NOTEBOOK / GARY KLEIN : Mission Conference Title Could Be on the Line When Pasadena Battles Mt. SAC

Pasadena City College, ranked fourth in the nation and second in the state, will play host to Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday in what could be one of the best community college football games this season.

Pasadena improved to 7-0 and 6-0 in the Mission Conference last week with a 41-38 victory over Long Beach City College. The Lancers are led by quarterback Edward Hervey, who has passed for 738 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 549 yards and six touchdowns. Pasadena running back Jason Lowe gained 107 yards against Long Beach, and Mario Gulley gained 66 yards and scored two touchdowns.

Mt. SAC, which set several school records during a 66-8 rout of Southwestern of San Diego two weeks ago, is coming off a 42-21 Mission Conference victory over Cerritos. The Mounties (6-1, 6-0 in conference) have won six consecutive games since losing to Taft.

The Mounties are led by quarterback Brandon Stott, running back Don Fuqua and kicker Andy Norell.

Last season, a bench-clearing brawl marred the game between the schools, but Pasadena Coach Dennis Gossard and Mt. SAC Coach Bill Fisk do not anticipate a repeat.

“This is probably one of the biggest games we’ve had around here for the last 10 years,” Gossard said. “This definitely is the best team we’ve faced all year, far and away.”

Rebecca Huereque and Tracy Nguyen of Cal Poly Pomona finished second in Division II Saturday at the Rolex National Small College tennis championships at Corpus Christi, Tex.

Huereque and Nguyen lost in the final to Tanya Hoetting and Stephanie Loew of Armstrong State, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.

The Pomona-Pitzer football team ensured itself of the school’s best record since 1970 by defeating Claremont, 33-20, on Saturday.

The victory improved the Sagehens’ record to 4-3 and 3-3 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Pomona was 6-3 in 1970. The Sagehens have not won more than three games in a season since finishing 4-5 in 1971.

Pomona gained 583 yards against Claremont, the second-highest total in school history behind the 638 yards gained against Caltech in 1967.

Pomona plays a nonconference game against the University of San Diego Saturday.

Tommy Younell of Pasadena will be one of seven athletes honored Nov. 7 at the California Special Olympics Spirit of Friendship awards dinner.

Younell, 22, has competed in the Special Olympics for 10 years, participating in powerlifting, track and field and floor hockey. In 1991, he won three bronze medals in powerlifting at the International Special Olympics Summer Games.