SEASON ENDERS: Eighteen collegiate football bowl games...

SEASON ENDERS: Eighteen collegiate football bowl games will be played between Thursday and Jan. 2, and several will feature players from Valley-region high schools and junior colleges. . . . Among the bowls in which local athletes will participate are the Aloha in Honolulu, Liberty in Memphis, Sugar in New Orleans, Cotton in Dallas, Rose in Pasadena and Orange in Miami.

TOUGH BRAIN: At 6 feet 3, 249 pounds, Hart High graduate George Kase is an imposing figure on the football field. But he’s just as strong in the classroom. . . . UCLA’s starting nose guard in the Dec. 25 Aloha Bowl is a three-time Academic All-District pick who is a finalist for Academic All-America. Kase, an economics major, has a 3.61 grade-point average. He led the Bruins with five quarterback sacks and 15 tackles for losses.

ROSY FINISH: USC hasn’t played in the Rose Bowl since 1990, so it’s a big deal for fullback Terry Barnum, above, to play for the Trojans on Jan. 1 against Northwestern. And not just because it’s his last college game. Barnum, an Alemany High graduate, recovered from a broken shoulder to have a great season. He has 29 catches for 268 yards and three touchdowns, and was chosen USC’s most inspirational player.

TOUGH TACKLING: Eliel Swinton, a junior strong safety, was a reserve for the first three games of Stanford’s season. But the 5-11, 195-pound Montclair Prep graduate worked his way into the starting lineup and now ranks fourth on the team with 66 tackles and third with six tackles for losses. . . . He will start for the Cardinal Dec. 30 in the Liberty Bowl against East Carolina.

RISING FAST: Pat Fitzgerald had no problem adjusting to the higher level of football played at a Division I university. . . . An all-star tight end at Valley College after graduating from Agoura High, he was selected All-Southwest Conference and third-team All-American in his first season playing for Texas. Fitzgerald, 6 feet 2, 225 pounds, caught 30 passes for 445 yards and eight touchdowns.