HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW : Change in Alignment Produces Varying Degrees of Appeal : Tri-Valley League: Schools’ protest over configuration produces tentative division status.

Maybe it is too early to be thinking about playoffs. But why wait until the last minute?

That’s what Tri-Valley League coaches would like to know.

With the season’s first snap only a day away, members of the five-team league must wait until the season’s eighth week before learning in which division the league’s postseason representatives will compete. That’s when the Southern Section playoff groupings committee is expected to decide whether Tri-Valley League qualifiers will enter the Division IX or Division X playoffs.

For coaches, that means holding the phone as far as contacting possible playoff opponents about the exchange of game films. At least, until the matter is resolved.

“It’s quite a mess,” Oak Park Coach Dick Billingsley said. “We usually start scouting teams we might play by the third week.”

“It’s kind of goofy,” Carpinteria Coach Ben Hallock added. “It would be nice to know who is in our division so we can keep track of people.”

Last spring, the Southern Section proposed playoff groupings for all divisions. But the proposal was met with an unexpected number of appeals, including one from the Tri-Valley League. The section surveys all leagues for their recommendations every four years (every two years prior to 1994) before making the proposal.

The proposal called for the Tri-Valley League to remain in Division IX. The league’s appeal requested either dropping to Division X or moving the powerful Los Padres League out of Division IX.

League coaches are not optimistic. “I really don’t believe they’re going to change things,” Bishop Diego Coach Norris Fletcher said. “And at this point, I really don’t care if we play the bigger schools.”

Trouble is, league coaches will have to wait until a meeting Oct. 20 to find out who they will play. That’s the soonest the league’s appeal can be heard, said Bill Clark, Southern Section administrator in charge of football.

“We had 14 appeals to deal with,” Clark said. “Historically, we have closure on this in the spring. But we’ve had to meet with everybody and listen to the appeals. With 14 appeals, we ran out of time and had to carry it over to this year.”

Tri-Valley officials argue that the average enrollment of its five schools (about 600) is closer to the average enrollment of schools in Division X (540) than Division IX (875). Moreover, the Tri-Valley League is the smallest in Division IX, based on enrollment, and is dwarfed by the Los Padres (1,135) and Frontier (1,050) leagues.

In theory, that translates to a tough go come playoff time. And in years ahead, the road to the division title likely will include a playoff stop against a member from the Los Padres League.

Last season, Paso Robles, a member of the Los Padres League with an enrollment of more than 1,400, defeated Oak Park, 28-18, in a playoff opener. In 1990, Beaumont, a member of the Division IX Skyline League, whipped Oak Park, 34-7, in a second-round game.

Carpinteria has enjoyed success in Division IX. The Warriors reached the section final five times between 1986 and ‘91, winning championships in ‘87, ’89 and ’91.

But since realignment in 1992 grouped the Tri-Valley and Los Padres leagues into the same division, Carpinteria has lost in the playoffs to Paso Robles in 1992 and Santa Ynez in ’93.

“Carpinteria and Bishop Diego have done OK,” Billingsley said. “But most of the time, our schools are pretty much handled.”

Billingsley, whose team likely will battle Carpinteria for the league title, said he gives approval “a 50-50 chance.”

“It depends,” Billingsley said, “on whether they want to listen to us.”

Tri-Valley League at a Glance

1993 STANDINGS OVERALL LEAGUE PROJECTED FINISH Bishop Diego 7-4 4-0 Oak Park Carpinteria 7-5 3-1 Carpinteria Oak Park 5-5-1 2-2 Bishop Diego St. Bonaventure 3-7 1-3 St. Bonaventure Fillmore 2-8 0-4 Fillmore

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Player School Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Ron Allen Oak Park QB/DB 5-11 178 Sr. Jared Banks Oak Park OT/DT 6-6 235 Sr. Sam Benner St. Bonaventure OT 6-5 240 Sr. Brandon Elliott St. Bonaventure OT 6-4 230 Sr. Cullen Griffin Bishop Diego DT 6-4 240 Sr. Gabriel Ocegueda Fillmore LB 5-10 185 Sr. Gabe Sanchez Bishop Diego TB 6-1 190 Sr. Jeff Shaw Carpinteria FB/DE 6-3 215 Jr. J.D. Thompson Carpinteria WR 6-1 175 Sr. Mike Turk Fillmore DT/OT 6-5 247 Sr.