Releaguing: Locals like releaguing plan

Barry Faulkner

FOUNTAIN VALLEY - Four Newport-Mesa high schools got what they

wanted from the final Orange County releaguing proposal approved by

representatives from 63 schools Thursday at Fountain Valley High.

But not without a price.

Costa Mesa, Estancia and Corona del Mar will, for all or part of the

four-year athletic cycle beginning the fall of 2002, have to deal with

the scheduling problems associated with a seven-team league.

Barring a successful appeal, the final plan, put forward by a 47-16

vote and now subject to approval by the CIF Southern Section, will place

Costa Mesa and Estancia in the Golden West League, along with Ocean View,

Saddleback, Santa Ana, Westminster and Orange.

CdM will remain in the PCL, where it will compete with Laguna Beach,

Northwood, University, Calvary Chapel and new schools Tesoro (opening

next fall in the Capistrano Unified School District) and Beckman

(tentatively scheduled by the Tustin Unified School District to open the

fall of 2003).

Newport Harbor remains in the Sea View League, which will add current

Century League member Foothill to become a six-school unit.

“Ultimately, we would not want to be in a seven-team league, but we’re

willing to do it for the good of the order,” said Costa Mesa Boys

Athletic Director Kirk Bauermeister, who like Mesa Principal Diana Carey,

is happy to be moving from the PCL.

“The proposed (Golden West) league is very equitable for everyone,”

Carey said.

Estancia Principal Tom Antal said the scheduling difficulties did not

outweigh his school’s desire to compete in the Golden West League, where

the Eagles and Mustangs figure to have a better chance to win league

championships.

Antal also indicated there have been discussions with the Garden Grove

League, another seven-team circuit, about cross-scheduling to fill the

byes odd-team leagues face in league competition.

CdM’s quandary is complicated by the unspecified timetable for Beckman

to open, and subsequently field varsity teams. Typically, new schools

open with freshmen and sophomores, then begin competing on the varsity

level without seniors the following year.

CdM Athletic Director Jerry Jelnick said it would be tough to talk

about the difficulties of a seven-team league, because it remains unclear

when that will become an issue.

Former CdM principal Don Martin, who recently became director of

curriculum and instruction for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District

but elected to finish the process as CdM’s representative, said he hoped

the PCL could work out a scheduling arrangement with another seven-team

league.

Newport Harbor Principal Michael Vossen said he believes adding

Foothill to the Sea View is “a very good fit,” citing the three

releaguing criteria of competitive equity, geography and enrollment. It

also solves the scheduling problems Sea View schools have endured as a

five-team configuration.

“I’m very happy,” Vossen said.

Foothill High Boys Athletic Director Vince Brown said his school will

face a bigger competitive challenge in the Sea View.

“It will raise the bar for us, across the board,” Brown said. “But our

coaches will just have to coach better.”

The final proposal was a compromise, created by 10 league

representatives, after a process of four votes reached an impasse.

A plan generated by Villa Park Principal Fran Roney twice came within

one vote of the necessary two-thirds (42 votes) required to be submitted

to the section office, before members voted to empower the league

representatives to find a solution.

That solution, which swapped Valencia, slated to join the Century

League, with Brea, ticketed for the Empire League, was ratified with one

vote, ending the meeting after more than four and a half hours.

Century League members Canyon, El Modena and Villa Park, which

inherited Brea Olinda, Tustin and El Dorado, voiced strong opposition to

the approved compromise plan.

Roney, however, said she sees no basis for appeal.

El Dorado said it would have preferred to remain in the Empire League,

while Esperanza continued to voice its objection about remaining in the

Sunset League, based on geography.