High School Title Game in Trouble

The California Interscholastic Federation-Reebok Bowl, which matched the City and Southern Section large-division football champions in December, apparently will not be renewed.

At a CIF State Council meeting Friday in San Francisco, where the bowl was up for a one-year extension, Southern Section officials asked that the motion be tabled until the next council meeting, in May.

“There are a lot of questions surrounding the game, so we decided as a section that we needed more time to work things out,” said Stan Thomas, Southern Section commissioner. “Many people in our section have concerns over this game, so it was not in our best interest to proceed.”

La Puente Bishop Amat of the Southern Section defeated Sylmar in the inaugural game Dec. 18 at Anaheim Stadium, 31-10. The game was televised live by Channel 13, which paid $50,000 for the rights.

Although the game was a TV ratings success, not everyone was pleased. Many Southern Section coaches and administrators said the game extended an already lengthy season and exploited athletes for the purpose of making money.

Principals of the parochial Del Rey League, of which Bishop Amat is a member, voted recently not to participate in next year’s game, and Citrus Belt League administrators have been pondering a similar stance.

The Southern Section apparently wanted to delay Friday’s vote so that it could work out a deal with Channel 13 to televise its large-school division championship game.

“We can’t make our schools play in the bowl, so we have to figure out what’s best for everyone,” Thomas said.