Fountain Valley and Edison Drew 28,969 Fans in 1980 : Where Have Big Crowds Gone?

Edison vs. Fountain Valley. In entertainment terms, the football rivalry between what at the time were two of the biggest high schools west of the Mississippi River was pure box office between 1975 and 1981.

The rivalry began in 1969, and five years later, the schools had outgrown Orange Coast College’s LeBard Stadium. An overflow crowd of 10,000 jammed the 8,000-seat facility, with fans sitting in the ivy-covered end zones.

“Both schools received a bill for $1,000 for damages to the stadium, and that’s when we decided it was time to look for another place to play,” said Bill Workman, who then was Edison coach. “Anaheim Stadium was the only alternative.”

The move to the Big A paid off immediately. For the next six years, the games drew crowds of 14,000 to 28,000. But few high school events reached the magnitude or drawing power of the Edison-Fountain Valley series in 1980.

A crowd of 28,969 showed up at Anaheim Stadium that year for the Southern Section’s Big Five Conference championship game between the schools, the fifth-largest crowd in the section’s 75-year history. By comparison, the Angels averaged 28,362 in 1980.

The game showcased some of Southern California’s most talented high school players. Four players would go on to play in the National Football League--tackle Duval Love (Rams), quarterback Matt Stevens (Kansas City Chiefs) and wide receiver Emile Harry (Chiefs) of Fountain Valley and linebacker Rick DiBernardo (St. Louis Cardinals).

It was also a rematch between the teams involved in a last-minute 15-14 Edison victory for the Sunset League title that only five weeks before had drawn 18,516 fans at Anaheim, the third-largest crowd for a non-playoff game in Southern Section history.

The championship game was lucrative. After they split the gate with the Southern Section, each school took home $18,407.97 after expenses. The section’s share was $36,815.95.

By comparison, Crespi and St. John Bosco each earned $6,526.42 in last year’s Big Five Conference title game at Anaheim. El Toro, Southern Conference champion, earned $10,039 in four playoff games.

“That year was the height of high school football in Southern California,” said Mike Milner, Fountain Valley coach. “We drew 50,000 people (47,485) for two games and nobody has come close to those figures since.

“Look at El Toro last season. They had five major-college players and a great quarterback. They were undefeated all season. Yet they didn’t come close to drawing what we did in 1980. We drew 14,000 for a semifinal game against St. Paul that year at Cerritos College.”

Milner said he would be surprised if any Southern California team drew the crowds that Edison or Fountain Valley did seven years ago.

“In terms of fan interest, crowds and talent, the peak years were 1978 to 1980,” he said. “Times have changed. You could bring back both teams from 1980 with the same personnel, and I doubt if you could draw over 10,000.”

What has changed since? According to Milner, high school football isn’t as prominent a sport as it was then, students have more interests and there are more things to do with leisure time.

Milner wonders how many more fans would have attended the title game if Southern Section administrators had agreed to open both sides of Anaheim Stadium. Milner said the newly completed outfield section was closed that evening.

“Bill Workman and I met with the CIF (administrators) on Monday before the game and pleaded with them to open the outfield side,” he said. “We told them we would be turning away fans with only one side open because they wouldn’t want to sit so high.

“We had a tremendous presale at school ($27,182 income on ticket sales) and people in our financial office were saying that fans were asking what was available and then deciding not to buy because the seats were too high.

“We figured we lost 3,000 or 4,000 added ticket sales because the CIF wouldn’t open the outfield side of the stadium.”

Southern Section administrators said they limited stadium access for cost reasons. Opening the outfield side of the stadium would have required extra ushers, ticket takers and other staff.

Edison nearly matched Fountain Valley’s ticket presale, selling $25,277 in tickets. The walkup sale that night at Anaheim was $38,043.50, for a total sale of $90,502.50.

Although both schools traditionally field strong football teams, neither has come close to earning the money it made in the 1980 championship game.

Fountain Valley has competed in six playoff games since 1982 and earned $14,520.17 in revenue. Edison has competed in nine playoff games since 1982, including the 1985 Big Five championship game, and earned $21,798.30.

Edison tried to duplicate the box-office magic in 1982 when it signed a two-year agreement to meet Banning of the Los Angeles City Section.

The game seemed like a natural. Banning, six-time City champion, had won 33 of its previous 34 games when it met Edison. Edison, two-time Big Five champion, had won 34 of its last 36.

A crowd of 25,000 was expected for the first meeting in Anaheim Stadium, but a poor start by Edison that season (it was 2-1) and rain that evening resulted in a crowd of only 12,111. It was the largest crowd in the disappointing four-year series that ended after the 1985 season.

Even the Edison-Fountain Valley game has lost some luster. The schools stopped playing in Anaheim Stadium after the 1984 season when the crowd was less than 10,000 for the first time.

“It was great playing in Anaheim Stadium, but the logistics were always a problem for both schools,” Milner said. “When the crowds didn’t merit playing there any longer, we decided to go back to Orange Coast.

“Let’s face it. This is a new era and high school football isn’t as prominent as it used to be. I honestly believe our crowds at Anaheim will never be duplicated.”

BIG PLAYOFF, BIG PAYOFF

INCOME Gate Sale . . . $38,043.50 Edison High School . . . $25,277.00 Fountain Valley High School . . . $27,182.00 Radio Receipts . . . $125.00 TOTAL RECEIPTS . . . $90,627.50

EXPENSES Anaheim Stadium personnel . . . $10,427.71 Materials, services and supplies . . . $5,859.90 Game officials . . . $270.00 Statistics . . . $190.00 Telephone services . . . $184.00 Travel expenses for schools . . . $64.00 TOTAL EXPENSES . . . $16,995.61 TOTAL NET PROCEEDS . . . $73,631.89

DIVISION OF NET PROCEEDS Edison High School . . . $18,407.97 Fountain Valley High School . . . $18,407.97 Southern Section . . . $36,815.95 Source: Southern Section