Ventura County Star from Ventura, California • 19

STM In Star Lakers back in action The Los Angeles Lakers coming off a 120-116 overtime loss to the Washington Wizards on Friday host the Memphis Grizzlies wwwVenturaCoantyStarcomvc8sport8 1 Monday Pec 20 2004 FC Editor Mika Blackwell ntolackwellVcnturaCountyStarcom 655-5821 Change In the offing? Realignment in the works Tri-Valley teams Grace Brethren are area football programs expecting to move up i i High' ter leagues By Loraa La XII winner Grace Brethren A realignment of member UT not that JLmuch fun when some of the playoff games are 56-0 and scores like that Everybody would like to play the best Gavin Ketch urn Dak Park senior receivertlefensive back on his team's Imposed move to Division next year The CIF-Southem Section football playoff iet-up in lower divisions featuring area schools likely will change next year The current divisions (and 2004 league champion): Division Los PadresLompoc Del ReyCrespi PioneerNorth Torrance MontviewGladstone Rio HondoLa Canada Division XI Tri-ValieyOaks Christian OlympicValley Christian De AnzaSan Jacinto Camino RealLaSalle Division XII AlphaGrace Brethren ChristianOntario Christian High DesertMojave Santa FeBell-Jeff Desert MountainBoron What could change Olympic League dissolves joins Alpha League in current Division XII De Anza Camino Real leagues drop into current Division XII Tri-Valley Leagues moves up one division Desert Mountain League drops down one division yean and is projected to step up into Division and Grace Brethren which is slated to become part of revamped Division XL Terry Gouriey the athletic director and head football coach at Grace Brethren said the league restructuring inside the Gold Coast Athletic Conference has the consent of the Southern Section though the ultimate makeup in die CIF-SS football divisions through XQ has not Saa REAU6NMENT C5 hi the Gold Coast Athletic Conference which includes Grace Brethren home Alpha League is expected to mandate shifts in at least four QFSS football divisions for the 2005 season Affected The road to a Southern Section football championship likely will get tougher next year for area schools that compete the lower divisions including twotime Division XI champion Oaks Christian School and newly crowned Division has Division XI in recent NFL I WEEK 15 system Chargers clinch AFC West With eighth straight win one season after finishing with worst record friifr 'jU Team would end season above 500 with a bowl win By JosCuriey jcvrieyknturaCounfyStar com LOS ANGELES- It may not be Pasadena on New Year's Dry or Miami on a Tuesday night but the UCLA football team cannot wait to strap on the pads for Thursday's Las Vhgas Bowl against Wyoming And following strong end-of-season performances against Oregon and No 1 USC the Westwood community is releasing some pent-up excitement of its own "It definitely feels different on said senior receiver Craig Bragg who has ridden the up-down-up rollercoaster ride for four seasons "You can tell can By Tom Withers The Associated Press CLEVELAND Those lightning-bolt decals streaking across their helmets have never been more fitting The San Diego Chargers have shocked the NFL and maybe even themselves LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns Antonio Gates tied a league record with his 12th TD and San Diego captured the AFC West tide Sunday sliding through the snow for a 21-0 win over the Cleveland Browns One season after a league worst 4-12 mark the Chargers (11-3) won their eighth straight and earned their first postseason berth since 1995 when Denver lost at Kansas city They're division champions for the first time since 1994 Tve only been here for four yean but in some ways it feels like Tomlinson said "Tb go from where we were to this is awesome dreamed of the playoffs for a long time but it's only been a Reality set in quickly As the Chargers walked off the frozen field each W-l-l 1 Boccnea cursrpCNni snap costs Lions chance to go into overtime against Wrings C6 The Eagles clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs but lose star receiver Terrell Owens to a sprained ankle C6 I player was handed an West 2004 baseball cap This feels said quarterback Drew Brees who attempted just six passes "Itt been a long toad for San Diego fans and us It feds great because we expected to do too much this year Instead of 11-3 a lot of people thought be With a mistake-free offense and hard-nosed defense coach Marty Schottenheimer has led the Chargers to their longest win streak since 1987 Sm CHARGERS mC9 just by walking The feeling has readied the recruiting field as former Thousand Oaks High and BYU quarterback Ben Olson is expected to join the program as soon as today Obviously toe wave of good feeling has readied the Moigui Center as head coach Karl Dorrell received a twoyear contract extension last week despite a 12-12 overall record And it has certainly reached the media who came out in droves to a morning practice last week prompting Dorrell to look into toe cameras and ask This a national championship Nope It's a meaningless pre-Christmas bond game against a team which finished tied for fourth in the Mountain West Conference And it will determine if the 6-5 Bruins finish the 2004 season with a winning record These are points UCLA would do well to remember These Bruins should not be getting all bullish on us just yet "At the same time we have to remember where we came said Bragg finishing his previous thought "If we down there and don't play well be right back where we The 34-26 win in Eugene Ore on Nov 13 was a big achievement it clinched a bond berth in the toughest place See UCLA mC3 mhkmM Mart Pwnan ZAP San Diego comerback Drayton Florence (29) upends Cleveland receiver Frisman Jackson after a 6-yard catch in the first quarter of Sunday's game The Chargers won 21-0 to clinch the AFC West title Manning settles for a win Colts QB a TD pass short of record One to tie two to pass Colts quarterback Peyton Manning needs one more TD pass to tie Dan Marino for Hie most In a single season Here are the singleseason leaders (x-activey Player YearNo Dan Marinot Mia 198448 x-ftyton Mannkigind 200447 Dan Marini Mia 198644 Kurt Warner StL 2000 '41 BrettFavreJiB 199639 BrettFavreLGB 1995 38 George BlandaHou 1961 36 YA Tittie NYG 1963 36 Steve BeuerteinCar1999 36 Kurt Warner StL 2001 36 Steve Ybiing SF 1998 36 player drew an unexpected reaction from the crowd boos 1 get over the crowd booing like said Manning last season's league co-MVP 1 hope those were Baltimore fens because that's what supposed to His record pursuit aside Manning did have another good game He completed 20 Baa COIXS aaC9 ting night Manning threw his 47th touchdown pass of the season to move within one of Dan Marino is longstanding record and finished with 249 yards to lead the Colts to a 20-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night But after kneeling twice in the final minute to run out the dock and passing up a chance at tying record the franchise By Mkhad Mint liu Associated Press Peyton Manning tried to focus on winning while toe home crowd seemed unwilling to accept anything less than a record-set DmaCimhpAP Colts quarterback Peyton Manning throws against the Ravens on Sunday night Pro basketball 1 Baseball Suadayt NBA) 107 71 I Kings I Hornets iKnicks I Jazz Quote unquote always wanted anonymity JLThat has nothing to do with golf more life in general Hie ideal world: to be able to compete and play and still not be recognized That would be the greatest thing ever" Tiger Woods on being the world's most popular golfer Quick fact Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash has double-digit assists in eight straight games The last player to have more than 10 in eight consecutive games was Nick Van Exel during the 1999-2000 season 94 93 110 92 82 Key dates Today -Last day for teams to offer 2005 contracts to unsigned players Jan 4 Hall of Fame voting announced Jan 5-15 Salary arbitration filing Jan 8 Last day until May 1 for free agents who rejected arbitration offers to fe-sign with their former teams I Grizzlies I Clippers Roundup box scores C4 Raptors Nets Hesff 99 117 I Magic 107 Memphis puts game my with 132 ran in fourth quartet C4 i rra-L.