Plan for New Leagues Passed by Principals

Beginning in the fall of 1998, Mater Dei might leave the South Coast League and ride off into the Sunset League.

The Monarchs will be one of eight Orange County schools to change leagues if the proposal is approved in September by the Southern Section general council. School principals approved the plan by a 47-13 vote Thursday at Mission Viejo High.

Here’s how the leagues would stack up for the four-year period beginning in the fall of ‘98:

* Sunset: Mater Dei would join Edison, Esperanza, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach and Los Alamitos.

* South Coast: El Toro and Santa Margarita would join Capistrano Valley, Mission Viejo, San Clemente and Trabuco Hills.

* Sea View: Aliso Niguel, Dana Hills and Laguna Hills would join Irvine, Newport Harbor and Woodbridge.

* Pacific Coast: Corona del Mar and Marina would join Costa Mesa, Estancia, Laguna Beach and University.

In addition, Northwood, which is scheduled to open in Irvine in 1999, would join the Pacific Coast League, making it the county’s second seven-team league, along with Garden Grove.

There would be no changes in the Century, Empire, Freeway, Garden Grove or Orange leagues.

The proposal was submitted by Aliso Niguel principal Denise Danne and Athletic Director Mike Middlebrook.

Despite receiving more than the two-thirds vote it needed to be sent on, the proposal had its detractors.

Marina Principal Carol Osbrink said she expected to appeal to Southern Section officials after meeting with her coaches.

“I also expect some of the PCL schools to appeal,” Osbrink said. “There is a problem with equity regarding travel costs for us. . . . and there is a problem of competitive equity regarding enrollment. A school the size of Laguna Beach [approximately 750 students] should not have to play in a league with a school the size of Marina [approximately 2,200 students].”

Laguna Beach Principal Barbara Callard agreed with Osbrink, adding transportation costs are a real concern. “We’re so financially strapped that if we were traveling to Marina now, I don’t think there’s enough in the budget to cover the costs,” she said.

Callard said Pacific Coast League schools have a regularly scheduled league meeting Monday, when she expects her colleagues will look hard at appealing the proposal.

The criteria used to guide the principals Thursday were geography (the distance between league schools), enrollment and strength of athletic programs.

The last item was the biggest obstacle for Mater Dei, which has football, boys’ and girls’ basketball and soccer, baseball and soccer teams that are among the best in the county. The Monarchs wanted to move from the South Coast League, in part to reduce travel costs, but weren’t finding any league eager to accept them.

At an earlier meeting it was proposed Mater Dei become a freelance program, rotating between the South Coast, Sunset, Sea View and Century leagues. The Monarchs would only be able to qualify for the playoffs on a freelance basis instead of getting automatic berths by finishing among a league’s top three.

Mater Dei Principal Pat Murphy, who proposed putting Mater Dei in the Sunset, was vehemently opposed to the freelance plan, saying he would appeal it “all the way up to the state.” But Thursday, after hearing so many schools unwilling to support a Mater Dei move into their league, Murphy said he was “resigned” to staying in the South Coast League.

But instead, the Monarchs’ move to the Sunset League was approved.

“We’re pleased, because we travel so much in South Coast and we have kids out of class so early because of that travel,” Murphy said.

“Because of our size and the strength of our program, we realistically could only be in South Coast or Sunset. If you take geography in account, Sunset has to be it.”

However, they can expect some opposition.

Edison Athletic Director Bruce Belcher said he is adamantly opposed to having a private school such as Mater Dei play in the Sunset League.

“We just can’t compete with them,” he said.

Huntington Beach Athletic Director Dave Van Hoorebeke agreed.

“We can’t have people come into the public schools from other areas like they can in a private school situation,” he said. “We like to play against people in a level-field type of situation where we feel we have a competitive chance to win.

Dave White, Edison football and girls’ basketball coach said the Sunset League has evolved into a monster the last two realignments.

“We went from a district league that lost Westminster and Ocean View and gained Esperanza and Los Alamitos, and now is losing Marina and picking up Mater Dei. That’s a drastic change,” he said.

Staff writers Martin Henderson and Paul McLeod contributed to this story.