Movin’ on

Roger Carlson

COSTA MESA - In what may have been one of the longest “standoffs”

in years, the completion of Estancia High football transfers A.J.

Perkins, Matt Colby, Bobby Arroyo, Freddy Rodriguez and Jesse Cardenas to

crosstown rival Costa Mesa is finished.

Confirming it is Estancia Principal Tom Antal, who, after an extensive

investigation, said on Tuesday, “I’ve signed it off and I’m convinced

there were no violations of CIF rules. I’ll miss them, they’re very fine

boys.”

Estancia Athletic Director Tim Parsel perhaps sums it up best, saying,

“We need to put this behind us. Estancia has to make the best of it.”

So there is no undue influence, the transfers are complete and it’s

over.

What isn’t over are the lingering effects -- Costa Mesa gaining such

strength, Estancia losing such potential, and it won’t be played out

until at least December as the CIF Playoffs unwind.

Every school experiences losses and gains in the transfer department.

It happens all the time. Indeed, Costa Mesa has lost its share of quality

athletes looking for something else.

This particular issue is doubled, and redoubled, because of the

numbers involved, and it involves traditional city rivals.

Clearly, there are bad tastes left in the Eagles’ mouths. Some at

Costa Mesa, especially Coach Dave Perkins, believe they, too, have been

painted with an unjust brush.

Perkins has reiterated his dissatisfaction with life and times at

Estancia as his motive to leave, and that the five seniors-to-be followed

him with their own conscience dictating the move, as signaled in Antal’s

decision to close it out.

The bottom line is that Perkins wanted to make the move, he did, and

they followed.

Open enrollment isn’t something new. It’s done all over the place.

In Long Beach it’s the trigger to Long Beach Poly’s reputation as one

of the best high school football dynastys in America.

The Jackrabbits, who have never needed any help at all, are 54-1-1

over the past five years, averaging over 46 points a game against

top-rated opposition in those five seasons.

It has been in place in Irvine, which shares four schools, Woodbridge,

Irvine, University and Northwood, and I’ve not heard much, at all, in

terms of grievances.

In Costa Mesa, with just two schools, Estancia and it’s 1,200-plus

enrollment, and Costa Mesa and it’s 1,000-plus, it has the potential to

create a short fuse.

There aren’t many answers to the problem, although I’ve heard a couple

of suggestions from both sides of town.

-- Refurbish one school, give it a different name and send everyone

there.

-- Or, simply continue with two campuses, an “East Campus” (Costa

Mesa) and a “West Campus” (Estancia) with a new name and combine the

athletic teams.

A lot of people on the perimeter see either option as reasonable.

Some on the inside say complications to either thought goes far deeper

and doubt it would be feasible.

Another will tell you the only way it would fly would be with a banner

across it, stating “How to save money.”

OK. Let’s start with that. How to save money:

For option 1, it would cut many jobs, create hardships and force every

student from one side to leave his or her campus. I’m not too crazy about

that.

For option 2, I see possibilities.

First, let’s say, rename the school (Troxel High has a nice ring to

it).

Then put a banner across each school, stating “West Campus” and “East

Campus.”

Continue classrooms and teachers at both campuses without any movement

at all.

Then go to work on specific sports.

For instance ... in terms of coaching assignments and

responsibilities:

. Football, girls cross country, girls water polo, girls volleyball,

girls golf, boys basketball, girls soccer, baseball, boys track, boys

swimming and boys tennis would be at the East Campus, assisted by West

Campus coaches.

. Boys cross country - boys water polo, girls tennis, wrestling, girls

basketball, boys soccer, softball, girls track and field, girls swimming,

boys volleyball and boys golf would be at the West Campus, assisted by

the East Campus coaches.

There are any number of variations here, but that’s an example.

What would happen?

Obviously, every program would be stronger, the coaching staffs for

each would double and success on the field would certainly be higher.

Pressure would be relieved on facilities at both campuses and you’d

think, with the number of sports halved at each campus, despite generally

the same number of athletes, the workload would be lessened.

Some bus rides, or vans, might be involved, but that doesn’t seem such

a hardship.

There would be some internal struggles, but you would think reason

would prevail.

As time would go by, some staffs would dwindle by attrition where less

is OK, some wouldn’t -- which falls under the “How to save Money” theory.

Other programs at both schools might also be integrated, but those are

issues outside this scope.

Two campuses, two coaching staffs and one strong team, not only on the

field, but united among themselves, creating bonds, rather than the

ongoing devisive present.

Competition is one thing. But what’s hard to swallow are watching

friends and important people in one city stranded on two islands.

Would it save money? Maybe not a lot. But I find it hard to believe

the decision-makers would not at least see some merit in the thought.

Would CIF agree to this? If it would accept the combining of three

schools to form Peninsula High, which it has, I’d find it hard to believe

this would not qualify, whether it was one or two campuses.

Maybe this wouldn’t fly for 2002 when both schools join the Golden

West League. Maybe it wouldn’t for 2005 when another releaguing cycle

begins.

But to think about a red and green-clad Troxel High, with a pegasus

mascot (the flying horse) is still something you can dream about.

As for reality and the present, Parsel’s advice to “move on,” seems

pretty logical.