Servite to Leave Angelus League, Diminishing Mater Dei Rivalry

Servite and Mater Dei high schools, which have built the biggest athletic rivalry in Orange County over the last 20 years, will no longer compete with one another in the Angelus League after the 1989-90 season.

Under a realignment proposal adopted last week by the Catholic Athletic Assn., Servite will become a member of the Del Rey League for the 1990-91 season, along with Loyola, St. John Bosco, St. Francis, Crespi and Bosco Tech.

Mater Dei will remain in the Angelus League, along with St. Paul, Bishop Amat, Bishop Montgomery, St. Bernard and Alemany.

The new alignment groups all-boys schools in the Del Rey League and co-ed schools in the Angelus League.

“It’s sad to see the rivalry go,” said Gary McKnight, Mater Dei athletic director and basketball coach. “But I really think it’s important to keep the co-ed schools together for scheduling purposes. I know scheduling will be easier for me.

“We’ll keep the rivalry going, though. We will play them in every sport.”

Mater Dei and Servite are scheduled to meet in football in the fourth week of the 1990 season.

“We’ll continue to play Mater Dei in nonleague games because of the great tradition and excellent gates that we generate,” Tom Vitello, Servite athletic director, said Saturday.

Bob Ickes, Mater Dei baseball coach, would rather keep Servite in the Angelus League.

“I don’t think it will be the same,” Ickes said. “I don’t really like the idea. Some of the other Catholic schools want to break it up for travel, convenience or whatever. But we had a real positive rivalry going. The kids played hard and clean.”

The CAA has yet to determine where it will group Santa Margarita because the organization has an appeal pending with the State California Interscholastic Federation to determine where the school will compete, beginning in 1990.