Southern Section Council Rejects Proposed Section

The Southern Section Council voted overwhelmingly against supporting the creation of an Orange County high school athletic section Thursday. Only 12 of the section’s 73 league representatives present voted in favor of a new section.

The council voted to instruct its representatives to oppose an Orange County section at next week’s State Federated Council meeting. The section proposal will be put before the state members on Oct. 28.

Orange County officials will seek to gain support from the state’s nine other sections.

“I think we’ll have more support in the state than the section,” said Athletic Director Mark Cunningham of Irvine University High, who represented the Sea View League. “We knew we didn’t have a chance at the section level. But the worst thing that can happen is we remain in the Southern Section.”

Opponents of an Orange County Section said they were concerned about the competitive equity in a new section and the financial impact on the Southern Section.