The CIF-Southern Section works hard to create a level playing field for the athletic programs at the more than 500 high schools.
The football coaches in the Tri-Valley League, however, feel the governing body didn’t follow that objective after the latest releaguing cycle was approved in the late spring.
The CIF-SS moved the TVL from the Northwest Division to the Northern Division, essentially elevating the league from Division 10 to Division 3. The TVL is now in a playoff group with the Los Padres, PAC 5, Golden and Camino leagues. That means playoff-bound teams from the TVL will be going up against the likes of a Thousand Oaks, Arroyo Grande, Palmdale, Antelope Valley, Camarillo, Newbury Park, schools with much larger enrollments.
“The league has taken a big jump, and that’s a result of the success our league has had over the last several years,” Carpinteria coach Ben Hallock said.
Nordhoff won two straight CIF Northwest Division titles; Bishop Diego has reached the semifinals the last three years, and all four league teams made the playoffs last season.
“I know the (CIF’s) rational is the performance of our league — last year in particular — and that’s a credit to the league,” Bishop Diego coach Tom Crawford said. “I have no problem moving up (but) I would bet it’s almost unprecedented to see a league jump seven divisions like CIF did with us.”
Said Hallock: “They reward you by moving you up until you can’t be successful anymore. It’s kind of crazy.”
The league appealed the CIF’s releaguing alignment but it was rejected by a unanimous vote.
Crawford broke down the enrollment numbers of the schools in the division.
“From our school, and from my perspective, you have a league where the average enrollment is 680 and you’re putting it in a division where there are 5-6 schools over 3,000 and 17 schools over 2100. We’re at 250 as a school.”
Fillmore, which was elevated from the Frontier League to the TVL, is the largest school in the league with 1,000 students. Nordhoff is second with 820 followed by Carpinteria with 659 and Bishop Diego.
Fillmore coach Matt Dollar expressed his unhappiness with the CIF’s decision.
He told the Ventura County Star: “… We think we’ve got a team that can go the playoffs and then we’re playing Atascadero, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, and I think anybody, anybody that looks at that goes, ‘That’s not right.’”
The TVL will be in this playoff cycle for the next two years.
“I just stopped worrying about it,” said Hallock. “I think any sane person who looks at where we are put together realizes the inequities that are there. It’s just complete silliness.
“Sometimes logic and reason don’t win out. That was the case with us.”
CIF PRESEASON RANKINGS
NORTHERN DIVISION
RANK SCHOOL 2013 ?RECORD
1. Lompoc 11?2?
2. Camarillo 10?2
?3. Newbury Park 5?5
4. Nordhoff 13?2
5. Palmdale 9?3
6. Atascadero 8?3
7. Arroyo Grande 8?4
8. Paso Robles 7?4
9. St. Joseph/S.M. 7?4
10. Thousand Oaks 6?4
Others: Bishop Diego, 10?3; Quartz Hill, 7?4.
WESTERN DIVISION?
1. West Torrance 10?3
2. Palos Verdes 9?3
3. Mira Costa 8?4
4. El Segundo 10?4
5. Buena 7?5
6. Santa Monica 7?5
7. Agoura 6?5
8. Ventura 6?6
9. Redondo Union 6?5
10. Simi Valley 5?5
Others: Culver City, 6?5; North Torrance, 6?5
