HOT OFF THE PRESS: MONTCLAIR PREP'S BOWL GAME: HOPE.

Montclair Prep of Panorama City's football team, which isn't allowed to participate in the Southern Section playoffs this year as part of a deal with the section that allowed the freelance Mounties to make a late switch from the Olympic League to eight-man, is looking at tonight's game against Hope Center of Compton at 7 at Van Nuys High as its Super Bowl.

Hope (6-1) figures to be the only legitimate threat for Montclair Prep (5-0), which averages 54 points per game and finishes its seven-game season Nov. 3 against 1-6 Lone Pine.

Once considered one of California's most feared eight-man programs before moving to 11-man in the early 1980s, Montclair Prep appeared in three consecutive eight-man finals from 1975-77 during veteran coach George Giannini's first of four stints at the school.

-- Gerry Gittelson

No Golden ending

As if the disappointment of a two-game losing streak and the pressure of facing Alemany of Mission Hills in Friday's Mission League opener wasn't enough for the St. Francis of La Canada Flintridge football team to deal with, coach Jim Bonds learned junior receiver Kevin Garcia is lost for the rest of the season after suffering a broken ankle in Saturday's 31-17 loss to Crespi of Encino.

``The physical part of the game (Saturday) is something we haven't seen (this season),'' Bonds said. ``But we've got to get healthy and get ready for Mission League. We've got to be prepared for the next three games, because those are the ones that really count.''

-- Erik Boal

Say hello to polo?

If water polo enthusiasts have their way, the sport could soon be coming to Santa Clarita high schools. A group of parents have been lobbying the schools to add water polo, and they are encouraged by progress made in recent weeks during presentations at each school. The goal is to have boys' and girls' water polo teams at each of the six schools in the Foothill League.

Local interest in water polo has soared since the Santa Clarita Water Polo Club was formed and began training out of the Santa Clarita Aquatics Center, where many of the high school games would be played.

``The sport is blossoming out here,'' said Pete Loporchio, a coach with the Santa Clarita Water Polo Club, who also coaches at Crescenta Valley High of La Crescenta.

``The facilities are here, the kids are here, it's just trying to get the adults to buy into it and think outside the box. I think it's a little bit a fear of the unknown. But once they get into it, it's contaigous, the interest is really growing.''

-- Heather Gripp

Saugus shooting for No. 1

With its victory in the girls' Div. I-II sweepstakes event Saturday at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational, there is speculation that the Saugus High girls' cross country team will take over the No. 1 ranking in the nation when the Harrier magazine polls are updated Sunday. The No. 10 Centurions clocked 93 minutes, 39 seconds on the hilly three-mile course to finish nearly a minute ahead of No. 2 Corona del Mar of Newport Beach, and the top-ranked team in the nation, Hilton (N.Y.) also lost last weekend in a separate event.

-- Kevin Connelly 

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