Sunset League’s Plan to Move Down Rejected

The Southern Section Council closed out the Dean Crowley era Thursday in Buena Park with voters denying the Sunset League’s attempt to drop down a division for the football playoffs.

Crowley, who is retiring in June after 23 years with the section--the last six as commissioner--received several rousing ovations that brought tears to his eyes during the section’s last regularly scheduled meeting of the school year.

Despite a recommendation from the section’s playoff grouping committee to allow the Sunset League to move from Division I to Division II, representatives of the Citrus Belt, Sierra and Moore leagues got an amendment attached to the committee’s original motion, effectively reversing the intent of the original motion.

After inconclusive voice and hand votes, the amendment passed on a roll-call vote, 34-16, and the full motion was quickly adopted by voice vote.

Opponents said without the Sunset League, Division I would be left with only four leagues and nearly every team would qualify for the playoffs.

Marina Principal Carol Osbrink, president of the Sunset League, presented information suggesting the league was not strong enough, from top to bottom, to remain in Division I.

“Wherever they put us, we’ll compete as hard as we can. And that’s what we’ve always done,” Los Alamitos Athletic Director and football Coach John Barnes said after the meeting. “But with the [other] five schools winning a combined one game in five years, you’re [league] probably should be reevaluated.”

In other action, the council:

* Approved, by a vote of 32-28, the use of soft headgear to protect ears during summer football. Most Orange County leagues voted against the proposal.

“This leads to more competitive contests,” said Sunny Hills Athletic Director Ralph Trigsted, president of the Orange County Athletic Directors Assn. “Passing leagues will be more like real games. They’re supposed to be like drills. It also adds a cost factor.”

* Reduced the penalty imposed on teams for using players declared ineligible because of incomplete paperwork. Under the new guidelines, a team would only have to forfeit one game, regardless of the number of games involved.

* Eliminated all travel restrictions, bringing athletic programs in line with other campus programs.

* Approved an 11th game be added to the football schedule at the beginning of the season to be used only as a scrimmage.

* Denied a proposal to conduct the boys’ and girls’ water polo playoffs based on enrollment.

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Staff writer Mike Terry contributed to this story.