NOTEBOOK / SEAN WATERS : Proposal Would Put Santa Monica in New League

Santa Monica High may be switching leagues and competing against schools with smaller enrollments if a re-leaguing proposal is approved by the Southern Section.

That would be good news for the football team, which went 0-10 last season.

According to the proposal, the Pioneer League would be abolished and the remaining six members would be divided into the Ocean or Bay Leagues. As part of the plan, Santa Monica would join former Pioneer League members Centennial and El Segundo in the Ocean League for all sports, beginning in the fall of 1994.

Beverly Hills, Culver City, Mira Costa, Morningside and Redondo would remain in the Ocean League.

Current Pioneer League teams Torrance, North Torrance, South Torrance and West Torrance would join Peninsula, Hawthorne, Inglewood and Leuzinger in the Bay League.

The purpose of the plan would be to eliminate the current two five-team Bay and Ocean leagues. Those 10 schools have had problems cross-scheduling games, especially during football season. The biggest complaint is that schools are frequently playing nonleague games against schools with larger enrollments during the middle of league play.

“It’s too hard scheduling games,” Santa Monica Athletic Director Frank Nishimura said. “Ten schools were unhappy with the current five-team league formats.”

The schools with the largest enrollments are Peninsula, which has 3,100 students, Leuzinger (2,800), Santa Monica (2,800) and Hawthorne (2,665). El Segundo has the smallest enrollment with 650 students.

“No one wants to play a team like Peninsula or Hawthorne in the middle of league because there is a greater chance that players may get hurt,” Beverly Hills football Coach Carter Paysinger.

Ten of the 16 schools approved the new plan. The Southern Section re-leaguing committee will consider appeals in June before voting on the proposal. El Segundo is expected to appeal.

El Segundo Athletic Director John Stevenson fears his football program will be an easy mark against larger schools.

“Football is a number and injuries sport,” Stevenson said. “If a school has 3,000 students, its selection pool is three times as great (as ours). They don’t have to play too many two-way players. If it’s predetermined you have no chance to succeed, all you’re going to be is cannon fodder.”

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Swimming: Santa Monica will try to win its third consecutive Southern Section swimming title beginning today at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach.

The Vikings will be competing in Division II this season after winning 3-A Division titles in 1991 and 1992.

Freshman Johnny Mitchell was the only Viking to qualify in two individual events. Mitchell qualified with a time of 2 minutes 2.60 seconds in the 200-yard individual medley and 56.51 in the 100 backstroke. Teammate Don Kim swam a 2:03.76 to also qualify for the 200 individual medley, and Kyle Brooks qualified with a 58.17 in the 100 backstroke.

Don Davis will compete in the 500 freestyle after qualifying at 5:01.57. The Vikings also will have teams entered in the 400 freestyle relay and the 200 medley relay.

The Vikings girls’ team will be represented by Amanda Feld in the 100 breaststroke and in the 200 medley relay. Feld’s qualifying time was 1:12.73.

Division II prelims begin today at 5 p.m., and finals will be Saturday at 7 p.m.

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Baseball: University first baseman-pitcher Doug Jarvis plans to attend UCLA in the fall and compete for the Bruin baseball team as a non-scholarship player, Warrior Coach Jon Beckerman said.

Entering Tuesday’s games, Jarvis was batting .476 with three home runs and 19 runs batted in.

“He did not get a scholarship, but he will get a chance to play,” Beckerman said. “I think he will earn a scholarship once they see how well he plays.”