Notes on a Scorecard - Sept. 6, 1995

The Garfield and Roosevelt High marching and mariachi bands played, the principals gave pep talks, the cheerleaders led spell-outs, the drill teams stepped smartly, and the mascots clowned around Tuesday at East Los Angeles Junior College Stadium. . . .

The football teams from the high schools with the two largest enrollments in the nation won’t renew their legendary rivalry until Oct. 21, but a couple of alumni, Oscar De La Hoya and Genaro Hernandez, will meet in the ring Saturday night at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. . . .

Their news conference might have been the least phony in the history of professional boxing. . . .

“This is really exciting,” Garfield Principal Maria Tostado said. “You can feel the enthusiasm. And it’s all good-spirited. We are familia , whether we’re from Garfield or Roosevelt.” . . .

“Two home boys from East L.A. who are unbeaten are going to fight for the lightweight championship,” Roosevelt Principal Henry Ronquillo said. “There’s never been a matchup quite like this.” . . .

De La Hoya, 22, graduated from Garfield in 1991. . . .

His favorite class was government and his favorite teacher Mr. Benson. . . .

“I liked school, but it was tough to focus on both that and boxing,” said De La Hoya, a gold medalist at the 1992 Olympic Games. “I had to miss my senior prom because we were fighting the Cubans that night.” . . .

Hernandez, 29, graduated from Roosevelt in 1984. . . .

His favorite class was physical education and his favorite teacher Mr. Rodriguez. . . .

Mike Garrett, the USC athletic director and 1965 Heisman Trophy winner, and Willie Davis, the former Dodger outfielder, also attended Roosevelt. . . .

L.A. City Councilman Richard Alatorre is a Garfield alum. . . .

Roosevelt’s enrollment is 5,100 and Garfield’s 4,800. . . .

Every year since 1925, the red and gold Roosevelt Roughriders and cardinal and blue Garfield Bulldogs have played football. . . .

Garfield has dominated the series recently, but Roosevelt pulled off one of the biggest prep upsets in local history in 1990 when the previously winless Roughriders defeated the previously unbeaten Bulldogs, 7-0. . . .

More than 20,000 fans pack the East L.A. College stadium annually, and this year’s game nearly was switched to the Rose Bowl to accommodate the overflow. . . .

Who’s going to win Saturday night’s fight? . . .

“Oscar,” Principal Tostado said. “No question. He’s the best.” . . .

“We’ve upset them on the football field, and now Genaro’s going to do it in the ring,” Principal Ronquillo said. . . .

The bands played on as the rivals were whisked away from the news conference to pep rallies at the nearby high school stadiums. . . .

“This is great,” said De La Hoya, who got a standing ovation from more than 3,000 Garfield students. “Until I was a senior, nobody even knew I boxed.” . . .

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this homecoming,” Hernandez said after he was presented an honorary lettermen’s jacket in front of an equally large and boisterous crowd at Roosevelt. . . .

*

Former Angel Manager Buck Rodgers, now West Coast scout for the Philadelphia Phillies, has been a frequent press box visitor at Dodger Stadium. . . .

“I expect the Angels to pull out of their slump and win the division,” said Rodgers, who was replaced by Marcel Lachemann on May 17, 1994. . . .

“I’m not surprised by the kind of season they’ve had,” Rodgers said. “The good young players were there, and Tony Phillips and Lee Smith added icing to the cake. Lately, they’ve missed Gary DiSarcina, who was the captain of the infield. But they should be competitive in the playoffs. Who knows what’s going to happen in those first-round, best-of-five series?” . . .

At his current pace, Frank Thomas of the Chicago White Sox will become the first player to reach or surpass each of these plateaus for a fifth consecutive season--.300 batting average, 20 home runs, 100 runs batted in, 100 runs scored and 100 walks. . . .

Those tied with Thomas at four consecutive seasons are Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig. . . .

Look-alikes: New Dodger outfielder Karim Garcia and actor Emilio Estevez. . . .

A colt to watch is French Deputy, trainer Neil Drysdale’s unbeaten 3-year-old who made it four in a row on Labor Day at Belmont Park. . . .

The Dallas Cowboys have gotten the first laugh of the NFL season, but it won’t mean much unless they also get the last laugh.