Pasadena

PASADENA - After seeing its chances at victory halted on its first offensive play of overtime in its season opener, the Orange Coast College football team showed it could close strong in a 27-10 victory at Pasadena City College on Saturday. The Pirates scored 10 points in the final 67 seconds of the first half to take a 13-7 lead. The visitors then scored a pair of touchdowns within a 66-second span late in the game to clinch their first victory of the season. While four interceptions spelled doom for OCC the previous week against visiting Moorpark, the Pirates shrugged off three turnovers against the Lancers, including a lost fumble on the opening kickoff.

PASADENA - The Newport Harbor High's distance medley relay squad won first place at the Pasadena Games at Pasadena City College Saturday, as the Sailors' boys track and field team completed some personal best times. Harbor's distance medley relay consisted of junior Jesus Santana, who ran the 1,200, senior Rich Weber ran the 400, senior John Peschelt took the baton for the 800 and senior Chris McMillen completed the victory with his run in the 1,600.

Steve Virgen COSTA MESA - How good is the Pasadena City College offense? The Lancers football team's offense is so good it can commit 23 penalties for 230 yards and still win the game. As Orange Coast Coach Mike Taylor said, Pasadena had "just too many weapons," and the Lancers, offense included, rolled to a 27-10 win, the last nonconference game for both teams, Saturday night at LeBard Stadium. "We played hard, but (PCC is) just a good football team," Taylor said.

Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich promised to drive down the price of gasoline and change the culture in Washington during a Southern California fundraising tour that included stops in Newport Beach, Tustin and Pasadena. He emphasized lower gas prices during his Monday night stop at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach, according to an interview with the Orange County Register. "I think we focus on very big ideas like $2-a-gallon gasoline, 4% unemployment, allowing young people to have personal Social Security savings accounts, and we rebuild our momentum," he told the newspaper.

Esther Gordon said she’s devastated by the loss of a beloved Costa Mesa family’s son who grew up with her children. Norman Schureman, 50, a professor at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design, was gunned down while at a Persian New Year celebration March 20. His funeral was Saturday, and he was memorialized Sunday. “There’s nothing I can say other than the fact that it’s a sad, sad situation, such a loss, such an untimely death,” Gordon said.

COSTA MESA — Pasadena is known for its parade route, but this was ridiculous. The Orange Coast College football team spent more time in Pasadena territory Saturday than New Year’s Day busses full of bands, drill teams and float technicians. But all the Pirates had to show for it was a 27-25 loss to the visiting Lancers in a Mission Conference inter-division clash that will likely have OCC players and coaches long lamenting missed scoring opportunities. The Pirates (1-2)

COSTA MESA — Like a boil, the offense of the Orange Coast College football team sat and festered through the first three games of the season. It was only a matter of time before it exploded. With a little pricking from a helpful defense the Pirates' offense exploded all over Pasadena College for six touchdowns. The aftermath, a 42-29 nonconference victory at home Saturday for Orange Coast and a 4-0 record for the first time since 1991. But nobody on the Pirates exploded more than sophomore quarterback Kekoa Crowell.

A conference at a Pasadena church to discuss Middle East issues has touched off tension between area Christians and Jews. Many Los Angeles rabbis and other Jewish leaders have criticized All Saints Episcopal Church for agreeing to host a conference sponsored by a Jerusalem-based ecumenical Christian group that advocates a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and nonviolent resistance to the Israeli occupation. Some say it is wrong for the group’s founder to compare the suffering of Palestinians to that of Jesus and the early Christians.

PASADENA - Coach JR Tolver was livid from the start. After watching his Sage Hill School football team give up huge chunks of yards on Pasadena Poly's first drive, Tolver ate into his players on the sideline. "They're running the same play over and over! Dive! Dive! Dive!" Tolver yelled. "It's going to be 57-0 if we don't stop it. " The Lightning never figured out how to slow down running back Harrison Hodgkins on Friday. The senior pounded Sage Hill for 232 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries.