PREP NOTES

Next year, we’ll do it on Sunday: To open National High School Activities Week last month, the National Federation of State High School Associations in Kansas City, Mo., designated Oct. 19 as National Officials Day.

Among other things, the federation encouraged schools to show their support for sports officials before games that day. A media release from The California Interscholastic Federation State office in La Mirada, echoing the sentiments of the national federation, said that “all in attendance should be encouraged to stand and applaud, including both the home and visiting teams and coaches.”

Great idea, bad timing.

Since Oct. 19 was a Monday, usually the second most uneventful prep sports day of the week, not many officials probably were acknowledged that day for their efforts. That point, in retrospect, wasn’t lost on Jim Duel, the state federation’s sports information director.

“That’s an odd day to have it, isn’t it?” Duel said. “It makes more sense that they would move that to another day, even Saturday.”

The Queen and Her Court: Wendy Gratteau, a tennis player at Marina, was around a different kind of court Thursday night at Westminster High.

Gratteau, who has played both singles and doubles this season, was chosen homecoming queen with four princesses named to her court at halftime of an eventual 14-14 tie between Fountain Valley and Marina.

That afternoon, Marina defeated Fountain Valley, 10-8, in a Sunset League tennis match that clinched second place for the Vikings behind Edison.

Understandably, Gratteau didn’t play. Only so much time between the match and football game to get your hair done.