CIF: SECTION IN THE MAKING : Some Prefer to Stand Their Ground : Private schools: Inability to be competitive might keep these schools from leaving Southern Section.

If establishment of an Orange County Section becomes a reality, don’t expect to see many of the area’s private or parochial schools join the exodus from the Southern Section.

At least that’s the view expressed by principals and athletic directors of several private and parochial schools with small- to medium-size enrollments.

Administrators said they would most likely remain associated with the Southern Section for various reasons, primarily the inability of their schools to be competitive in leagues dominated by much larger public schools.

With the exception of Mater Dei, which has an enrollment of more than 2,000, and Santa Margarita (1,300), most of the county’s private and parochial schools would be little fish in a big pond. Even Servite, an all-boys’ school with 700 students, and Whittier Christian, with about 650 students, can match enrollment numbers only with Laguna Beach (about 670). No other county public high school has fewer than 1,000 students.

“It’s murder to play those big teams,” said Tom Trueblood, principal at Southern California Christian. The school, located in Orange, is a member of the Arrowhead League and has 210 students. “We play some of those big teams in nonleague games and if we lose by 12 points (in football), we consider it a good game.”

Ray Clifton, athletic director at Liberty Christian, also pointed to the competition issue as a major obstacle. He said his school, which has about 100 students and plays in the Academy League, would gain nothing by joining a county section.

“There won’t be enough smaller schools to compete fairly,” Clifton said. “There are six schools our size in the county and then you step up to the Orange Lutherans and Whittier Christians. We can’t compete with them on a week-to-week basis. Competing against those schools would be detrimental to our program.”

And even those larger schools don’t believe facing public-school competition would be in their best interests, either.

“We are in a small-school situation,” said Tom Caffrey, athletic director at Whittier Christian. “We would have to go way up (in league size), which would not be good for us. It wouldn’t help us at all.”

Under the present Southern Section leaguing, private and parochial schools often must travel outside the county for games. The Olympic League, for instance, includes Ontario Christian and Ayala, a school in Chino. The Arrowhead League includes La Sierra Academy in Riverside, La Verne Lutheran and Leffingwell Christian in Paramount.

But Trueblood and Nancy Paul, girls’ athletic director at Orange Lutheran, say they are willing to put up with that inconvenience rather than going into a potential lion’s den.

“Travel is a problem, but being competitive in the league outweighs it,” Trueblood said. “We used to be the team everyone wanted to play in their homecoming games.”

Said Paul, whose school has about 455 students and is a member of the Olympic League: “For us to get on a bus is a real burden financially, but it has become a way of life for us.”

It appears traveling costs could be reduced by joining a proposed Orange County Section, but the increase in dues and the decrease in playoff receipts might offset any savings.

The present dues structure calls for member schools to pay 23 cents per student to the Southern Section, and the playoff setup gives participating schools 40% of revenues while the section keeps 60%. According to a recent feasibility study, the dues structure proposed for an Orange County Section calls for 30 cents per student in one option and 35 cents in another. The playoff revenue split would be 80% to the section and 20% to the participating schools.

Kris Van Hook, athletic director at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel (about 450 students), isn’t concerned about additional dues, but is skeptical about how much the new section could accomplish with those funds.

“That (paying the extra dues) wouldn’t be a problem for us,” Van Hook said. “But I’m not sure that even at those amounts they (the Orange County Section) could provide the same kind of services offered by the Southern Section.”

Robin Davis, athletic director at Brethren Christian (350 enrollment) in Cypress, said he has mixed feelings. He conceded that the concept is enticing, but has reservations similar to Van Hook’s.

“I like the idea but I’m not completely sold on it,” Davis said. “Are they just trying to run and get away from the Southern Section without thinking about it? Is it going to be as credible as the Southern Section? How is it going to be run?

“If there was a league where we could fit, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. But we don’t have information on all the ins and outs to say what we would definitely do. As it stands now, we are staying with the Southern Section.”

“Quite frankly, we don’t have any problems with the Southern Section,” said Jeff Zippi, athletic director at Capistrano Valley Christian. “They’ve treated us very well and I think the Southern Section has done a pretty good job. . . . We are very content.”