Competitive Equity is defined by the CIF as “finding ways for teams to compete that are similar with each other in a competitive nature.”
Back in the day school enrollment and geography determined the levels on which teams competed. You wouldn’t see a school with almost 2,500 students playing one with 120 in the playoffs.
You will this Saturday when big school Poway (6-7) plays host to tiny Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep (12-1) in the Southern California regional III-A playoffs.
It’s happening because The CIF gradually moved to the system employed this year, in which teams’ won-loss record and strength of schedule is computed by Calpreps.com.
Rio Hondo, with 71 boys and total enrollment of 120 for grades 7-12, has a higher Calpreps.com grade (31.6) than Poway (30.1), which was 4-7 in the regular season but won a San Diego Section championship by outscoring its last two opponents, 63-27 and 62-24.
Titans coaches probably had conversations with Francis Parker coaches this week.
Rio Hondo defeated the Lancers, 55-28, in the 2024 opener enroute to a season in which its only loss was to a large school, Torrance, 28-21.
Poway’s opponent may have set a CIF record for enrollment differential last week when many of the school’s 71 males teamed to defeat Warren High of Downey, with 3,635 students, 43-16.
Noah Penunuri led the winners’ attack with 228 yards in 36 carries and three touchdowns.
The Kares, in business since 1964 to Poway’s 1961, own a 6-2 record against Parker, Midway Baptist (now Ocean View), and Santa Fe Christian since 1977. They played eight-man football many years in the Prep League but switched to the Gold Coast loop in 2018 to play the 11-man game.
Rick: I played from 56 to 59 and one of the biggest differences was the fact that if you lived in a school’s boundaries you went to school there, period. You could not hire athletes like today.
Although there was some hanky-panky going on when I went to Lincoln and some players left to go to San Diego High. Thanks for writing, Larry.