Southland to Compete in Playoffs : Southern Section Ends Its Boycott of State Tournament

The Southern Section of the California Interscholastic Federation ended its one-year boycott of the state high school basketball tournament Thursday when the Executive Council approved a proposal to return to the playoffs next season.

The council, made up of 58 Southern Section league representatives, voted 46-12 to return to the state tournament, which was revived in 1981 after a 53-year absence. The tournament was established in 1916 and was held until 1928. Thursday’s vote applies to both boys’ and girls’ teams.

There were three main reasons for the council’s reversal of last year’s decision to leave the state tournament:

--The CIF made concessions to accommodate the Southern Section, which, with its 478 member schools, is the largest of the state’s 10 sections. The state basketball tournament will be conducted one week later than previously scheduled, thereby easing some of the scheduling strains that led to the Southern Section’s departure.

League representatives were concerned that some schools had to schedule three games a week at least twice and sometimes three times during the season so that they could complete their seasons in time for the state tournament. With the new CIF calendar, eight-team leagues should have to play three games a week only once.

--There were financial considerations. Even though it didn’t participate this year, and thus did not receive any revenue, the Southern Section was billed $8,000 as its share of the tournament’s expenses. By participating, the section estimates a return, after expenses, of at least $7,000 next year.

--There was the influence of the Southern Section’s Executive Committee, which had proposed the return to the state tournament. The committee is headed by Ray Plutko, Southern Section commissioner.

“Whenever the chair gets behind a proposal, it’s bound to influence some people,” said Dr. Dennis Evans, Corona del Mar principal and Sea View League representative. “If the commissioner thinks it’s legitimate, it’s going to persuade people.”

Plutko, a member of the McKeesport High School basketball team that won the Pennsylvania state championship in 1955, has been a proponent of the state tournament.

“I think it’s educationally sound for students in Southern California to see students in Northern California eye to eye before, during and after a game,” Plutko said. “We’re part of the state (CIF) organization, and I think we should support its programs.”

Dr. Robert Packer, superintendent of the Duarte Unified School District and a member of the executive committee, believes the decision will heal some of the ill will toward the Southern Section.

“The other sections felt that if you’re a member of a state organization, you have the obligation to be involved in the state tournament,” Packer said. “They were upset with us, but this will go a long way toward mending those feelings.”

But Evans, whose proposal to drop out of the tournament last year was approved by a 44-14 count, voted against rejoining the tournament Thursday, as did seven of the nine representatives of Orange County Leagues. Only the Garden Grove and Sunset Leagues approved the proposal.

“We voted at the last meeting to have a dead week (a week of non-activity) after each sports season and we turn around this meeting and expand the season,” he said. “We (the Sea View League) support the constriction of activity to make sure kids are not overwhelmed by the demands of the sports season. We try to be consistent on those issues.”

Other arguments against the state tournament included the absence of rivalries between southern and northern schools, and the anti-climactic nature of the tournament. Some principals believe that a Southern Section championship carries enough prestige.

The state’s 10 section commissioners recently voted to keep the state tournament finals at the Oakland Coliseum Arena. The council will meet to discuss the Southern California Regional format this summer, but Plutko said Thursday that the games will probably be played at home-school sites, with the regional final being held in a larger arena.