Prep Realignment Talks Will Start All Over Again

After nearly a year of meetings, discussions, recommendations and votes on the realignment of the county’s 10 athletic leagues for the 1998-2002 school years, area principals agreed Thursday to start all over again--for the last time.

Sixty of the county’s 62 principals met for nearly three hours at Fountain Valley High, deciding to reconvene Jan. 8 to discuss new proposals.

“Yes, we have gone back to Square 1,” said Jim Staunton, Huntington Beach principal and head of the county releaguing committee. “But on Jan. 8, we will come out with a solution.”

The principals have been grappling with league realignment since February. The stumbling blocks remaining include the placement of Catholic schools Mater Dei and Santa Margarita, and in which league to place Esperanza, which wants to leave the Sunset League because of geographical concerns.

The plan seemingly favored by most principals would send Mater Dei from the South Coast League to the Sunset League and Santa Margarita from the Sea View League to the South Coast. Both schools would be ineligible for league titles in 11 varsity sports, including football, basketball and baseball. Esperanza would remain in the Sunset League.