A CALIFORNIA FIRST: Fans of Los Alamitos...

A CALIFORNIA FIRST: Fans of Los Alamitos High School’s football team gained huge bragging rights Thursday: USA Today named the Griffins the No. 1 high school football team in the country. . . . It’s the first time the national newspaper has chosen a California team for the honor since it began the annual rankings in 1982. The newspaper notes the school’s history of left-handed quarterbacks, including J. T. Snow, now first baseman for the California Angels.

LUNCH BUNCH: A lot of Republican women are upset that some other Republican women are holding a luncheon Friday in tribute to Assembly Speaker Doris Allen. The Yorba Linda Republican Women Federated, which favors Allen’s ouster for her alliance with Democrats to gain her post, has urged organizers in writing to cancel the Irvine Marriott event: “This places you in direct conflict with Republican efforts to recall Doris Allen.” And from the Allen camp: “That’s so unfortunate,” says one organizer, Anita Ferguson. “We plan to have a great event anyway.”

DANCE POND: Temperatures will go down when the Pond of Anaheim is iced Sept. 22 for a Mighty Ducks exhibition game against the Boston Bruins. But the floor will warm up the following night when numerous celebrities are expected to lead an AIDS benefit dance-a-thon. . . . Headline performers include RuPaul, the country’s most famous drag model, above, and Grace Jones. . . . Tickets for the event are not yet on sale because details are still being finalized.

NOTHING TACKY? Al Cowlings will set up in front of--what else?--a white Ford Bronco to sell his signature at several sites over Labor Day weekend--including Sept. 3 at the Anaheim Convention Center’s International Sportscard and Memorabilia Show. . . . Cowlings, you’ll remember, drove O.J. Simpson in a nationally televised freeway pursuit. He’ll sign almost any souvenir, including pictures of that famous chase, which also will be on sale. But sponsors say he won’t sign anything he considers tasteless--such as crime scene photos, or his arrest mug shot. . . . Costs? Generally $20, but more if he signs a football helmet or jersey.