Pasadena

CIF Southern Section playoffs Sage Hill School will play its first-round CIF Southern Section Northeast Division playoff game Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Maranatha at San Marino High. San Marino is located near Pasadena and Arcadia. It will be a home game for Maranatha, which is located in Pasadena. The Minutemen were unable to host the game because their stadium does not have lights. Maranatha played all of its home games this season on Saturday afternoon. Corona del Mar and Estancia will meet in a Southern Division first-round playoff game Friday at 7 p.m. at Newport Harbor High.

SCORE BY QUARTERS         Pasadena 0 7 6 16 - 29 Orange Coast 7 14 14 7 ...

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.

Now that the Orange Coast College football team has established itself as one of the top teams in Southern California with a victory over Palomar Saturday, the Pirates face a new type of competition. As the No. 6-ranked team in Southern California, opponents now draw motivation from the chance to knock the Pirates (3-0 for the first time since 1991) from their short-lived pedestal. No. 20-ranked Pasadena (2-1) is the first in line to do just that. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. today at OCC. Pirates' Coach Mike Taylor knows the motivation for his team will not come as easily as it did against Palomar, which held a five-game winning streak over Orange Coast prior to Saturday.

A jury began deliberating Friday in the case of an Altadena man accused of a series of four rapes in La Crescenta and Pasadena in 2001. Clifton Hutchins is charged with of 17 counts of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, burglary, prowling and possession of cocaine for sales. The nine-woman, three-man jury was sworn in Friday after hearing closing statements from and Deputy District Atty. Natalie Adomian and defense attorney Mark Davis, but broke shortly after 4 p.m. The jury will reconvene Monday.

The Orange Coast College football team will attempt to get back on the winning track tonight, when the Pirates visit Pasadena City College at 6. The Pirates (2-1) are coming off their first loss of the season, having dropped a 40-32 decision Saturday at Palomar. Pasadena (1-2) has suffered consecutive losses to Golden West (34-28 Saturday) and Santa Barbara (13-7 on Sept. 10). OCC defeated Santa Barbara, 11-0, in its opener. The Pirates will start sophomore Chad Schmigel at quarterback, hoping to gain some consistency with an offense that has struggled this fall.

Rick Devereux A slow start seemed to work in favor of the Newport Harbor High boys basketball team, but turnovers doomed the Sailors in the second half of a 51-40 CIF Southern Section Division II-AA second-round game against visiting Pasadena Tuesday. Newport grabbed a quick 2-0 lead, but the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run to gain the advantage. The Tars played tight defense to claw back for an 11-10 lead 3:27 into the second quarter, but Pasadena, who improved to 25-2, closed out the half with a 6-2 run for a 16-13 edge.

Simon-Meserve Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Mallace of Pasadena and Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Simon of Santa Ynez announce the engagement of their daughter Mercedes Alicia Simon of Pasadena to Scott Michael Meserve of Newport Beach. The bride graduated from Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. The future bridegroom, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Meserve of Newport Beach, graduated from Newport Harbor High School and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

Any business history of Newport Beach would have to include a chapter on Paul "Pappy" Palmer. Palmer's early career took place in Pasadena, where he was trying to make his mark in real estate. Palmer was a firm believer in the adage that success breeds success, and he had convinced his partner, whose name I don't recall, of the truth of this. Unfortunately, at this point, their careers could not be called successful. Far from it. He and his partner were dirt poor.

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.