Loose Ends

A big congratulations goes out to Marina High’s boys’ cross country

team for winning last weekend’s Laguna Hills Invitational. The Vikings

earned the title by topping Long Beach Poly. The Jack Rabbits were the

nation’s top-ranked team in one preseason poll.

Raemon Rodriguez won the senior race in 15:16 to help lead Marina to

the title.

Huntington Beach’s Willie Ito recently won the Junior Elite Class 2

all-around title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships held in

Philadelphia. The Huntington Beach High junior is a national champion on

the parallel bars, pommel horse and a bronze medal winner on the high

bar.

A member of the Junior National Team, Willie is in the running to be

selected for international competition.

Mike Shwam of Huntington Beach finished second in the Rolaids Relief

Man competition, held in minor league baseball’s Midwest League in

August.

Shwam, who pitched for the Beloit Snappers, a Class A affiliate of the

Milwaukee Brewers, recorded six saves along with a 1-1 record to score 18

points in the contest. Rolaids awards three points for each save and two

for a relief win while deducting two for each loss.

The late Dan Quisenberry still holds the major league record for most

single-season Rolaids titles with five. Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers and

current candidate Bruce Sutter each won four titles and all-time saves

leader Lee Smith captured three.

The second week of the prep football schedule begins tonight on the

local scene with Marina hosting Newport Harbor at Westminster High and

Ocean View entertaining Garden Grove at Huntington Beach High. Last year,

Marina pinned a 26-18 defeat on the Sailors and the Vikings have the

talent on offense to post another win. Garden Grove downed Ocean View,

46-20, last year.

Friday night finds Huntington Beach taking the long road to Hueneme,

and Edison at Capistrano Valley. The Oilers will be out to atone for last

year’s 45-27 setback, Edison and Capo Valley renew their fierce rivalry

for the 15th consecutive year, with Capistrano Valley holding an 8-5-1

edge. But it’s been awhile since the Cougars have tasted victory as

Edison has gone 3-0-1 in the last four meetings between the teams. Last

year, Edison rolled, 30-7.

A look at the Edison-Capistrano Valley series:

’87 - Cougars 29, Chargers 27

’88 - Chargers 21, Cougars 14

’89 - Cougars 27, Chargers 10

’90 - Cougars 15, Chargers 14

’91 - Cougars 20, Chargers 14

’92 - Cougars 31, Chargers 19

’93 - Cougars 17, Chargers 13

’94 - Chargers 21, Cougars 17

’95 - Cougars 13, Chargers 7

’96 - Cougars 34, Chargers 0

’97 - Chargers 30, Cougars 30

’98 - Chargers 42, Cougars 27

’99 - Chargers 42, Cougars 27

’00 - Chargers 30, Cougars 7

(Cougars lead, 8-5-1)