Panel to Hear Appeals on Realignment

The Southern Section’s Executive Committee meets today at the Sequoia Athletic Club in Buena Park to hear appeals on realignment proposals for the 1999-2002 school years.

Section Commissioner Dean Crowley said three schools are expected to appeal the league realignment plans approved Oct. 21 by vote of the Catholic Athletic Assn. and at least one county school--Esperanza--is expected to appeal plans approved Oct. 8 by Orange County principals.

Santa Fe Springs St. Paul and Mission Hills Alemany will appeal placement in the Del Rey League for football, and Gardena Serra will appeal placement in the Mission League for all sports except boys’ basketball and football.

Santa Margarita principal Merritt Hemenway said he opposes the St. Paul and Alemany appeals, and does not want a “super league” of strong Catholic schools.

As proposed, the Angelus League for football would include Santa Margarita, Mater Dei, Servite and Bellflower St. John Bosco.

“This plan is not perfect,” Hemenway said, “but it’s the best plan we have.”

Servite Principal Raymond Dunne went a step further, saying that should the St. Paul and Alemany appeals be upheld by the executive committee, “we will appeal at the section meeting in January.”

He continued: “To put us all in [one] league with only three playoff spots is just not right.”

Esperanza, which was left in the Sunset League, will likely appeal on the grounds of geography and enrollment--an appeal it made successfully last January, when the county realignment plan was sent back to the principals for further consideration.

“We are ready to address the enrollment issues and competitive equity as well,” said Esperanza Principal David Flynn, citing the other criteria used with geography to determine school placement.

“But our main concern is the amount of classroom time lost by travel to and from games.”

Los Alamitos vice principal Jerry Halpin said the other five Sunset League schools may also appeal, asking that Esperanza be moved to another league.

“The other five schools don’t mind the rest of the league’s configuration and would love a sixth team close to us,” Halpin said. “But we really don’t want to drive to Esperanza, and we were the only [county] league where geography was considered.”

Those schools not satisfied with today’s committee rulings can appeal again at the section’s general council’s next meeting, Jan. 28.