Agoura’s Donahue to Skip Match but Won’t Say What’s Bruin

It probably doesn’t have anything to do with the annual UCLA-USC football showdown but. . . .

Jennifer Donahue, the No. 3 singles tennis player at Agoura High and the daughter of UCLA head football Coach Terry Donahue, placed second in the Marmonte League individual tournament. As a result, she qualified for the Southern Section individual championships.

But Jennifer, who upset Angela Chen of Thousand Oaks in the semifinals and was not expecting to qualify, will not be able to participate in the Southern Section tournament because of what she calls “a prior personal commitment.”

It just so happens that the tournament begins Nov. 18--the same day as the UCLA-USC football game.

When asked whether her withdrawal from the tournament had anything to do with the football game she chuckled.

“I am just committed to something else that day,” she said, laughing.

Social butterfly: Cal State Northridge swimmer Kim Piotro will miss the Matadors’ meet at UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, but she has a good excuse.

Something about Bill Clinton.

Piotro, who has been dating a member of the President’s security force, is flying to Washington to attend a presidential ball at the White House.

Needless to say, Coach Barry Schreifels didn’t ask her to stick around for the swim meet.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” Schreifels said. “Can’t let school get in the way of your education.”

Radio-active: Tune in for a play-by-play account of tonight’s Mission League showdown between Notre Dame (9-0) and Chaminade (9-0) highs.

Just don’t wander too far from the 50-yard line.

All Chaminade football home games are broadcast on KNAD (FM-104.8), the campus radio station of the West Hills school.

But the signal barely extends 1,200 feet.

“If you’ve got a good radio, you can pick it up in the parking lot,” said Ed Croson, Chaminade’s athletic director.

Some listeners might be forced to do just that. The 2,900-seat stadium likely will be packed.

Quotebook

“The longer you get away from my playing days, the better I get.”

-- Dave Baldwin, Cal State Northridge football coach, responding to former Coach Jack Elway after Elway said Baldwin was an “outstanding” receiver when he played for him at Northridge in the ‘70s.

“This isn’t no road course. This is for the kid that grinds it out, the grinder-outer.”

-- Ventura College cross-country Coach Tuck Mason, describing the difficult Arroyo Verde Park course used in Tuesday’s Western State Conference championships.

Honors

Defending state champion Ventura College is ranked No. 1 in the men’s basketball state preseason rankings by the JC Athletic Bureau. Valley is 17th.

Ramone Archie of Glendale College was among several players named state offensive players of the week, and Valley linebacker Brett Nordyke was among those named to the defensive team.

Archie, a freshman from Belmont High, had 190 yards in 27 carries and one touchdown in a 29-14 victory over Pierce. Nordyke, a sophomore from Crespi High, had three unassisted tackles, seven assists and two sacks in a 31-17 victory over Moorpark.

Things to Do

The Ventura College water polo team opens play today at 11 a.m. in the Southern California Regional with a match against Long Beach at Belmont Plaza pool in Long Beach.

The Pirates (22-7-1), ranked fourth in the state, finished second in the Western State Conference. Long Beach (20-15), ranked sixth, was the South Coast Conference runner-up.

Contributing: Fernando Dominguez, Jeff Fletcher, Vince Kowalick, John Ortega, Peter Yoon.