Eagles, Friars Moved Back into County for Regional

Santa Margarita and Servite, the 1,000-pound gorillas of high school golf, are getting tossed back into Orange County’s cage for the postseason.

And the natives aren’t too happy.

“It has every coach in South Orange County up in arms,” said Wayne Westling, coach of 10th-ranked Aliso Niguel.

The decision was made last week by Southern Section to put the Serra League--where Santa Margarita, top-ranked in the county, and No. 4 Servite reside--into the South Coast region for the divisional championship May 7. Only two teams from each of eight regional competitions advance to the section team final May 10, and because Santa Margarita and Servite come as a package, the Serra League is a hot potato.

Last year the league was moved from to the Western Regional, raising the hackles of coaches of San Gabriel Valley schools in that region.

“We weren’t exactly welcomed out there,” said Servite Coach Tim Meagher, “and it wasn’t any fault of our own.”

Servite and Santa Margarita finished first and second, ending a streak of eight years that the Eagles won their regional competition. Santa Margarita went on to win the section team final and the CIF-SCGA championships.

Now the programs have been bounced back to the South Coast regional at El Prado in Chino with teams from the Century, Garden Grove, Golden West, Olympic, Sea View and South Coast.

“It’s going to be extremely tough to get out of our division,” Meagher said. “There are probably five or six teams that could possibly win the CIF team title and two or three of them aren’t even going to get the chance to advance.”

LOOKING AHEAD

No. 2 Huntington Beach and No. 3 Marina will play today at SeaCliff. Servite’s Nico Bollini, who has missed all but two of the Friars’ first nine matches because of other golf commitments, will return for Wednesday’s match against Santa Margarita at Los Coyotes.

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BOYS’ GOLF TOP 10

Orange County Sportswriters’ Poll

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Pos. School League Rec 1. Santa Margarita (1) Serra 7-0 2. Huntington Beach (3) Sunset 8-0 3. Marina (6) Sunset 10-0 4. Servite (2) Serra 4-5 5. Capistrano Valley (5) South Coast 9-1 6. San Clemente (7) South Coast (7) 7-2 7. Esperanza (4) Sunset 7-2 8. Woodbridge (9) Sea View 9-2 9. Brea Olinda (NR) Orange 8-1 10. Aliso Viejo (NR) Sea View 7-4

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Last week’s ranking in parentheses