New prep football season brings its own questions

Issues, questions, controversies for the 2012 prep football season:

Who will be the first coach’s wife to file for divorce because of an unprecedented 16-game schedule?

I still don’t think it was worth it to move up the season one week so players could endure record heat during August practices just to add a week of regional football playoff games in December and subject a select few teams to a potential 17-week season.

When the state bowl games are finally completed Dec. 14-15, the celebration scene won’t last long. The players will be too exhausted and the coaches will be sprinting to the nearest jewelry store to find a nice holiday gift for their neglected wives.

Defensive backs have the most talent.

Every season, there’s a debate about what is the strongest position. This season, it’s defensive back. There are at least 15 senior secondary players who will receive college scholarships. And the best player for 2013 is Adoree’ Jackson of Gardena Serra, a defensive back.

The mad passers.

Jake Browning, a sophomore quarterback at Folsom in Northern California, opened the season by passing for 689 yards and 10 touchdowns. Conner Manning of Lake Forest El Toro threw 66 passes in his opener. Chad Kanoff of Studio City Harvard-Westlake threw 58 passes. I hope they have lots of ice for their arms.

Since when are prep games chosen for television based on being politically correct?

It’s clear the Southern Section has been prodding, if not pleading, for Fox Sports West and Time Warner Cable to broaden their choices for televised games. There’s nothing wrong with seeking diversity, which is a code word for getting more public schools airtime. But top games involving private schools shouldn’t be passed over in the name of political correctness.

Which division is better, Pac-5 or Inland?

The powerful Inland Division teams, such as Corona Centennial, Vista Murrieta, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga and Redlands East Valley, are trying to convince people they can more than hold their own against the Pac-5 powers. We’ll find out more this week, with Centennial playing Ventura St. Bonaventure and Rancho Cucamonga taking on Anaheim Servite.

A disturbing trend

Thanks to regional playoffs, there’s no real incentive in the future for a team in the Pac-5 or Inland to schedule a series of tough nonleague opponents to impress the bowl selectors. If you win the Pac-5 or Inland, you’re almost certain to get a bowl berth regardless whether you played a tough or weak nonleague schedule.

Marmonte League madness

The Marmonte League has split into a Marmonte League East and a Marmonte League West, with the West champ meeting the East champ in Week 10. If the only two private schools in the league, Oaks Christian and St. Bonaventure, reach the final, it should produce lots of howling and indignation. But somebody’s going to make lots of money from a sold-out championship crowd.

Not invited to the party.

All of the schools that have transfers who become eligible Oct. 1 under the new CIF transfer rules should hold a big block party on that day. Not invited are the players who will immediately lose their starting positions Oct. 1. Welcome to fairness, CIF style.

Time to pay up on losing bets.

The rumors were continual all spring and summer. He was transferring to Sierra Canyon. He was headed to Chaminade. He was going to Oaks Christian. All of those who made bets that former Westlake quarterback Justin Moore would reverse his decision to give up football, pay up.

Moore was at Simi Valley Royal for the first day of classes last week, and he’s not playing football.

No one thought he would walk away after passing for 2,483 yards and rushing for 1,099 yards as a junior. He said he had a different path to lead. He has proved the skeptics wrong. He should run for political office.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

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