THE HIGH SCHOOLS : Contreras May Join Rio Mesa Football Program

Former Westlake High football Coach George Contreras may join the Rio Mesa High staff next season as an assistant if he can secure a transfer from Westlake.

Rio Mesa Coach John Reardon asked Contreras to join his staff six weeks ago and Contreras expressed interest pending a change in his teaching status. Rio Mesa assistants Paul Petrich and Brian Hustad resigned at the end of the season.

Contreras, who teaches physical education and economics at Westlake, has applied for a teaching position at Rio Mesa, a school in the Oxnard Union High School District. He also has asked for an intradistrict transfer from Westlake to Conejo Valley High, the only continuation school in the Conejo Valley Unified School District.

“To be an on-campus teacher at one school and coach at a different school, ethically, I would have problems with that,” Contreras said.

Contreras lives in Camarillo and son Andy played quarterback on the Rio Mesa freshman team last fall. Mike, Contreras’ second son, is a seventh-grader who is expected to enroll at Rio Mesa in 1990.

Moving out of the Conejo district would mean loss of seniority and a pay cut, but Contreras said that he would make the move to keep involved in coaching.

“When I resigned three months ago, I said I wasn’t burned out on coaching,” he said. “I just wanted to be able to watch my sons play high school football. If I made the move, I’d get that chance.”

Contreras, the only coach in Westlake’s history, resigned in December after compiling a 58-57 record in 11 seasons. No replacement has been named.