PREP NOTES : Estancia’s Blanton to Relinquish Post

Estancia Athletic Director Ed Blanton said this will be his last year after directing the boys’ program for 10 years.

Blanton, 49, said the nearly 40-mile commute to the school made it difficult to attend all the events he needed to, and made for extremely long days.

“It requires a young guy and and someone who lives closer to school, and I’m neither one,” said Blanton, 49, who lives in Monarch Bay near Dana Point. “I’ve been mulling it over for a couple of years.”

He was football coach for eight years before becoming athletic director, and didn’t rule out returning to coaching as an assistant. He will continue to teach, primarily math, along with a period of weight training and athletics.

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Capistrano Valley’s Jennifer Garrett signed a letter of intent to attend Northern Arizona. Garrett, a 6-foot-3 post player who was a Times All-County first-team selection, averaged 21 points and 13.5 rebounds during her senior season; she averaged 14.8 points and 9.6 rebounds her junior year.

She said she will be a redshirt freshman next year for the Big Sky Conference team.