Reseda, Canoga Park to Switch Conferences Beginning in the Fall

One month after rejecting the same proposal, the City Section Interscholastic Athletics Committee approved a measure Monday that will have Canoga Park and Reseda high schools switch conferences for the two-year releaguing cycle that begins next fall.

The measure moves Canoga Park from the Northwest Valley Conference, which competes primarily in the 4-A Division, into Reseda’s place in the primarily 3-A Valley Pac-8 Conference.

IAC first voted Monday, 12-7, to reconsider the Canoga Park-Reseda switch, which had been recommended by the IAC realignment committee. Then, after about 30 minutes of discussion, the proposal was passed, 12-11, with IAC chairman Ernie Scarpelli, Sylmar’s principal, casting the deciding vote.

At the Dec. 11 meeting of IAC, the group had voted against the measure and advised the realignment committee to consider “new concepts.” But after meeting earlier this month the committee decided to resubmit the same proposal to IAC.

Reseda officials vow to appeal the decision to the Senior High Division of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Football Coach Joel Schaeffer and basketball Coach Jeff Halpern strongly oppose the switch.

“Disappointed? I’m enraged,” Schaeffer said. “This is an ignorant, unfair, biased decision. I have a tough time dealing with it and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t considering resigning over this.”

City Section commissioner Hal Harkness denied that the vote was anti-Reseda.

“The committee focused on the degree of difficulty that Canoga Park was in,” he said. “As far as we’re concerned, this closes the door on realignment.”