This Battle Reopens Old Feud

It’s Angelus League wars and remembrance week.

Bishop Amat vs. Mater Dei? Servite in its first title game since 1983? Ah, that all-parochial, all-intense, all-or-nothing spirit rages on long after the league’s 1992 funeral.

Why St. Paul Coach Marijon Ancich should be enlisted to perform the coin toss for Saturday’s Amat-Dei Division I final. Of course, someone would have to make sure we got the coin back.

How about a Pat Haden-J.K. McKay pregame show, “From Football Players To Lawyers: The De-Evolution Of Man.” And don’t forget the Mater Dei band’s own rendition of the Servite “hut drill” at halftime.

The league is gone, disbanded in 1992, but its teams refuse to go away.

* The Division I title game might not draw 30,000 to Anaheim Stadium, but a few folks will wander in. These are old wounds.

Mater Dei lost eight consecutive games in the series, until the Monarchs went to Bishop Amat and slapped the Lancers silly in 1991. It was the last time the teams played. But that was ages ago. Surely all’s forgotten.

Yeah, right.

An Angelus League football game, even when there’s no Angelus League, has a certain edge to it. Anything could happen in that league and usually did. Why, former Bishop Amat Coach Phil Cantwell once faked a pregame heart attack to unnerve Ancich, his former assistant. It worked and Amat won.

* If Anaheim Stadium officials thought Raider fans were a handful, wait till they get a gander at an honest-to-goodness Angelus League blood feud. Fellas, better beef up the security again. These folks are serious about football.

Remember, Ancich once proposed that the league eliminate baseball. Why? It interfered with spring football.

Don’t laugh, the vote was close.

* Rod Perry getting beat deep? Nope, not the Monarch sophomore. Fifteen years ago, dad let John Stallworth slip behind him for a long touchdown pass, a key play in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 31-19 victory in the 1980 Super Bowl. The Rams have never been back to the Super Bowl. Well, Junior didn’t get beat deep in the semifinals and the Monarchs are back in the Division I title game.

Across the field will be running back Daylon McCutcheon, who carries the load for the Lancers. His Dad, Lawrence, was far too beat up from being overworked to be much of a factor as a runner in that Ram Super Bowl. He did, though, toss a touchdown pass to put the Rams ahead in the third quarter. His sun set, now his son is on the rise. Watch out for that halfback pass. Dad passed on every other skill.

* Servite Lite?

Meanwhile, the Friars have upheld some Angelus League tradition themselves. That hut-drill-team will play Newport Harbor Friday in the Division V final.

These are tranquil days on La Palma Avenue. A few years back, people talked about Friar football with the same disdain they had for other private school powers. Not anymore.

Somewhere along the line the Friars got respectable, at least in some eyes. Public school folks don’t seem to see red when Servite football is mentioned.

Of course, the fact the Friars had a few down years might have something to do with it. Still, they’re winning again and no one seems miffed.

Funny, this all happened about the time Larry Toner was hired as coach.

* Come one, come all to the Public School Division I football championship. Los Alamitos vs. Trabuco Hills. Let’s hold it Friday afternoon in Mile Square Park.

They lost to those parochial cousins, but, heck, let’s call the Griffins and Mustangs back for an encore. They’re loads of fun.

Call it the Prep Playoff Bowl.