Chris Rubio

Seemingly overshadowed in the new tiebreaker procedure in college football this season was another rule change that prohibits a defensive player from hitting a long-snapper until one second after the ball is centered on a punt or placement kick. Chris Rubio didn't miss it. Life for Rubio, UCLA's long-snapper, got a little easier and safer--and cleaner. "Now you don't have somebody in front of you, spitting on the ball or breathing on the ball or yelling at you, 'Don't snap it, Rubio,' " he said.

If Tanner Gibas of Covina Charter Oak ever makes it to the NFL, those who knew him early in high school will have a hard time believing it. "I was never into sports," he said. "I never liked football. I played Gremlin flag football and didn't like it at all. My dad said, 'Try one more time.' I thought I was going to be skateboarding and go to film school to make movies because that's all I liked to do. I never thought I'd be playing college football. It's very weird. " Guess what position Gibas plays?

There were dropped punts and passes and handoffs. There was a three-point deficit after one quarter, a 100-yard deficit after one half. The eventual comeback decision--UCLA 34, Oregon State 10--felt more like a gasp than a victory. In all, a wonderful day for Bruin Chris Rubio. Then again, for the last three years, every fall Saturday is a wonderful day for Chris Rubio. The imperfect Mr. Perfect. For three years, Rubio has done nothing but hike the ball on Bruin special teams.

There were dropped punts and passes and handoffs. There was a three-point deficit after one quarter, a 100-yard deficit after one half. The eventual comeback decision--UCLA 34, Oregon State 10--felt more like a gasp than a victory. In all, a wonderful day for Bruin Chris Rubio. Then again, for the last three years, every fall Saturday is a wonderful day for Chris Rubio. The imperfect Mr. Perfect. For three years, Rubio has done nothing but hike the ball on Bruin special teams.

If Tanner Gibas of Covina Charter Oak ever makes it to the NFL, those who knew him early in high school will have a hard time believing it. "I was never into sports," he said. "I never liked football. I played Gremlin flag football and didn't like it at all. My dad said, 'Try one more time.' I thought I was going to be skateboarding and go to film school to make movies because that's all I liked to do. I never thought I'd be playing college football. It's very weird. " Guess what position Gibas plays?

Pasadena 14, Hoover 12--Hoover quarterback Daniel Shepard was stopped short on a two-point conversion attempt with 3:25 remaining at Pasadena City College. Joshua Witkop had scored on an eight-yard run for Hoover (1-6, 0-2), following a 76-yard kickoff return by Chris Rubio. Pasadena improved to 2-5, 1-1.

Will Bruin tailback Karim Abdul-Jabbar, sidelined because of a deep bruise in his lower back, play in Saturday's Pacific 10 opener against Oregon at the Rose Bowl? "Right now," he said Tuesday, "I'm leaning toward not playing." Abdul-Jabbar felt well enough Tuesday to make it onto the practice field as a spectator. He felt well enough to jog a bit and do some high-stepping in place. But that's when he felt a jolt in the injured area.

Linebacker Brian Willmer calls Fullerton home, but his ties to Washington are as strong as his first name. When Willmer's father, Wes, was a student at Seattle Pacific in the 1960s, he served as an orderly and traveling companion for Brian Sternberg, who set the world record in the pole vault at 16 feet 8 inches while at the University of Washington. Sternberg suffered severe spinal injuries in 1964, losing the use of his arms and legs, in a trampoline accident while preparing for the Olympics.

The drill was testing outside defenders' ability to rush during field-goal attempts, so when Andy Colbert flashed in front of holder Kevin Walker, he was doing what he was supposed to do. Up to a point. That point was kicker Bjorn Merten's right leg, which hit Colbert in the helmet Tuesday afternoon. Colbert walked away, but Merten, an All-American as a freshman, suffered a gash that required bandages and ice. Colbert suffered the wrath of Coach Terry Donahue.

College football coaches have 85 scholarships to award, so it's not surprising that they're finally turning their attention to the most unglamorous position of all: long snapper. In the past, most coaches wanted long snappers to earn a scholarship as a walk-on. But the position's growing importance is creating scholarship opportunities. Long snapper Christian Yount of Rancho Santa Margarita Tesoro accepted a scholarship to UCLA this month.

Seemingly overshadowed in the new tiebreaker procedure in college football this season was another rule change that prohibits a defensive player from hitting a long-snapper until one second after the ball is centered on a punt or placement kick. Chris Rubio didn't miss it. Life for Rubio, UCLA's long-snapper, got a little easier and safer--and cleaner. "Now you don't have somebody in front of you, spitting on the ball or breathing on the ball or yelling at you, 'Don't snap it, Rubio,' " he said.

Sophomore center James Jenkins scored 25 points, including five in overtime, and had 22 rebounds to help Crescenta Valley High defeat Hoover, 72-59, in a Pacific League basketball game Tuesday at Crescenta Valley. The Falcons (14-4, 1-1 in league play) avenged a loss to Hoover in the Burbank-Hoover tournament last month. Freshman Chris Tarne, who finished with 15 points and nine assists, made four free throws in overtime to help Crescenta Valley outscore Hoover, 18-5.

Saugus High hit four of five three-point shots and nine of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter to post a 61-48 victory over Burbank in a Foothill league boys' basketball game on Tuesday night at Saugus. The Centurions (12-6, 1-1 in league play), trailed, 39-36, at the end of the third quarter, but scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to take a 45-39 lead.