Hasn’t This Been Done as Country Mouse-City Mouse?

The alleged offense is arrogance. But who’s offending whom?

The answer might not make a lick of difference in the outcome of the Eisenhower-El Toro and Fontana-Edison football games Friday night, but the question has nonetheless fueled some pregame debate.

Arrogance was the word used by coaches Tom Hoak of Rialto Eisenhower and Dick Bruich of Fontana to describe their counterparts in Orange County. Both contend that O.C. coaches--as well as their players, fans, etc.--carry attitudes of superiority.

Superiority in Orange County? Can you imagine? In a place where beepers and Beamers are the most popular Toyz N the Hood?

“Every time we play a team down there, there is a certain arrogance, like we’re the country bumpkin or hayseeds,” Hoak told the San Bernardino Sun last week. “They think all the smartest coaches are down there.

“They’re all hung up on how sophisticated they are with the passing game. But they’re thinking back 10, 15 years ago when Fountain Valley had 5,000 students.”

Said Bruich: “They can’t accept the fact that someone outside of Orange County is doing well.”

Fact is, no one’s arguing that these Inland Empire giants are doing well.

Fontana, which plays Edison (2-1) at Orange Coast College, won the Division I championship in 1987 and 1989. Eisenhower, which meets El Toro (1-2) at Trabuco Hills High School, is ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today. Both teams are 3-0 and backed by huge enrollments--Fontana has 3,800 students, Eisenhower 3,100--and some of the most fervent traveling fans this side of South Bend, Ind.

With all that going for them, you wouldn’t think the coaches would waste their time fretting over an attitude problem--real or imagined--down south. But fret they do.

Mostly, they complain that Orange Countians don’t treat them with respect. It’s the stereotypical battle, they say, of white collar versus blue. Ralph Lauren versus Oshkosh. Stuck-up dudes who were born to surf versus inlanders with Styrofoam surfboards who rush to the water shouting “Cowabunga.”

San Bernardino Sun sports editor Paul Oberjuerge described this weekend’s matchups thusly:

“Hide the women and children, oh ye yuppies and preppies and genteel folk of the beach. Those big, ugly, nasty football players from the Citrus Belt League are headed your way Friday night, their knuckles dragging all the way down the 91 freeway. . . . “

On this subject, El Toro Coach Mike Milner says enough’s enough.

“I certainly have never said they were from the country or that they were hicks,” Milner said. “I think I have enough things to worry about than commenting on the social-economic condition of the Inland Empire. . . .

“Right now I’m a little more concerned about the El Toro football team than whether I’m arrogant or not, or whether I surf.”

But that’s the big picture. On with the nitty-gritty.

Hoak complained that Orange County coaches are “always trying to pull a fast one over us,” especially when it’s time to exchange game film. As for this week, Hoak contends an assistant coach at El Toro demanded last week that he deliver the films from his Friday night game on the following Saturday morning. Hoak says he refused, because in his area coaches wait until Tuesday to exchange films.

“That’s the country bumpkin thing I’m talking about,” Hoak said. “I honestly think they think they’re city slickers trying to pull a fast one over us. . . . I’ve been burned before down there. Where I’m from, the coaching fraternity is real close. We’d never treat each other so rudely.”

At this, Milner scoffs. He said Orange County coaches have always exchanged films--or their copies--on Saturday mornings, and never was anyone rude in dealing with Hoak.

In fact, Milner says he’s not real pleased with the game film Hoak gave him, that it was shot by an unsteady hand from the 15th row of Veterans Stadium in Long Beach instead of from that stadium’s best vantage point--high up in the press box.

“I’m currently supporting a severe headache from watching his video,” Milner said. “All that jumping up and down on the screen is not real fun to watch.”

And then there’s Bruich’s beef. He says the last time his team faced Edison--in the 1989 Division I semifinal, which host Fontana won, 48-35--the Chargers bused in hundreds of alumni to stand on the Edison sideline during the game.

Edison Coach Dave White said his alumni come to Charger games for one reason: They’re Chargers for life. Besides, White says, any team needs all the help it can get when it plays at Fontana, where fans have been known to shout obscenities and spit at opponents.

But Bruich claims Edison’s the arrogant one.

“I guess it was pretty important for them to beat us for them to go to all the trouble of busing all those people in,” Bruich said sarcastically. “We bring crowds, sure. But they get there on their own. We don’t need to set up a bus for them.”

If that’s so, maybe someone ought to let Bruich and his 3,000 to 4,000 ever-traveling followers in on a little secret.

It’s called ride-sharing.

Or would that be arrogant to suggest?

Barbie Ludovise’s column appears Wednesday and Sunday.