Perusing a copy of The Californian's 2010 high school football preview, which will be in Thursday's edition, reminded me of one of my favorite stories in two decades of being around Southwest County high school sports.

Even in an area most of us had never visited, the streets, businesses and buildings had begun to look familiar.

On board the bus in 1990 was half of the Temecula Valley High School Golden Bear football team. They were on their way to Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles to play Morningside High School in a CIF playoff game.

After a half hour going around in circles, the coaches questioned the driver, who admitted he didn't really know where we were.

There was still time to find the stadium, but with rush-hour traffic filling the streets, apprehension began to grow.

Many people didn't give the upstart Golden Bears a chance against Morningside. And if half the team were stuck in traffic, the odds against Temecula would be much greater.

Thank goodness the game was going to be on the radio.

Several months earlier, I'd approached TVHS Athletic Director Stan Ford about broadcasting the team's football games. KRTM 88.9 FM was new in Temecula and looking for a way to establish itself.

Ford was hesitant at first, fearing that broadcasts of the games might keep people at home instead of buying tickets and coming out to watch in person.

Two weeks before the season began, Ford gave us the go-ahead, and the scramble was on.

Sponsors were found, equipment capable of sending a signal from Golden Bear Stadium to the radio station on Via Montezuma was purchased, and after a few games, I ended up with the play-by-play job.

Home games were broadcast from atop the press box at the stadium.

However, away games in 1990 ---- long before modern wireless technology ---- were a challenge.

If the press box had a working telephone line, and if the home school had a cooperative athletic director, we were good.

Several schools had neither.

For those games, I relied on a cell phone apparatus that weighed about 40 pounds.

The Golden Bears had a great 1990 season and made the CIF playoffs.

However, with half the team lost in Los Angeles, hope of a championship seemed in jeopardy.

I lugged my cell phone over to the coaches and offered to let them use it.

A call was made from onboard the bus, and the driver got directions to the school. The bus arrived a bit late, but in time to for the players to warm up for the game, which Temecula won.

The Golden Bears went on to capture their first CIF football championship two weeks later with a 29-7 romp over Palos Verdes at Temecula

After that game, one of the coaches told me, "Thanks, we couldn't have done it without you."

That wasn't true, but 20 years later it remains one of my favorite high school football stories.

Call columnist John Hunneman at 951-676-4315, ext. 2603.