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 .
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