Orange County high schools consider new league structures

Orange County high schools are set to undergo a major change in their league structures. Principals will meet in May to discuss and vote on new proposals that will affect the leagues starting in the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years. Fountain Valley principal Paul Lopez will lead these discussions. He mentioned that while he hasn't received any proposals yet, many ideas are circulating within the community. One key point is that the football-only leagues will remain in place due to their success. A significant proposal suggests moving all private schools out of public school leagues. Currently, Crean Lutheran is the only private school in the Century Conference. Other private schools like Sage Hill and St. Margaret’s are in different leagues. There is talk of forming a new Trinity Conference that could include Crean Lutheran and possibly a few other private schools seeking to compete only against Orange County teams. For public schools, the five high schools in Irvine might join the Coast View Conference, or form a new Sunset Conference with other schools. A big idea on the table is merging the Century Conference and Sunset League into a single large conference with 21 teams. The goal of these changes is to improve scheduling and group schools of similar sizes and skill levels, which has been beneficial in the past. In other sports news, the first CIF-SS boys volleyball rankings were released. Mira Costa, Loyola, and Huntington Beach topped the list. Villa Park's baseball coach Burt Call achieved his 500th win last weekend, while Villa Park’s team recently defeated Santa Margarita, ending their undefeated streak. The CIF-SS Council will meet next Thursday to discuss a proposal for state championships in boys and girls soccer. Additionally, Whittier Christian senior Lauren Gravitt received the CIF Spirit of Sport award, honoring her commitment to sportsmanship.