Azusa Pacific is seeded second in the eight-team regional, which also includes top-seeded Fresno Pacific, Biola, The Master’s, Southern California College, Cal Baptist and Westmont.

*

Claremont was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Division III West Regional soccer tournament by Gustavos-Adolphus, 1-0.

Senior forward Pat Gorgue of Claremont was selected Player of the Year in the SCIAC after leading the Stags to the conference championship. Junior forward Eric Wilson, senior halfback Ryan St. George, senior fullback Greg Keese and sophomore fullback Neal Parry were also selected first-team All-SCIAC.

Pomona-Pitzer’s Andrew Dilworh, a junior forward, sophomore halfback Ryan Liorens and senior fullback Marc Garcia were also first-team.

Sophomore midfielder Ryan Heise of Cal Poly Pomona was selected first-team All-California Collegiate Athletic Conference by league coaches.

*

Cal Poly Pomona will honor the accomplishments of former women’s basketball coach Darlene May at a dinner and reception Monday at the Kellogg West Conference Center.

May retired last summer because of breast cancer. Tickets for the event are $35. Information: (909) 869-2810.

PREP ATHLETE OF WEEK

Michael Waters, Monrovia--Waters gained 217 yards in 21 carries for the Wildcats and scored on runs of three and 44 yards in a 28-3 Rio Hondo League victory over La Canada.

Monrovia can clinch a playoff spot with a victory over Blair on Friday.

COLLEGE ATHLETE OF WEEK

Darren MacLellan, La Verne--MacLellan, a 5-8, 188-pound senior who played at Arroyo High, gained 295 yards and scored four touchdowns in 36 carries as the Leopards defeated Claremont-Mudd, 45-22, to improve their record to 8-0 and keep their playoff hopes alive.

MacLellan is the leading rusher in the SCIAC, averaging 151.3 yards a game.

MISCELLANY

* A roller hockey tournament for youths ages 10-13 and 14-17 is scheduled for Saturday at La Canada Elementary School. Registration is open to teams and individuals. Fee is $20. Information: (818) 790-4353.

* Tryouts for the San Gabriel Valley Girls Volleyball Club continue Sunday at Pasadena High for 11th- and 12th-graders. There is a $10 tryout fee. Information: (213) 254-8476.