I spoke with Azusa High AD Sandy Gahring while covering a softball game Thursday about Tuesday’s appeals. Gahring said if the Montview is forced to move to the Northwest, she is not sure if the school will be able to afford transportation for potential playoff games at schools like Fillmore or Nordoff (Ojai) — from the Tri Valley League — given next year’s school budget. Gahring’s other concern was the gate for home games. She said with the Mid-Valley Division comprised of area teams, it not only makes travel easier, but it increases gate revenue for home playoff games because of the easy travel for visiting area teams. I’m in total agreement with Gahring. Forget the fact the Montview is moving into a tougher division after struggling to compete in its previous division, now you’re going to ask the schools to fork out a lot more money for travel and lose a lot more money in gate revenue. Forget competitive equity for a minute, but shouldn’t the financial costs and the burden it will place on the schools take precedent given the financial situation public schools are in? Geographic proximity, more than ever, should be the most important factor CIF considers when making these decisions. It should be the most important factor in re-leaguing as well. My biggest beef when Glendora was moved to the Baseline was the travel. You’re moving a public school into a league where it’s closest league foe is Los Osos! That’s ridiculous. These aren’t club programs, these are public high schools. As it is, Glendora can’t afford an on campus football coach. You move Charter Oak and South Hills into the Sierra for league games against Claremont, Chino Hills and Ayala when you have other high schools like Covina, Northview, West Covina, San Dimas and others just a few miles from each other which would cut travel costs down dramatically, while also giving athletes that extra hour or two for homework with league games much closer to home. I’m all for competitive equity, but the price the school’s are paying in travel at a time when school’s are forced to cut so many costs makes no sense at all.
The league, represented by Workman High School assistant principal Scott Cavanias, athletic director Victor Perdomo and varsity football head coach Scott Morrison, argued a move out of the Mid-Valley Division and into the Northwest Division did not make sense on grounds of competitive equity, enrollment and geography.
The playoff groupings appeals committee, however, stood by Martinez’s proposal to move the Montview League to the Northwest Division to give it relief after the league posted just one playoff win in the past two seasons. The Southern Section reviews its playoff groupings every two years and bases its proposals on the past two year’s results. The current proposals would go into effect this fall.
“We thought what we presented was a better fit,” Perdomo said. “We got shot down, but they heard us.”
The league can appeal Tuesday’s decision at the April 25 Southern Section council meeting, where new groupings will be ratified.