Vote Goes Against Eagles

The Southern Section Executive Committee denied Santa Margarita’s appeal Wednesday to move from the Parochial Area into the Orange County Area for the 2002-06 releaguing cycle. Then, using the same set of criteria, it overturned a previous decision and will allow Orange Lutheran and Calvary Chapel to participate in Orange County public school leagues.

Calvary Chapel and Orange Lutheran will look for a new home outside the Olympic League, probably the five-team Sea View or Golden West leagues.

Santa Margarita principal Merritt Hemenway was willing to keep the Eagles in the Serra League for football, but cited several reasons for wanting to join a public school league in other sports, including geographic differences with other schools and competitive equity.

Addressing the latter, he said that, with the exception of boys’ golf, a sport in which his school is clearly dominant, the Eagles won only 17.8% of available league titles while competing in the Sea View League from 1992-99. The statistical probability of winning a title in a six-team league is 16.6%.

“It’s all about adults wanting to win trophies,” Hemenway said afterward.

His most most vocal detractor was John Dahlem, Loara principal and O.C.’s representative on the executive committee who argued that private schools have “access to our students. . . . and it’s [creating] an unequal playing field.”

The committee then voted, 9-5, to keep Santa Margarita in the Serra League, 13-2 to allow Calvary Chapel and 14-1 to allow Orange Lutheran into the Orange County Area’s public schools.