Prep Review : Most Coaches Seem to Be in Favor of Expansion From 6 to 9 Divisions

Here are a few reactions to last week’s Southern Section decision to expand from six to nine divisions in basketball, allowing for more teams to get into playoffs.

The new divisions will be determined by school enrollment size. The plan will increase the number of playoff participants by 96 teams, with the top three teams from each league being given berths.

“I’m for it,” said Rich Jones, Brea-Olinda boys’ coach. “I think it’ll represent a good parity in the way things should be run. We’ve lost in the playoffs the last two years to schools twice our size (Rolling Hills and Saddleback) . . .

“Basically, I think it’ll be good because it’ll give people more equal opportunity to make it.”

Marina Coach Steve Popovich said: “I really haven’t thought about it. I don’t think it’s going to be that big of change. It’s good that it gets us more in line with the state playoffs, but I really didn’t have any preference myself . . . I think it’s a situation that’s been (due).”

Said Laguna Hills Coach Joe Reid: “I like the idea of making more divisions. It’ll be a little easier to win a CIF (Southern Section) title than it was in the past. This way it kind of spreads it out.”

Said El Toro Coach Tim Travers: “I think the most intriguing factor, is first that you won’t know who your playoff opponents are going to be.”

The council made changes in some other sports, too.

In baseball, teams from the South Coast League will move from the 3-A to the 4-A division. The league includes teams from Capistrano Valley, Dana Hills, El Toro, Irvine, Mission Viejo and San Clemente.

In softball, a 5-A division was created. Orange County teams that will move into the 5-A division are those from the Angelus, Empire and Sunset leagues.

Cathy Quesnell, Mater Dei softball coach, said: “Because we have open enrollment, I think we should be up there (in a higher division) . . .

“But actually, I think it should be all teams who have great pitchers should move into a 5-A division.”

In girls’ volleyball, the South Coast League will move from the 4-A to the 5-A division that already includes the Angelus, Pacific Coast and Sea View League.

In water polo, the Empire League will move from the 3-A to the 4-A, and the Sunset League from the 4-A to the 3-A.

“We lost, but we’ll appeal again,” Los Alamitos Coach Dennis Ploessel said. “We thought the South Coast League is much stronger than we are, and they’re 3-A in water polo and 4-A in swimming. At one time last year, four of the South Coast League’s teams were ranked in the top 10 (of 3-A).”

Empire League officials, with Los Alamitos principal Carol Hart representing them, lost an appeal to remain in the 3-A Thursday.

Ploessel said that when Los Alamitos was in the 4-A division seven years ago, the Griffins never advanced past the first round of playoffs. Since becoming a 3-A team, the Griffins have gone to the quarterfinals twice, in 1984 and ‘86, and to the final last year where they lost to league rival El Dorado.

But the 4-A, Ploessel said, is another matter.

“We’ve never done well against 4-A teams,” he said. “We’re about .500 against them when we play them outside of league. And it’ll really hurt Cypress and Esperanza. Knowing they’re going to get a Corona del Mar or Newport Harbor in the first round . . . Now it’s not just that they’ll lose, but they may get blown out by 20 goals.”

Fast Tracks: Many outstanding performances were recorded during last week’s league track and field championships.

In the Angelus League, Lynne Hagan of Mater Dei won the 1,600-meters (5 minutes 31.5 seconds), the 3,200 (11:46.6), and the 800 (2:26.3) . She also ran a leg of 62.8 on the winning 1,600-meter relay (4:11) team.

Mater Dei’s George Lynch won the 100-meter high hurdles (14.3) and the 300-meter hurdles (39.2). He placed second in the 100-meters (10.7) and finished third in the 200 (22.1).

In the Century League, Canyon’s Allison Franke continued to dominate in the discus, throwing 148 feet 10 inches. Franke’s mark broke the former Century League best of 142-1 set by Santa Ana Valley’s Lisa Williams in 1983.

Santa Ana Valley’s William Dancy won the 100-yards (9.9), the 220 (21.9) and the long jump (22-9 1/2). It was family affair time in the Garden Grove League. Anthony Hale of Garden Grove High won the 440 (50.60), the 880 (2:03.62) and the 330 hurdles (40.55). Kelly Hale, Anthony’s sister, won the 110 hurdles (17.05) and the 330 hurdles (50.27). Pacifica’s Ray Willis won the 100-yards (10.07) and the 220 (23.26), and sister Karrita Willis won the 100 (12.05) and the 220 (27.84).

In the Empire League, J.J. Cisneros of Los Alamitos won the long jump (23-7) and the 100-meters (10.92); Daniele Reaves won the 200 (25.52), the 100-meter hurdles (14.63) and the 300 hurdles (46.20). All marks were wind-aided.

Orange Lutheran’s Gaston Greene swept the sprints at the Olympic League finals. Greene won the 100-meters (11.0), the 200 (22.8) and the 400 (51.1).

Woodbridge dominated both boys’ and girls’ divisions at the Pacific Coast League finals. The girls won the meet with 256 points. Orange was second with 92. The boys won with 175, defeating second-place Laguna Hills, which had 105.

Corona del Mar won both boys’ and girls’ divisions in the Sea View League. For the girls, Leslie Cashion won the 800 (2:19.2), the 1,600 (5:16.2) and the 3,200 (11:32.9). D’Layne Kerr won the 200 (25.2) and the 400 (57.0).

Jim Robbins led the boys. Robbins, a senior, won the 800 (1:57.8), the 1,600 (4:11.6) and anchored the winning 1,600-meter relay team in 52.2.

In the South Coast League, sprinter Sheri Bertell and hurdler Suzanne Kerho recorded double victories for the Mission Viejo girls’ team. Lisa Fager won both the high jump and triple jump titles. Greg Lamb won both the 800 (1:57.25) and the 1,600 (4:23.57) for the boys’ team.

In the Sunset League, Ann Kissinger won the 100-meters (12.5) the 100 hurdles (15.2) and the 300 hurdles (46.6) to lead Marina to the girls’ team title. Edison’s Charlie Tyler leaped 23-6 in the long jump bettering the former meet record of 22-1 3/4 set in 1971 by Loara’s Steve Baxter.

Mark Grace, a former baseball star at Tustin High and Saddleback College, was called up by the Chicago Cubs from their minor league team in Iowa last Monday.

Grace arrived in San Diego Monday for his first game.

“I’m excited, what a thrill to break in here,” Grace said before last Monday’s game against the San Diego Padres. “This is where I got my start.”

Grace played for San Diego State in 1985. He was a 24th-round draft pick in June of that season.

Prep Notes

Tom Cardoza has been named Bolsa Grande boys’ basketball coach, replacing Ron Inman who resigned last month. Cardoza, 33, has been a lower level coach at the school for the past eight seasons. . . . Larry Allen, newly appointed football coach at Sonora High, has openings for seven assistant coaches. . . . The California Angels will honor the top high school academic teams in the Southern Section in pregame ceremonies tonight at Anaheim Stadium. The teams being honored include Loara badminton, El Dorado girls’ basketball, Foothill boys’ cross-country, Laguna Hills girls’ soccer and Foothill boys’ track and field. . . . Tim Travers will host the eighth El Toro Summer Basketball Camp scheduled for July 25-29 in the Chargers’ gymnasium. For information, phone 586-6333, ext. 658. . . . Pacifica High School is hosting a youth baseball camp June 27-July 1 for ages 7-13. For more information, call Bill Whiteley at 663-6515. . . . The first Bob Lester Golf Tournament is scheduled for Friday, June 3, at Anaheim Hills Golf Course. All proceeds will go to the El Modena athletic department. For more information call Frank Gibson at 532-3821. . . . Esperanza has an opening for a varsity basketball coach with a teaching position included, said Jim Patterson, athletic director. . . . Former El Modena football stars Boomer and Rex Moore have signed free-agent contracts with the Dallas Cowboys. . . . Linemen Jose Avalos of Santa Ana and Tim Warady of University have been added to the South squad that will participate in the 29th Orange County All-Star football game on July 8. They will replace Frank Busalacchi of Foothill and Ray Smith of Westminster, who decided not to play in the game.