12/01/2016

SCCAL football


The Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League is close to voting on disbanding for football, essentially meaning that all six teams would become free agents next season.
The reason for the talk stems from the possibility of Harbor dropping football next fall. If a league is only composed of five teams, it losses its automatic playoff spot.
Of course, if it SCCAL disbands, the hope is teams will merge with another league or leagues.
"When a league disbands, they don’t have to go anywhere as a group,’’ Carmel coach Golden Anderson said. "And a league doesn’t have to accept all of them. They could all go in different directions.’’
Any league that takes a team goes into effect immediately.
What teams in the SCCAL don’t want to do is go independent. Barring a wavier from the Central Coast Section, playing an independent schedule would eliminate any postseason possibilities.
Del La Salle played an independent schedule in the past in the North Coast Section.
Last season perennial SCCAL power Aptos and Scotts Valley both reached the CCS playoffs. Football coaches in the SCCAL will discus it at length next Monday at the all-league meeting.
"I’ve never seen a situation like this unfold,’’ Anderson said.
Talk of Aptos joining the Monterey Bay League’s Gabilan Division has resurfaced with the recent discussions. At least one league in the San Jose area has expressed interest in bringing the SCCAL champions into their league.
"Is it the responsibility of the MBL to take them in automatically to save teams?’’ Palma coach Jeff Carnazzo said. "I don’t know. But I think we should consider it. I’d like to see us go to nine-team divisions.’’
For that to work, one team from the SCCAL would be left out.
"I know Aptos would make our division stronger,’’ Carnazzo said.
Palma is scheduled to host Aptos next year in a non-league game.
"We need to make a decision soon,’’ Carnazzo said. "It’s hard to find non-league games.’’
If Aptos opted for the MBL’s Gabilan Division, the Mission Trail Athletic League would likely be willing to absorb the rest of the league and become a two division equity league.
"The demographics of their league are similar to our league,’’ Anderson said. "Personally I feel our league is different from the MBL.’’
Anderson was speaking about the possibility of the MTAL merging with the MBL for all sports, which wouldn’t take effect until 2018. That vote is on hold.
An equity league in the MTAL could potentially save Harbor’s program and bring St. Francis Catholic back, who left the SCCAL four years ago to play an independent schedule before joining a start-up league last fall in the NCS.
It’s possible the teams in the SCCAL could go in numerous directions. The MBL could absorb two teams, the MTAL could take two and a league in the San Jose area could take two teams.
"I know the Santa Clara Athletic League wants to take two of them,’’ North Salinas coach Darren Spence said.
Spence isn’t certain a three-tier division format is the best avenue for the MBL.
"When I was at Branham, the Blossom Valley Athletic League had that,’’ Spence said. "Everyone thinks it makes your league better.''

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