Cougars

Upland Coach Tim Salter breathed a deep sigh of relief, let out a few laughs, smiled and nodded. Yes, his team's 31-17 win over Rancho Cucamonga on Friday meant more than your average victory. "It meant quite a bit," Salter said. That's because Rancho Cucamonga had beaten Upland four straight times, including twice in 2008. But in a matchup of undefeated Baseline League foes, the Highlanders (7-0, 2-0) dominated the Cougars (6-1, 1-1), who had given up a total of only 43 points coming into the game.

Bedlam. Jubilation. Pandemonium. That was the scene at Palisades High on Wednesday night after the final buzzer sounded and Crenshaw players were running around the basketball court celebrating a dramatic 68-66 City Section Division I quarterfinal victory. With 11 seconds left, Palisades' Tyler Duke gave the Dolphins a 66-65 lead by making two free throws. Then Crenshaw's Micah Winn caught a long pass from Brandon Baker, took one dribble and drained a three-point shot from the right side with five seconds left, sending the Cougars (24-4)

Brigham Young University has been accused far and wide of impersonating a national champion, but not by its next opponent. "I voted for them No. 1 last year," said UCLA Coach Terry Donahue, whose Bruins will open their season Saturday at Provo, Utah. "I think they were clearly the national champions." It is the sound of one hand clapping.

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Thuds don't come much louder than this. UCLA spent weeks restoring its image, climbing back to the top of the Pac-12 Conference, getting back into the rankings. One rainy night in Pullman put a dent in that. Washington State's 73-61 victory in a near-empty Beasley Coliseum was so surgically thorough that UCLA Coach Ben Howland spent nearly a half-hour sorting things out before meeting with the media. “Whether it was not being able to handle success, I was sitting there trying to figure it out after the game,” Howland said.

David Piland was at home watching on television as his University of Houston teammates played UCLA at the Rose Bowl two years ago. A true freshman, he was expected to redshirt that season, and learn in practice from watching record-setting Cougars quarterback Case Keenum. But just a few minutes after the game ended, Piland's cellphone started convulsing. "Coaches were texting me and calling, saying, 'We need you here tomorrow,' " Piland recalled in a phone interview Tuesday.

SAN DIEGO - The Poinsettia Bowl dragged into the fourth quarter, no touchdowns for either team, no excitement for the national television audience. To that point, the star of the game was the punter for Brigham Young, Riley Stephenson. By the time the evening was done, Stephenson had forced San Diego State to start a drive inside its five-yard line four times. The Aztecs started each drive by handing the ball to tailback Adam Muema. This time, after a San Diego State interception, the Aztecs started a drive on their three and tried the pass.

Win or lose against its longtime nemesis, Azusa Pacific is moving on. The Cougars will make the switch from NAIA to NCAA Division II football next year, positioning themselves as a more attractive destination for high school prospects from across the Southwest. But first things first, including what Azusa Pacific hopes is its first victory over defending national champion Carroll College on Saturday at Helena, Mont., in a quarterfinal playoff game. Carroll has defeated the Cougars in all six meetings, including a 35-21 victory last year in the first round of the playoffs.

Marquis Thompson has long understood what it means to play football for Crenshaw High. He was the team's ball boy in 2005 when his older brother John helped the Cougars win a Los Angeles City Section title. Hayes Pullard also grew up well-versed in Crenshaw lore. He would gaze at his three older brothers' trophies and long for the day when he could become a Cougar. Now the younger siblings are on the verge of their own special legacy. Crenshaw is bidding to become the first City team to advance to a state championship bowl game, a possibility that is already percolating in the minds of the Cougars despite Coach Robert Garrett's one-game-at-a-time admonition.

They are charged with assault on a Tuesday, and play linebacker on a Saturday. They are caught smoking dope in the morning, and practice free throws in the afternoon. Today's college playing fields are dotted with athletes bearing fresh mug shots, lingering handcuff marks and not a trace of accountability. Athletes are often punished only to the degree at which the team will not feel pain. If the game is important, they are suspended only for the first half. If there is even a hint of the word "allegedly," the school abdicates its moral authority to the legal system and doesn't suspend them at all. All of which would classify what happened with the Brigham Young basketball team as one shining moment.

Quarterback Todd Marinovich gave his new team and its opponent a scare Friday night in his debut with Capistrano Valley High School. Marinovich left the game midway through the first quarter to have his injured left thumb X-rayed. He returned in the fourth quarter to lead a rally that fell short as the Cougars lost to Foothill, 28-26, before 3,500 fans at Mission Viejo. Last spring, Marinovich transferred from Mater Dei, where he passed for 4,358 yards and 34 touchdowns in two seasons.