Viejo

Michele and Russell Poland's credit was shot, but they managed to buy their suburban dream home anyway. After a business bankruptcy and a home foreclosure, they turned to a rare option in this era of tightfisted banking - a subprime loan. The Polands paid nearly $10,000 in upfront fees for the privilege of securing a mortgage at 10.9% interest. And they had to raid their retirement account for a 35% down payment. Most borrowers would balk at such stiff terms. But with prices rising, the Polands wanted to snag a four-bedroom home in Temecula near top-rated schools for their 5-year-old son. By later this year, they figure, they'll be able to refinance into a standard loan.

A former Orange County attorney has been arrested on suspicion of killing his ex-wife for financial gain in 2006 by strangling her and throwing her overboard while on a cruise along the Italian coast, authorities said. Lonnie Kocontes, 55, a former Mission Viejo resident, was arrested Friday at his home in Safety Harbor, Fla., in connection with the death of Micki Kanesaki, 52, of Ladera Ranch, authorities said. He is charged with one felony count of special circumstances for financial gain.

If the Mission Viejo Co. wants to influence voters by spending its money on a recall campaign, more power to it. But the next time citizens of that community have a complaint, they should forget the public forum of a City Council meeting and call James Gilleran, president of the Mission Viejo Co. As long as he's stepping into the political arena, let him also share in the joy of answering to the city's voting public. Hey, Gilleran! Can you fix the chuckholes on La Paz Road?

When standout point guard Evan Zeller of Mission Viejo went down because of an ankle injury with 3 minutes 3 seconds left in the third quarter on Wednesday night against El Toro, the Diablos' 11-point lead hardly looked safe. Even after the Diablos had extended their lead to 17 points in the fourth quarter, El Toro's ability to shoot three-pointers gave the Chargers hope. Then Cody White started to bomb away, making three three-pointers. And a full-court press was producing turnovers.

To: Michael Barrett From: Angels fans Thank you for doing to A.J. Pierzynski what many of us have wanted to do since the 2005 postseason. EVAN AITKENS Mission Viejo E-mail: sports@latimes.com

When I read that 13 federal agents raided the home of a scrub pitcher who allegedly took steroids and human growth hormone, I couldn't help think that maybe 12 of those agents should have been focused on something just a little bit more important. Maybe something like, hmmm, I don't know ... terrorism? JACK FEENEY Mission Viejo

There is no doubt in my mind that Kobe Bryant did not give 100% in Game 7 against Phoenix. The real question is which Kobe Bryant will show up this season. I hope it's the Kobe Bryant who played team basketball in the first six games against Phoenix and not the one who for reasons known only to himself quit on his team in Game 7. PATRICK DUFF Aliso Viejo

The World Baseball Classic has just renewed umpire Bob Davidson's contract, as head of Team USA's cheerleading operation. MICHAEL MIYAMOTO Mission Viejo Maybe it is about time that we lose the phrase "World Champions" in reference to U.S. sports. CHRIS VAN HOWTEN Valencia So, despite Team USA getting that wrongly awarded gift call of the tag-up play against Japan, it occurred to me that Team Karma actually eliminated the U.S. masquerading in the colors of Mexico.

-- Rk. School (record) Div. LW 1. Corona Santiago (8-1) Div. I 2 2 L.P. Kennedy (10-1) Div. II 1 3 Valencia (11-2) Div. I 3 4 Norco (9-2) Div. I 5 5 El Modena (6-5-1) Div. II 12 6 Ayala (6-4-1) Div. II NR 7 San Pedro (9-1) City 4 8 Riverside Poly (4-1) Div. I 7 9 Thousand Oaks (3-1) Div. I 8 10 El Toro (8-4-1) Div. I 10 11 Lakewood (7-2) Div. II 15 12 Esperanza (5-2-2) Div. I 16 13 Ana. Canyon (7-3) Div. II 17 14 Marina (8-1) Div. I 19 15 L.B. Wilson (6-3) Div. II NR 16 Mission Viejo (8-3-1)

Olympic sprint champion Florence Griffith Joyner died after suffering an epileptic seizure, according to autopsy results released Thursday, and her family and friends say they hope the findings will put to rest rumors that drug use contributed to her death. Griffith Joyner died last month in her sleep at age 38. Her husband, Al Joyner, bitterly criticized those who suggested that she took performance-enhancing drugs.

Imagine what it was like Sept. 7 to be part of the Long Beach Poly football program on the night the Jackrabbits lost to Harbor City Narbonne, 56-0, their worst defeat since 1916. "We were all totally embarrassed," Coach Raul Lara said. "It was hard, especially because everyone was ridiculing us. " Fast forward to Friday night in the Pac-5 Division quarterfinals, when Poly upset No. 2-seeded Mission Viejo, 21-16. The Jackrabbits are "the phoenix of high school football rising out of the ashes," Santa Margarita Coach Harry Welch said.

Once on a flight to Warsaw in the 1990s, when the Polish airline LOT was still trying to get the hang of market economy, I requested a vegetarian meal. For the first course, I was served the same salad of iceberg lettuce and thousand-island dressing as everyone around me. But my hot entrée, I discovered as I peeled away the foil, was another helping of that salad zapped in the microwave. It took a minute or two for the Pole sitting next to me to stop laughing and wipe his tears away, but he then described how fabulous Polish vegetarian cooking could be. He suggested several dishes I try once I landed and told me where to find them.

In a season full of surprises, the Southern Section football playoff pairings were released on Sunday with more surprises. Encino Crespi (8-2) didn't receive an at-large berth for the Pac-5 Division playoffs. And Ventura St. Bonaventure (9-1) was given the No. 1 seeding over unbeaten Mission Viejo (10-0). It's a sign of the uncertainty and unpredictability of the playoffs that begin in 13 divisions on Friday. The Pac-5, the section's premier division, is filled with intrigue.

Conner Manning is no average quarterback, but Mission Viejo sure made him look like one Friday night, intercepting six passes on its way to a 49-7 victory over Lake Forest El Toro. The Diablos (10-0, 4-0), ranked No. 4 in the Southland by The Times, clinched their fourth consecutive South Coast League title and put themselves in the running for the top seeding in the Pac-5 Division playoffs. CIF Southern Section pairings will be released Sunday. "That's for the CIF to decide, I don't do that," Mission Viejo Coach Bob Johnson said.

High school football fans who enjoy lots of scoring should make plans to head out to Mission Viejo High on Friday night for a regular-season finale that doesn't get much better than the Diablos (9-0) taking on Lake Forest El Toro (9-0) to decide the South Coast League title. Asked how many points will be needed to win, El Toro Coach Rob Frith said, "Oh my gosh - it could be a lot. " El Toro, led by senior quarterback Conner Manning, is averaging 47.2 points a game, with a high of 77. Mission Viejo, led by junior quarterback Ian Fieber, is averaging 51.4 points with a high game of 84. "It could be an old-fashion shootout," Frith said.

Crenshaw (6-1, 2-0) vs. Dorsey (4-3, 2-0) at Rancho Cienega Park, 7 p.m. (Time Warner Cable Channel 101, midnight): A year ago, Crenshaw lost to Dorsey, 7-6, in a Coliseum League game. The Cougars have no sympathy for Dorsey, which has struggled to stop the run and pass this season. "We're hoping in our last couple of games we've gotten some of our problems solved," Dorsey Coach Paul Knox said. Crenshaw will turn to its top two athletes, Mossi Johnson and Dominique Hatfield, on both sides of the ball.

Philip Mendel prides himself on being the sort of a guy who plans ahead. So he purchased a $100,000 life insurance policy in 1988 to cover any costs that would come up in the event of his untimely demise. "I didn't want this to be something my wife would have to worry about," Mendel, 74, of Mission Viejo, told me. "I wanted her to have something to be able to put me away. " Now he and his wife are both worried. The insurer, Conseco Life Insurance Co., has informed Mendel that to maintain his current level of coverage, his monthly premium would have to rise to $510 from $25. "I told them they've got to be kidding," he said.

Lloyd Charton recalls a fateful knock on the door. At his Dana Point home stood a cheerful man with an impressive knowledge of Charton's personal life. It was a neighbor, Dan J. Harkey. Harkey congratulated him on his retirement and asked about a recent vacation. He told him about his company, Point Center Financial Inc., which raised money from private investors and lent it to real estate developers.

The new gunslingers First-year quarterbacks making impact Cade Apsay, C.C. Canyon, Jr. Has 26 touchdown passes. Ian Fieber, Mission Viejo, Jr. Has passed for 1,754 yards, 18 TDs. Ajene Harris, Crenshaw, Jr. Strong arm, fearless. Koa Haynes, Bishop Amat, Jr. Athletic, smart, versatile. Brad Kaaya, Chaminade, Jr. He's 6-4, smart and improving. Tyler Peterson, Diamond Bar, So. Has passed for 1,573 yards, 18 TDs. Nick Robinson, JSerra, So. Passed for 325 yards against St. John Bosco.

Three-sport high school standouts exist mostly in the history books. They've vanished along with rotary telephones and transistor radios. That makes senior Max Redfield of Mission Viejo old-school. Football is his primary sport, but with encouragement from Coach Bob Johnson, he's also a major contributor for the basketball and track teams. "I love that he plays three sports," Johnson said. "I've been a proponent of that forever. I like the attitude of going from one to another.