CIF: SECTION IN THE MAKING : Administrators Carefully Weigh the Pros and Cons : Reaction: Pace of movement to an Orange County Section seems controlled, as few can find fault with the status quo.

Prospects of a CIF-Orange County section brought an interested, if somewhat cautious, response from high school coaches, principals and some of the superintendents who will be voting on the matter.

Superintendents and other administrators will meet Aug. 20 to discuss and vote on a proposal that takes county schools out of the Southern Section.

“I’m not in favor of it and I’m not against,” said J. Kenneth Jones, superintendent of the Fullerton Union High School District. “There’s still a lot to be studied and reviewed. I’m waiting to see where it goes.”

That’s the feeling of many administrators, who are carefully weighing the pros and cons of independence from the Southern Section.

“There would be advantages to local governance and the possibility of greater personal attention,” said Msgr. Michael Harris, principal at Santa Margarita. “Playoff competition would be enhanced and we wouldn’t have to travel great distances.

“But I have some concerns about the overall expense of running a section. There’s also a danger of being a little provincial in confining your athletic competition to so small an area. I’m not heavily opposed to it and I’m not wildly in favor of it.”

Most educators see many positive aspects of an Orange County Section in terms of travel costs and time, especially during the playoffs. That, they said, would benefit students.

The size of the Southern Section, which has 482 schools and stretches from the Mexican border north to San Luis Obispo and east to the Nevada border, has made for some long road trips.

“It’s to a point where kids sometimes have to leave school at noon to get to playoff games,” El Toro Athletic Director John Johansen said.

During the past school year, the El Toro and Capistrano Valley football teams had to travel to Ventura County for playoff games. The Orange Lutheran baseball team traveled to Cambria to play Coast Union. The La Quinta baseball team had to go to Antelope Valley.

“Transportation costs are way out of hand,” said Dr. James Fleming, superintendent of the Placentia Unified School District. “An Orange County Section would cut down on those costs. Athletes would spend more time in class and less time traveling.”

But Fleming also said there could be drawbacks to the section.

“The equity of competition won’t be comparable,” he said. “There are so many schools in the Southern Section that you can divide them up easily based on enrollment. That will be a problem in an Orange County Section.”

There are coaches who feel they would be losing something by leaving the Southern Section. With so many teams, the quality of competition is better than any other section, according to some coaches.

Dave Demarest, baseball coach at La Quinta, even prefers facing teams from other areas.

“I’m sure there are enough schools in Orange County to form a section, but I would hate not being able to go outside the county for playoff games,” he said. “I like playing those teams. You get a feeling that you’re representing the county. You can root for an El Toro or an Esperanza, instead of rooting against them because you’ll have to play them.”

But the possibility of playoffs involving only Orange County teams could pay a tremendous financial dividend.

Last season, a Mater Dei-Marina game in the Southern Section Division I-A basketball playoffs drew a near sellout crowd at the Bren Center. Football games between the county’s top programs are always a winner at the gate.

Even supposed non-revenue sports seem to draw better when Orange County teams are involved. The Southern Section 4-A swim finals, which are usually dominated by Orange County schools, have drawn large crowds over the years.

“People from Orange County seem to support their teams a lot better than other areas,” Mater Dei basketball Coach Gary McKnight said. “The playoff revenues could be unbelievable.”

But some administrators feel the Southern Section, despite its vastness, is just fine as is--a large, powerful, section that does its best to meet the needs of its members.

“I have no problem with the current setup,” Servite Athletic Director Tom Vitello said. “To me, there just isn’t any problem. We’re happy with the status quo . I can’t think of any advantage, and the disadvantage is, it will cost more.”

The movement toward an Orange County Section appears to be going forward. But the pace seems to be controlled.

“Right now, my position is to proceed ahead,” Anaheim Unified School District Superintendent Cynthia Grennan said, “but cautiously.”