SOUTHERN SECTION PREVIEW : The Deck Is Shuffled Once Again : Changes of Scenery Ordered for 8 Leagues and 26 Teams

The Southern Section, which revises the makeup of its conferences and leagues every second year in hopes of maintaining competition among high school football teams, has completed its rebalancing act for 1986-87. Eight leagues have switched conferences, and 26 teams have changed leagues.

There are just two changes in the Big Five Conference, the premier conference, and those involving only four schools. Playa del Rey St. Bernard, which played in the Northwestern Conference’s Camino Real League last year, has replaced Downey Pius X in the Angelus League, Pius X moving to the Camino Real League. Similarly, Sunnymead Moreno Valley of the Eastern Conference’s Ivy League has replaced Palm Springs in the Citrus Belt League, Palm Springs moving to the Ivy.

There were major changes, however, in the Coastal and Southern conferences, generally regarded as the next two strongest.

The Golden League, which includes Canyon Country Canyon and Lancaster Antelope Valley, has moved from the Northwestern Conference to the Coastal Conference, replacing the Foothill League, which is now in the Northwestern Conference.

Canyon, which played Antelope Valley for the Northwestern Conference title last year, has won three straight conference titles and has the longest winning streak in the state at 38 games. Newhall Hart of the Foothill League won the Coastal Conference title in 1983 and reached the final last year.

The newly revamped Ocean League, which now includes Santa Monica, has moved from the Northwestern Conference to the Southern Conference, replacing the Sierra League, which is now in the Eastern Conference.

The Eastern Conference appears to be stronger with the addition the Sierra League, which now includes Diamond Bar and Covina Charter Oak, in addition to Hacienda Heights Los Altos.

Diamond Bar reached the Southeastern Conference final the last three years and won in 1984 as a member of the Hacienda League. Charter Oak, of the Montview League, won the Southeastern title in 1985.

To make room for the Sierra League, the Rio Hondo League has moved to the Northwestern Conference. Also new to the Northwestern Conference is the Pioneer League, which was formerly in the Desert-Mountain Conference.

Also leaving the Northwestern Conference is the Los Padres League and perennial power Atascadero, which returns to the Desert-Mountain Conference, where the Greyhounds won two titles and finished second between 1980 and 1983.

The only new league in the section is the Pacific Coast. It is made up of Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach Laguna Hills, Orange, Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills and Irvine Woodbridge, and will play in the Desert-Mountain Conference.

Here are the revisions this season, first by conference and then by league:

BIG FIVE Angelus--St. Bernard (from Camino Real League); Pius X (to Camino Real).

Citrus Belt--Moreno Valley (from Ivy); Palm Springs (to Ivy).

Del Rey--No changes.

Moore--No changes.

Sunset--No changes.

COASTAL Bay--North Torrance and Torrance (from Ocean). Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach Mira Costa (to Ocean); Redondo (to Pioneer).

Channel--No changes.

Golden (from Northwestern Conference)--No changes.

Marmonte--No changes.

Pacific--No changes.

SOUTHERN Century--No changes.

Empire--No changes.

Ocean (from Northwestern Conference)--Mira Costa and Santa Monica (from Bay); Torrance and North Torrance (to Bay).

San Gabriel Valley--No changes.

South Coast--Laguna Hills (to Pacific Coast).

EASTERN Baseline--No changes.

Ivy--Palm Springs (from Citrus Belt); Moreno Valley (to Citrus Belt).

Sierra (from Souther Conference)--Charter Oak (from Montview); Diamond Bar (from Hacienda).

Valle Vista--Walnut and West Covina (from Sierra).

Whitmont--No changes.

NORTHWESTERN Camino Real--Pius X (from Angelus); St. Bernard (to Angelus).

Foothill (from Coastal Conference)--No changes.

Northern--No changes.

Pioneer (from Desert-Mountain Conference)--Redondo (from Bay); North Hollywood Harvard (to Santa Fe).

Rio Hondo (from Eastern Conference)--No changes.

CENTRAL Freeway--No changes.

Garden Grove--No changes.

Orange--No changes.

Sea View--Tustin (from Century); Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach and Woodbridge (to Pacific Coast).

Suburban--No changes.

DESERT-MOUNTAIN Frontier--No changes.

Los Padres (from Northwestern)--No changes.

Pacific Coast (new league)--Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach and Woodbridge (from Sea View), Laguna Hills (from South Coast); Orange (from Century), Trabuco Hills (free lance).

Santa Fe--Harvard (from Pioneer), L.A. Salesian (from Camino Real).

Sunkist--Riverside La Sierra and Riverside Norte Vista (from San Andreas); Temecula Valley (new school).

SOUTHEASTERN Desert Valleys--No changes.

Hacienda--Diamond Bar (to Sierra).

Mission Valley--No changes.

Montview--No changes.

San Andreas--Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World and Yucaipa (from Sunkist); La Sierra and Norte Vista (to Sunkist).

INLAND Alpha--Sierra Madre Maranatha (from Olympic).

Desert-Inyo Large--No changes.

Desert-Inyo Small--Silver Valley (free lance).

De Anza--No changes.

Olympic--Maranatha (to Alpha).

Tri Valley (from Desert-Mountain Conference)--No changes.