UCLA fans’ turn to gloat

Former UCLA student Scott Gayner was sure this was the year. After losing seven years in a row, Gayner knew UCLA was due for a win. And he was right.

UCLA won, 13-9, over USC in one of the year’s most anticipated games for both schools.

The teams played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, but many Newport-Mesa residents planted themselves at their favorite watering holes to grit their teeth and cross their fingers during the intensely close game.

Gayner, a UCLA graduate, gathered with some buddies at their annual gameday bash at Mi Casa Restaurant and Bar to cheer on their team. Gayner knows too well about the UCLA-USC rivalry, having been recruited to play football at the university in the late 1960s by Franklin C. “Pepper” Rogers. Gayner said he was unable to play because of injuries.

“I knew the rivalry and how sweet it is to win against USC…. And that’s why we need to break out and get a W, and this year we are loaded and SC isn’t the powerhouse it was last year,” Gayner said in the third quarter. “This year we’re going to break the streak.”

Anyone who’s driven down the streets of Newport Beach knows it’s a USC town, with flags hanging from many houses along many streets.

Corona del Mar resident Don Kazarian, one of Gayner’s buddies, is in the thick of USC fans at his home. On Saturday, he was among his own at Mi Casa, although he didn’t attend UCLA but rather adopted the team as his own. He even had his hair dyed powder blue for what ended up being a momentous occasion for Bruins.

Kazarian said he couldn’t wait to flaunt the win of his adopted team.

“If you live down here with all the SC goofballs all year, you just hope for a win every year,” Kazarian said moments before UCLA scored a field goal in the third quarter. “This would be so beautiful.”

On the peninsula, fans were out in droves at the bars that line Balboa and Newport boulevards.

Yasmeen Williams of Laguna Beach could have been very conflicted. Williams, 29, graduated from both UCLA and USC, but her red and gold was a glaring indication of where her loyalties lay. But the rivalry was a friendly one, and her friend Shana Yudan of Fountain Valley, despite wearing a UCLA shirt, accompanied her and fellow USC fan Nicole Gomez of Newport outside Newport Beach Brewing Co. just before UCLA clinched the win.

But even as the Trojans trailed, Williams had undaunted confidence.

“The rivalry is a tradition, and it’s fun to feed into it,” Williams said. “It’s really an unlikely scenario that UCLA is winning, but they’ll [USC] pull it out.”

But USC grad Jason Korengold of Newport Beach wasn’t so sure as the Trojans had only 9 points to the Bruins’ 13.

“There’s six minutes left in the fourth quarter and it’s 13-9, UCLA,” Korengold said. “I’ll note that I’m feeling very nervous.”

Korengold was also watching the game from Newport Beach Brewing Co. and had come with friends from both schools.

“We do silly bets every year, like if their team loses, they have to wear the other school’s T-shirt around,” Korengold said.

Costa Mesa City Councilwoman Katrina Foley had about 50 USC and UCLA fans at her house, where they played a friendly game of flag football.

“The UCLA team won that too,” Foley said victoriously.

It was all cheers from Foley and other UCLA grads as the seven-year streak was broken.

“When they get too cocky, that’s when we strike,” Gayner said.

And strike they did. Final: UCLA 13, USC 9.