Buena Park Coach Says Team Hurt by ‘Blood Rule,’ Seeks Change

Buena Park football Coach Bob Rau says he speaks for several coaches who believe there needs to be a change in the “blood rule,” which calls for the immediate removal from the field of a bleeding player and keeps him out until the wound is covered.

In their 28-14 loss Friday to Sonora, Rau’s Coyotes were driving inside the Sonora 20 with about six minutes left when quarterback David Barrios was forced to the sideline with a cut elbow. Buena Park had to run two plays without him; the plays did not work, and the Coyotes did not score.

“I’m not saying we would have won the game,” Rau said. “But if we score there, the game does change.

“The rule is supposed to be applied evenly, but instead it creates unfairness. A team wearing a dark jersey, you’ll never know if they’re bleeding. But a team wearing white, like we were, is dead meat. At least you’re going to see blood on white a lot quicker than on the dark jerseys.

“I’m not sure what the answer is. It’s a National Federation rule and they are hard to change. But I’m going to bring the issue up again at the Southern California Interscholastic Football Coaches meeting after the season. Something has to be done. Sooner or later every coach is going to have his game affected because of this. The games should be won or lost on an equity basis.”

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Last week’s projection on Reuben Droughns’ career rushing total came under scrutiny and, after using much more sound mathematics, has been revised. The Anaheim tailback, before Thursday’s 120-yard performance, had averaged 167.5 yards per game. Assuming he plays another 15 games--this season, next season and two playoff games--Droughns will finish with 5,615 yards.

Continuing at that pace, if Anaheim reaches the second round of the playoffs this year and next (18 games), the projection rises to 6,031 yards--far surpassing Ray Pallares’ Orange County record of 5,396.

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Five of Orange County’s top 10 water polo teams--No. 1 Corona del Mar, No. 3 Foothill, No. 5 El Toro, No. 6 Esperanza and No. 9 Newport Harbor--will play in the California State Invitational Friday and Saturday at Stanford.

Corona del Mar is the defending champion; the tournament features eight teams each from southern and northern California.

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The best cross-country matchups this week take place in girls’ competition. The biggest dual meet is on Thursday in the Sea View League, where eighth-ranked Corona del Mar (3-0) and Santa Margarita (2-1) are at second-ranked El Toro (2-1). Also Thursday in the Sunset League, third-ranked Esperanza (4-0) runs at Los Alamitos (3-1).

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Irvine’s 26-0 football victory over Woodbridge ended the Vaqueros’ four-game losing streak and, on the surface, appeared to be quite an upset over the Warriors (5-2). But Irvine’s four losses--to Anaheim, Moreno Valley Canyon Springs, Mater Dei and Newport Harbor--are to teams that currently have a combined 25-2-1 record.

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They said it:

*”That is your wife you kissed, isn’t it?”

--First question asked of Orange’s Dick Hill after he won his 200th game as an Orange County coach.

* “We drew first blood.”

--Unidentified spotter in the Ocean View press box after a Servite player was sent to the sideline on the second play of Thursday’s game with blood on his arm.

* “The snap is down, the kick is up and it’s . . . no good. Hey, nice catch, tuba player!”

--John Stevens, PA announcer, during Rancho Alamitos’ nonleague game against Covina Thursday at Covina District Field.

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Tony Altobelli, Martin Beck, Martin Henderson and Eric Maddy contributed to this story.