Costa Mesa ribbing gets too saucy

Deirdre Newman

COSTA MESA -- A cross-town high school sporting tradition left a bad

taste in the mouth of one family who spent Sunday morning peeling

barbecue sauce off its walls and picking up rib bones, corn bread and

coleslaw scattered across its lawn.

The greasy graffiti on Louis Valdes’ property allegedly came courtesy

of Costa Mesa High School basketball players who were celebrating a

finger-licking good victory over their rival, Estancia High School.

Valdes’ son, Mitch, is the Estancia team captain.

“I felt a little bit violated,” Louis Valdes said.

The cross-town series goes “way back,” said Estancia Principal Tom

Antal, and usually culminates in an honorary dinner at the Newport Rib

Co. In previous years, the winning team has scattered the bones on the

losing team’s field, he said. This is the first year the prank has

escalated to private property.

The joke went a bit far for Valdes, who filed a police report and

estimates the damage to be between $400 and $500.

But so far he is taking a wait-and-see approach to the ribbing,

waiting for the perpetrators to come forward before considering any

action.

“We think we have an idea [who did it], but we’re waiting for them to

come forward to see what kind of men they are. If not, we’ll take it out

in civil court,” Valdes said.

The incident happened Friday night after the Costa Mesa boys’

basketball team was feted at Newport Rib Co. by Estancia booster Jim

Scott, who sponsors the dinners for four sports -- football, baseball and

boys’ and girls’ basketball.

“I heard a big crash at the front door, which was the breakage of our

screen door, and went outside,” Valdes said. “It scared . . . my wife.”

Valdes spent the better half of Sunday morning cleaning up the mess,

which he estimated at about 25 pounds worth of grub. He also called

Antal, who said he was appalled the tradition had turned into vandalism.

“Going to private property is outrageous,” Antal said.

Costa Mesa High Principal Bob Evans, who chowed down on ribs with his

team Friday night, said he would discourage the tradition from taking a

more devious turn in the future.

“I certainly will advise them at the dinners that this is not going to

happen,” Evans said.

Police officers on both school campuses are scheduled to meet sometime

this week to further investigate the incident.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .