Bucs are realigned

Before the 2003 community college football season, talk swirled

around a possible realignment after two seasons to create balance

while maintaining traditional rivalries.

Well, the time has come and the Mission Conference, which features

12 teams, including Orange Coast College, will compete this fall

after shuffling teams between the National and American divisions.

OCC’s schedule was released last week and the Bucs open with a

road game at Santa Barbara Sept. 3 followed by a home contest against

Compton Sept 10.

The last time the Bucs faced either of those teams was 1983.

The first of eight conference games follows a week later, at

Palomar Sept. 17 followed by a trip to Pasadena Sept. 24.

The Bucs then return home for the first of back-to-back home games

against Riverside.

El Camino is next at OCC on Oct. 15, before trips to Saddleback

(Oct. 22) and Santa Ana (Oct. 29).

Cerritos and rival Golden West visit Nov. 5 and Nov. 12,

respectively.

-- Bryce Alderton