Carmel to the Gabilan, Seaside to Mission

It wasn't part of the original football division realignment proposal scheduled to be voted on Tuesday by the board of mangers for the Pacific Coast Athletic League.

Apparently, the changes for next season were brought up among administrators during their session.

In a sudden turn of events, Mission Division champion Carmel High is being bumped to the Gabilan Division, the highest division in the PCAL, while Seaside, as expected, will drop down to the Mission.

"Some of it was personal from some of the comments I've received," Carmel coach Golden Anderson said. "Nothing surprises me. There is a process. It sounds like it wasn't followed."

Carmel was not on either proposal to be moved up to the Gabilan. But the board of managers voted 25-2 to send them to the Gabilan.

Carmel has the option to appeal the process, but Anderson says that's unlikely at this point, calling it pointless.

"We are not interested in appealing to the same body that made the decision," Anderson said. "What good would that do?"

Seaside, which finished 1-9 last year and dropped its freshman program after Week 7, was the logical choice to move down.

Yet, coach Al Avila didn't agree with Carmel being pushed up.

"Carmel doesn't have the numbers," Avila said. "It shouldn't have to go up. But that's how this is set up. This doesn't solve the problem. All we're doing is making them a sacrificial lamb."

One of the original proposals was for Seaside to be dropped to the Mission Division, but not moving up another team, leaving the Gabilan with seven teams. That raised concerns among coaches in the Gabilan Division about finding another non-league game.

"At the all-league meeting, a lot of coaches were concerned about having only seven teams and having to find another non-league game," Avila said. "What about the other divisions? They're seven teams. The league is all about the Gabilan."

Arguments for Carmel being moved up stemmed largely from its decade long run of success. It has won 10 or more games eight times and reached the Central Coast Section Division V finals this past fall.

It also opened the season with a big win over Gabilan Division co-champion Salinas, running off a state-leading 16 straight wins before being humbled by King's Academy last Saturday.

"Apparently this is what they thought was best," Anderson said. "Whatever division we're in, we'll show up. We embrace these kinds of challenges."

But how many teams will the program field next year?

Carmel will be the only team that won't field three programs in the Gabilan. And it's possible that it won't field a junior varsity program based on numbers, having just a freshman program.

Just 26 kids played on the Padres junior varsity team last year that went 3-7. Anderson has 28 kids returning that will be juniors or seniors next season.

"I don't know if we'll have a JV team," Anderson said. "Our numbers are low. That's not a mystery. The league is well aware of that. We don't have 120 kids coming back like other schools in this division."

Last year Carmel canceled its junior varsity season opener with Salinas  because of safety concerns among the 15 freshman playing their first game.

While Avila acknowledged being dropped will make Seaside competitive next year, he isn't sure if he'll have a junior varsity or freshman team.

Last season, Seaside's freshman were 0-7 before pulling the plug because of a lack of numbers. The junior varsity team was 2-8 and the varsity 1-9.

"We have no depth," Avila said. "I have to reevaluate what we're going to do. I may not have a JV team, instead fielding just a freshman program. We have to have numbers on the varsity."

For Avila the biggest concern about putting a team in the Gabilan Division is safety. He's dealt with more injuries in the last two years because of a lack of depth.

"People don't want to talk about the safety issue," Avila said. "If you don't have depth, or linemen in the Gabilan Division, you're in trouble. When we lose a player, it's like losing two starters."

Seaside got so thin on the offensive line last fall that he inserted a 150-pound running back at guard out of necessity.

"This power league is about the big schools," Avila said. "It's all about them. They don't care about anyone. Eight teams don't belong in the Gabilan."

Avila felt he was left in the Gabilan Division last season because of the program's past, which has produced a number of former and current players in the NFL.

"You can't just look at our past," Avila said. "We don't have that type of talent or numbers anymore. At least we'll be competitive in the Mission. But this equity league doesn't work for football."

Carmel will have to drop one of its four non-league games because it will now have one more league game.

"This has never worked for school's Seaside's size," Anderson said. "And they're bigger than us."
Cypress Division champion Monterey is moving to the Mission Division, with Watsonville going down to the Cypress.

Santa Lucia Division champion Gonzales and runner-up Soquel are moving up to the Cypress Division with Pacific Grove and St. Francis going down.