Rancho Alamitos

1995 RECORD: 4-6-1 overall, 4-1-1 in league. COACH: Doug Case (20-13-3 at school) RETURNING STARTERS: 7 on offense, 6 on defense TOP RETURNERS Alex Blanco, RB/DB, 5-11, 175, Jr.; Mike Hanlyn, FB/LB, 5-10, 175, Sr.; Leo Kosi, RB/DB, 5-8, 185, Sr.; Frank Ortiz, WR/DB, 6-1, 180, Sr.; John Parrish, 6-2, 180, QB/DB, Jr.; Alfie Ramos, OT/DT, 5-11, 275, Jr.; Frank Roberto, FB/LB, 5-9, 220, Jr.; Shaun Sandoval, G/DE, 5-10, 180, Sr.; David Vickers, FB/LB, 6-0, 210, Jr.; Taylor Yandell, QB, 6-0, 175, Sr.

"Mother About to Wash Her Sleepy Child" by Mary Cassatt is a hallmark of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's collection. Warm and fuzzily familiar yet strikingly modern, the 1880 painting has been admired by critics and the public alike since its arrival in Los Angeles 50 years ago - when the museum was still part of a multi-purpose institution in Exposition Park. And where, you might wonder, did the artwork come from? Cassatt was an American Impressionist who spent much of her life in France, so it's not surprising to learn that the painting belonged to collectors in both countries before going on the market at a New York gallery in 1945.

Ulysses Trammell rushed for 292 yards and three touchdowns in 45 carries to lead Rancho Alamitos to a 32-0 victory over Pomona in the first round of the Division VI playoffs at Bonita High School in La Verne. Rancho Alamitos (9-2) advanced to the second round against Brea-Olinda, a 24-17 winner over Corona del Mar Friday night. Pomona ended the season 5-6.

It is August when spacious skies soar above amber waves of grain in fields stretching from sea to shining sea. It is the month of the fruited plains and purple mountain majesties that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write her anthem, "America the Beautiful," and that lured the masses west for a better life. Jonathan Bixby from Maine was one of those folks, and he hit it big. In 1881 he picked up 26,000 acres in what is today Long Beach. The property was Rancho Los Alamitos, part of a Spanish land grant earned by an intrepid soldier who marched north from Mexico in the 1760s.

Toni Mascarenas pitched a two-hitter with five strikeouts as seventh-ranked Pacifica beat host Rancho Alamitos, 1-0, Thursday in a Garden Grove League softball game. It was the sixth shutout for Mascarenas. Autumn Gwinner singled, stole second and third, and scored on a throwing error for Pacifica (14-5-1, 8-1-1). Julie Littman had two singles for Rancho Alamitos (10-6, 5-5).

Rancho Alamitos needed only 18 seconds and two plays to score its first touchdown Friday night, but the rest of the game turned out to be a grind. The top-seeded Vaqueros were able to grind it out, however, beating defending champion Aliso Niguel, 21-7, in a Southern Section Division VIII first-round playoff game at Bolsa Grande. David Vickers, playing with a sore foot that has limited his practice time for the last four weeks, gained 234 yards in 27 carries and scored all three touchdowns.

Halfbacks Alex Blanco and David Vickers have split the ballcarrying duties this season for Rancho Alamitos, and both have gained more than 1,000 yards. But with Blanco out for the year with a knee injury, Vickers had to carry the full load Friday night against Los Amigos. Vickers was more than equal to the task.

In his first start as a varsity player, Moukda Choulamany rushed for 168 yards and a touchdown, leading Rancho Alamitos over Pacifica, 21-7, in a Garden Grove League game Friday at Rancho Alamitos. Choulamany played wide receiver and running back, and saw limited time in his last few games because of an ankle injury. Choulamany, a 5-foot-6 senior, accounted for eight of the Vaqueros' nine rushing first downs.

Rancho Alamitos is back knocking at the Southern Section football championship door. Rancho Alamitos overcame six Culver City sacks Friday night to roll to a 20-6 quarterfinal victory over the host Centaurs. Coach Mark Miller's Vaqueros will be making their second appearance in three years in the semifinals after a quarterfinal loss slowed them a year ago. Jeff Byrd paced Rancho Alamitos, scoring three touchdowns by rushing for 214 yards in 24 carries.

Vern Broadnax, girls' basketball coach at Rancho Alamitos for three seasons, has been named boys' varsity coach, Athletic Director Dan Rankin said Tuesday. Broadnax, who played at Tustin High, Santa Ana College and Chapman, replaces Dave Kirksey, who resigned to spend more time with his family. Kirksey will continue to coach boys' varsity tennis at Rancho Alamitos. Broadnax coached the Vaquero girls from 1997-2000 and compiled a 19-54 record.

In other Freeway League games: Fullerton 4, La Habra 3 (11)--Ashley Chadwick hit a home run with two out in the 11th for visiting Fullerton (11-6, 3-1). Gina Saucedo and Courtney Crosley each had two hits and drove in a run for the Indians. In the Century League: El Modena 4, No. 2 Canyon 0--Lindsay Klein (10-6-1) pitched a three-hitter and Jessica Hejna and Lauren Smith each had two hits for the host Vanguards (12-6-1, 3-0-1). Lisa Geer (8-2) took the loss for Canyon (17-6-1, 1-2-1).

Heather Saltarelli singled home the tying run in the seventh inning, singled home two more runs in the ninth, then scored on a passed ball as Marina defeated eighth-ranked Los Alamitos, 7-4, Tuesday in a Sunset League softball game at Los Alamitos. The Vikings took a 3-0 lead in the second, but the Griffins responded with four runs in the fifth with a chance to close out a 4-3 victory in the seventh.

Thanh Phan's pin at 119 pounds was a key win that helped Rancho Alamitos to a 50-30 victory over visiting La Quinta in a Garden Grove League wrestling meet Thursday night. Phan's win, which came in 3 minutes 12 seconds, followed La Quinta's two wins in the opening rounds of the dual meet. Zeke Rodriguez scored the fastest pin for Rancho Alamitos (13-9, 1-0), winning his match at 215 pounds in 18 seconds.

Javon Smith's Pacifica jersey was ripped in two places, covered in dirt and even had a few blood stains, but his face had a wide smile as he talked about the Mariners' 24-13 victory over Rancho Alamitos Thursday at Garden Grove High. The victory clinched the Garden Grove League title and No. 1 berth into the Southern Section playoffs for Pacifica (6-4, 5-1 in league).

7 TONIGHT GARDEN GROVE HIGH After two off years, Rancho Alamitos is back in the playoff hunt with its first-year coach, Mike Enright, an assistant last year at Esperanza. If the Vaqueros win, they will probably tie for second with Los Amigos. A loss means the Vaqueros probably miss the playoffs for a third consecutive year. If Rancho is going to win, it must move the ball with its three-week-old "fly offense" and keep it away from Javon Smith, 11th in the county with 1,132 yards rushing.

Rancho Alamitos scored the first 42 points in Friday's game and defeated Bolsa Grande, 42-7, putting the Vaqueros exactly where Coach Mike Enright hoped they would be heading into the final week of the regular season. "One of things that I wanted coming into this season is for this team to be playing a big game at the end of the season," Enright said. "That's exactly where we are--we've got a playoff game next week."

7 TONIGHT SANTA ANA STADIUM First-year Coach Mike Enright has already won as many games at Rancho Alamitos as his predecessor, Doug Case, did last year. The Vaqueros don't have their typically strong running game--leading rusher Ikaika Maliga averages only 40 yards--but the defense has given up only 60 points. Saddleback's defense, which has been prone to giving up big plays, must keep the ball away from Maurice Garcia, who is averaging five catches and one touchdown per game.