League Realignment Will Probably Put Brea on the Move

The Streak may come to an end after all.

Principals from 63 Orange County high schools are scheduled to vote Thursday at Fountain Valley High on several league realignment plans for the 2002-06 cycle.

Principals will vote on a list of 10 realignment proposals, narrowing the field to three. They will then vote again on only those three proposals. The top vote-getter, if it receives two-thirds of the principals’ 63 votes, will be submitted to the Southern Section office for final approval.

One change that appears certain is Brea Olinda leaving the Orange League after the next academic year. The move would end one of the county’s longest school-league associations and would also probably end an impressive run by the Brea girls’ basketball team, winner of its last 151 Orange League games.

“I think change is good,” said Ladycat Coach Jeff Sink, whose overall record is 201-25 in seven seasons at Brea. “I wouldn’t want every league game to be ridiculously hard, but it would be nice to have some parity. It would help us in the playoffs.”

The proposal that received the most votes among principals at a preliminary meeting last week was presented by the Sea View League.

That proposal has Brea Olinda, Tustin and Century joining the Century League; Orange Lutheran going to the Empire League; Costa Mesa, Estancia and Orange moving to the Golden West League; Santa Ana Valley joining the Orange League; Foothill going to the Sea View League, and new schools Tesoro and Beckman joining Calvary Chapel as new members of the Pacific Coast League.

Estancia’s proposal, which received the second-most votes last week, is identical to the Sea View League’s, except it has Orange High becoming the Orange League’s seventh team.

The Orange League, the county’s oldest league, has not changed members since 1981, when Esperanza, El Dorado, Sonora, La Habra and Fullerton were replaced by Anaheim, Magnolia, Savanna and Western.

Except for two academic years in the 1960s, when a large number of new schools caused the Orange League to include only first- and second-year schools, the Wildcats have competed in the same league since 1926.

In addition to the winning streak, the Ladycats have won 19 consecutive Orange League championships, as well as eight state titles, including three in a row under Sink.

In addition to the Ladycats’ success, Brea has won three of the last four league titles in football, showing the same kind of domination it did while winning nine consecutive championships from 1955 to 1963.

Brea has also enjoyed years of success in boys’ basketball. Gene Lloyd won 10 league titles in 17 seasons with the Wildcats, then Bob Terry took over in 1999 and won three more.

The baseball team has won seven league titles under Steve Hiskey, but he’s also ready for a change after 25 years at the school.

“I think it’s probably time for a move,” said Hiskey, who recently took over as boys’ athletic director. “It will be beneficial to the program.”

A proposal presented by Westminster High received the fourth-most votes. It, too, is similar to the Sea View League’s proposal, except it has Tustin joining the Sea View League and Orange Lutheran moving to the Century League. It’s chances of winning appear slim.

“That wouldn’t be a good fit since we’re in such close proximity to Villa Park, El Modena and Canyon,” Orange Lutheran Principal Gregg Pinick said.

Pinick said Orange Lutheran, with an enrollment that has grown to 950 students, is ready to shed its small-school label and leave the Olympic League, where its membership dates to 1985.

“Being a part of the other 63 [large] schools will be a great thing for this school,” Pinick said. “It will also give the kids a chance to play against some of their friends.”

Foothill also appears set to end a 25-year relationship with the Century League, which hasn’t had a change since 1990. Costa Mesa was an original member of the Pacific Coast League when it was formed in 1986 and Estancia has been a member since 1990.

The Pacific Coast League is expected to get a make-over with the addition of Calvary Chapel, which became a full-time member of the Olympic League in 1992, as well as the introduction of Tesoro and Beckman.

Tesoro, which is scheduled to open this fall, will be the first high school built in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District since 1993. The campus will be in an unincorporated area near the intersection of Oso Parkway and the Foothill Transportation Corridor.

Beckman High will be part of the Tustin Unified School District when it opens at Bryan Avenue and Culver Drive in 2003.

Despite a campaign to leave the Sunset League that dates back several years, Esperanza appears out of luck for the upcoming cycle. Esperanza officials have sought a league closer to its Anaheim Hills location, which would lessen travel time for league competitions.

Al Britt, who has coached Esperanza track and cross-country teams for 21 years, said he isn’t surprised none of the leading proposals have Esperanza on the move. Britt said many of the county’s neighboring schools consider the Aztecs’ athletic programs too powerful for their leagues.

Some have suggested Esperanza join a league with out-of-county schools such as Diamond Bar and Chino, which have similar enrollments and are closer in proximity, but Britt said that would be a publicity nightmare.

“Our kids deserve an equal amount of press,” he said. “If we’re in a league with Diamond Bar and Chino, they’re not going to get the publicity they deserve.”

In addition to the 10 proposals on today’s ballot, counterproposals submitted through last Friday will also be considered, Pinick said.

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Staff writer Van Nightingale contributed to this story.

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A New Look

Principals from Orange County’s high school will vote Thursday on a proposal to submit to the Southern Section on league realignments for the 2002-06 school years. They will initially consider 10 proposals. Here is a look at the proposal, submitted by the Sea View League, that received the most support in a preliminary vote last week:

CENTURY LEAGUE

Current:

Canyon

El Modena

Foothill

Orange

Santa Ana Valley

Villa Park

2002-06:

Brea Olinda

Canyon

Century

El Modena

Tustin

Villa Park

EMPIRE LEAGUE

Current:

Century

Cypress

El Dorado

Katella

Kennedy

Loara

2002-06:

Cypress

El Dorado

Katella

Kennedy

Loara

Orange Lutheran

GOLDEN WEST LEAGUE

Current:

Ocean View

Saddleback

Santa Ana

Westminster

Tustin

2002-06:

Costa Mesa

Estancia

Ocean View

Orange

Saddleback

Santa Ana

Westminster

ORANGE LEAGUE

Current:

Anaheim

Brea Olinda

Magnolia

Savanna

Valencia

Western

2002-06:

Anaheim

Magnolia

Savanna

Valencia

Western

Santa Ana Valley

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Current:

Corona del Mar

Costa Mesa

Estancia

Laguna Beach

Northwood

University

2002-06:

Beckman

Corona del Mar

Laguna Beach

Northwood

Tesoro

University

SEA VIEW LEAGUE

Current:

Aliso Niguel

Irvine

Laguna Hills

Newport Harbor

Woodbridge

2002-06:

Aliso Niguel

Foothill

Irvine

Laguna Hills

Newport Harbor

Woodbridge

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NOTE: All other leagues would remain the same.