It’s True, but It’s Strange

San Clemente receiver Trevor Insley was off on another precision pass route Friday night. At the same moment, a sideline official turned away from the field to talk to Triton coaches. When the ball arrived, not only was Insley smacked by a Mater Dei player, but he was blindsided by the official. Or did Insley blindside him? Hard to tell, since the official was still facing backward.

No matter. Insley made the catch and San Clemente upset Mater Dei, 23-17.

With that we begin another tabloid edition of (cue the echo chamber) Strange But True . . . true . . . true . . .

TEAM ABDUCTED BY ALIENS!

Around Magnolia, they believe practice makes perfect. And they will practice until they get it right.

Which is why the last time the Sentinels played Brea Olinda in water polo, Coach Mark Cholette showed up with the junior varsity. He said he wanted the varsity to “work on other aspects of the game so they stayed at [Magnolia] tonight to practice.�

Magnolia Athletic Director Richard Penn later claimed that all but two varsity members had played in the game.

But sources close to the scene say extraterrestrials were involved.

Brea Olinda won a not-so-close encounter, 16-4.

Ah, but Friday the varsity was apparently beamed back. Or had they finally honed their skills?

Brea Olinda still won, 12-7.

Coach, maybe with a little more practice . . .

ELVIS MAKES THE CALL!

Officials at the Laguna Hills-University football game might have asked for some sort of divine intervention Thursday, or at least solicited a little help from their colleagues. When University’s Fred Roberts rolled into the end zone, was it a game-winning touchdown catch or not?

That’s what two officials couldn’t seem to decide, so they huddled, excluding even their fellow officials from the powwow.

But sources have provided a transcript of the conversation.

Official: “Maybe if we stand here long enough, everyone will leave.�

Other official: “OK, heads it’s a catch, tails it’s not. Then rock-paper-scissors: the loser gives the bad news.�

The pass was ruled incomplete and Laguna Hills won, 20-14.

The Trojans can at least be happy that neither official attempted to make the tackle.

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR CANCELS MELROSE PLACE!

Esperanza’s Jim Patterson would, if given the power, sources say.

Instead, he had to settle for pulling the plug on a television station that wanted to broadcast the Esperanza-Los Alamitos game. Jim wouldn’t agree to change the game time from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The cad.

He got his, though. An official from the station sent a nasty letter to just about anyone who had a mail box. In it, he points out that maybe Mr. Patterson should re-examine his priorities.

Let’s see, should Mr. Patterson place a broadcast, for which the school doesn’t get a dime, above his athletes, students, coaches and parents? Yup, that’s the first thing they teach you in athletic directors’ school.

MOTHER HAS SPLIT PERSONALITY!

No one raised an eyebrow when a mother called the Southern Section office recently to complain about a transfer who took her son’s starting position on a local football team.

Sources claim she said it was outrageous that someone could change schools and take the starting job of a boy who had worked so hard for so long in the program.

Then she asked what her family would have to do to make a legal transfer so her son could play elsewhere.

Yup, all strange, but true.