State Title Game Possible for Football

A community college state championship football game is a real possibility as soon as this fall, thanks to a decision made last week at a meeting of the Commission on Athletics.

The plan would call for the top two teams in Southern California and the top two in Northern California to meet in already existing bowl games. The winners would meet the next week to decide the state title.

The location of the game, how the top two teams in each region would be determined and other particulars are to be worked out before the proposal is voted on in June.

“I like it because it doesn’t take anything away from the other bowl games,” said Paul Lanning, state associate commissioner.

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Where 300 is perfect: Eric Dean of Seal Beach recently became the first person in the 25-year history of the bowling class at Orange Coast to roll a 300 game.

Dean, who said his average is about 185, did it at the Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley.

“I was big-time nervous,” he said in a press release. “Everyone in the place started coming over to watch as I got closer to doing it. I just tried to calm down and ignore everyone else.”

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Golf: Saddleback finished 14-0 in Orange Empire Conference matches this season to win its sixth consecutive golf title and 16th in the last 17 seasons. Coach Bill Cunerty has won 15 of the 16 conference titles as well as five state titles, including two of the last three.

Things are already looking good for next season because there is only one sophomore on this year’s team.

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Men’s tennis: Saddleback takes on Los Angeles Pierce at 2 p.m. today at Long Beach College in a first-round match in the Southern California playoffs.

Saddleback, which won the Orange Empire Conference with a 11-1 record this season, won the state title in 1995. The Gauchos were second in Southern California last year.