Former Irvine and Woodbridge Coach Bob Flint, now an assistant coach at Northwood. (Photo Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
So many great high school baseball teams have been eliminated in the CIF playoffs.
At least six league champions from Orange County lost and only a select group remain for the semifinals which will be played Tuesday.
The finals are Saturday at either Dodger Stadium or UC Riverside.
Former Irvine and Woodbridge head coach Bob Flint knows about winning league titles; he hauled in a considerable number, and what it’s like to lead a team to the CIF finals. He led his Irvine team to the CIF championship game in 1992, where it lost to South Hills 6-5 in extra innings at Angel Stadium. The 1993 team reached the semifinals, but lost to Tustin.
But Flint, now an assistant coach at Northwood, also knows what it’s like to be on the losing side of CIF playoff games and he often shared his philosophy with reporters after those losses, usually with a smile.
“You can’t let a playoff loss ruin your season,” Flint often said. “There’s only one team that wins the last game.”
Flint said he was following Irvine High’s milestone season. Coach Gabriel Cota’s Vaqueros reached the quarterfinal round for the first time since 2001, losing to Sonora 9-0 on Friday in the CIF Division 4 playoffs.
Flint said at least seven of his Irvine High squads reached the semifinal round.
TO SEE THE CIF PLAYOFF BRACKETS, PLEASE CLICK HERE
-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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