Coaching Shuffle Continues

In Huntington Beach, long a formidable soccer community, three soccer coaches have stepped down or been replaced at the city’s four high schools and a fourth quit but then had a change of heart.

Earlier this spring, Edison announced the resignation of its boys’ coach, Trent Marcus. On Friday, Marina announced that Jorge Valenzuela would not be back as girls’ coach, and Monday, Marina Athletic Director Larry Doyle said Martin Lippens will not return as boys’ coach.

Doyle said former Marina boys’ coach, Dave McLeish, who coaches the men’s team at Southern California College, told him he wants to replace Lippens, who held the job two seasons. But Edison Athletic Director Bruce Belcher also has expressed an interest in McLeish, who is also a Spanish teacher.

Meanwhile, Charles Tyler, Huntington Beach girls’ coach, said he resigned after writing a two-page letter to parents and boosters in response to statements he believed were critical of him. But Tyler said he changed his mind and will remain with the Oilers. Huntington Beach has not won a girls’ Sunset League game in three years.

All were walk-on jobs, which makes it difficult to establish coaching continuity, Huntington Beach Athletic Director Dave Van Hoorebeke said.

“There has been a lot of success in the different programs and the competition in the league is as good as anywhere,” Van Hoorebeke said. “It’s a tough situation. Everybody wants their children to be successful and it’s very difficult for a walk-on coaching situation.”

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The road to signing to play volleyball at University of the Pacific for Santa Margarita outside hitter Tim Gerlach took an unusual turn somewhere over middle America a couple weeks ago.

That’s where the air freight company carrying the letter of intent he signed and mailed to Penn State lost the letter.

According to his mother, Chris, after a week without a confirmation from Penn State, or word from the air freight company, Gerlach thought Penn State had decided not to accept him and he signed with Pacific. A couple days later, the letter he sent to Penn State was returned by the air freight company. Gerlach has decided to remain at Pacific.

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Undaunted after four consecutive lopsided losses each, St. Michael’s Prep and Fairmont Academy meet in an Academy League baseball game at 1 p.m. today at the El Toro Community Center.

St. Michael’s (3-5, 0-4) has been outscored, 58-5, in its four Academy League games. Fairmont (0-4, 0-4) forfeited Friday’s league contest with Liberty Christian because it fielded only eight players. In three previous games, the Huskies gave up 82 runs and scored four.

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It’s Showdown Tuesday in softball as two unbeaten first-place teams from four leagues--all of them with 4-0 records--play each other today. Three games feature teams that finished either first or second last season.

Second-ranked Foothill (19-2-1), the defending Century League champion, plays at Canyon (17-7-1). El Dorado (13-6) plays at No. 8 Kennedy (14-5).

In the Pacific Coast League, defending champion Aliso Niguel (9-10) plays at Laguna Hills (11-7), the perennial league power. In the Orange League, Western (12-8) plays at Brea Olinda (12-6). Brea won the league title last year, while Western finished third.

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Maybe no softball program has lost more talent by transfers than Santa Margarita. The Eagles lost two pitchers the past 1 1/2 years. Suzanne Guy left during the last school year and helped El Toro reach the top 10. This year, Leea Harlan transferred to Laguna Hills, which is in first place in the Pacific Coast League.

Friday, Guy returned to Santa Margarita for the first time since her transfer, and gave up only one hit through the first six innings before finishing with a three-hit, 4-1 victory for the Chargers.

Still, Santa Margarita (12-7-1) is ranked ninth in the county with Jackie Farmer in the circle.

Times staff writer Martin Henderson also contributed to this report.