Little Leagues, All Big Games

It’s a little bit strange that finally, in the eighth week of the high school football season, league play begins for Catholic schools.

This is the compromise Catholic school principals and administrators came up with when no institutions wanted to join Mater Dei, Loyola and Bishop Amat as Division I schools. A series of four-team leagues were created to appease those schools concerned they might not have any chance of playoff consideration.

Last year was the first year of a four-year cycle. The leagues were changed again this year when Orange County public schools demanded Mater Dei’s ouster. The new Division I alignment has Mater Dei with Servite, St. John Bosco and Santa Margarita in the Serra League, and Alemany, Loyola, Bishop Amat and St. Paul in the Del Rey League.

Alemany had to be dragged kicking and screaming into Division I, but suddenly the Indians aren’t complaining. They finished their nonleague schedule 6-1 and possess the kind of high-powered offense that could propel them to a league title if they can survive the grueling week to week combat of Division I competition.

The Indians got a feel for what’s ahead when they lost three defensive starters to injuries against Servite. But Alemany came back to defeat Santa Margarita last week. Now comes the real test--Loyola, St. Paul and Bishop Amat in a frantic three-week stretch.

“The next three games are pretty much our season,” quarterback Casey Clausen said.

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The Mission League title race is expected to be decided when Notre Dame (6-1) plays host to St. Francis (7-0) a week from this Friday. But Chaminade (5-2) has won five consecutive games and gets the first crack against Notre Dame on Friday at home.

“They have twice as many kids as us, but they can only play 11 on the field,” Coach Ed Croson of Chaminade said. “We have some gutsy kids.”