“Right now they put us in an eight-team league where we will be fighting for sixth and seventh place in all sports. Some sports will be able to compete, but our girls won’t have a chance, it’s not fair.” — Rowland principal Robbie Robinson.

At Thursday’s appeal hearing, I was moved at how passionate Rowland principal Robbie Robinson was. There is no way, no way that Rowland should be in the Miramonte/San Antonio league along with West Covina, South Hills, Bonita, Diamond Bar, Diamond Ranch, Los Altos and Walnut. If Wilson and Nogales were granted relief to the Valle Vista, tell me why you wouldn’t allow relief for Rowland as well? You want stats, Robinson pointed out in his written argument that Rowland has been to the playoffs a total of eight times in all sports during the past six and a half years, and in non-league games against Diamond Bar, Bonita and Diamond Ranch, they have yet to win a single girls head-to-head contest in at least three years. He pointed out that demographics, much like Wilson, are 79 percent Asian/Hispanic, making it difficult to compete in the “power sports.” “1,900 kids from some of these other schools are not the same 1,900 kids that we have. We have a minority school and a great school, but you’re comparing apples and oranges, and that bothers me.” Robinson went on to say that three athletic directors from the Valle Vista would welcome there move, but that others were non-committal. “Three AD’s said we were a good fit, but other AD’s said they needed to talk to their football coaches and when they came back, they thought we were a good fit everywhere except in football.” The Valle Vista League is already easy, my thinking is that the traditional schools like Northview, Covina, San Dimas and Baldwin Park like it that way, but give me a break, Rowland makes their first trip to the semifinals in football since 1964, and coaches are worried about their football team? Didn’t Covina have a great football team a couple years back with McDonough? Didn’t Northview have a two good years, San Dimas and Baldwin Park there also. Give me a break, the Valle Vista League AD’s need to get together and sign a petition welcoming Rowland into the league to make it an even eight-team league by the next hearing on May 20. Stop looking out for yourselves, and do what’s right. This politicking has to stop.