Santa Ana and Aliso Niguel principals look for solutions after controversy at football game

Santa Ana Principal Jeff Bishop visits during Thursday’s game.

It’s been a challenging week for students, coaches and administrators at Santa Ana High School after allegations of racism surfaced at a varsity football game between Santa Ana and Aliso Niguel last week.

Coach Charlie TeGantvoort leads his Santa Ana team onto the field Fhursday night.

Santa Ana quarterback/linebacker Julian Gomez.

Santa Ana wide receiver/defensive back Drew Ramirez.

Santa Ana principal Jeff Bishop, in an article in the Orange County Register, claimed to have seen racist signs at the game at Aliso Niguel. Aliso Niguel principal Deni Christensen said school officials quickly removed the signs and disputed some of the claims in the article.

Now, Bishop and Christensen appear to be working together and want to come up with solutions.

Bishop spent Thursday night cheering on Santa Ana in a 40-21 victory over Woodbridge at Santa Ana Valley. After the game, he was congratulating players and taking pictures.

Bishop said he did not want to talk specifically about what happened at the game a week ago but did discuss what officials from both districts are planning.

“The end goal here is to bring everybody in this county together so that people throughout the country can look at Orange County and there are plans coming up,” Bishop told OC Sports Zone after the game,

“There are a lot of great plans that we’re going to divulge sometime soon. Never is it my intention to hurt kids. Their kids are our kids and honestly, I do believe at the end of this road both communities can come together. That’s what I’m hoping.

“We’re foolish if you don’t make this a learning experience for both cities, which I love. I live there (Aliso Viejo), I work here, but I don’t look at any difference. What an amazing opportunity to bring those two cities together. That would be more powerful.

“Our board of education is working real hard now and I believe their district is working hard. The leaders between Capo Valley and Santa Ana have great plans coming up.

“There are things that happened at that game that I’m tired of talking about. I want healing here but I don’t want people focusing just on that situation. I want healing in both communities so at the end of it, we all come to a greater understanding and we make Orange County stronger. That’s the end goal.”

Christensen, the Aliso Niguel principal, issued a statement Friday morning by email:

“As a high school principal, I am deeply committed to public education for ALL students at ALL high schools. We have nothing but the utmost respect for Santa Ana High School.

“Aliso Niguel students are good kids with loving families, just like the good kids and their loving families from Santa Ana High School. It is time for adults and educators to end divisiveness and find the path forward together. We must all work with our students to achieve the greater good. I am committed to supporting understanding and unity among our two schools, and among ALL students and ALL high schools.”

Santa Ana football coach Charlie TeGantvoort did not talk specifically about the alleged incidents last week.

But he said he was proud of his players for focusing on the game.

Two of his players, quarterback Julian Gomez and wide receiver Drew Ramirez downplayed the affect the controversy had on the team.

“I don’t think it had an affect on us this week,” Gomez said. “We really just pushed that aside. A lot of people like to talk about it. We just really stay focused on what we have to do in practice.”

“If anything, we just came together stronger as a unit,” Ramirez added. “It didn’t affect us as a team.”

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone

SANTA ANA STAYS FOCUSED AND BEATS WOODBRIDGE 40-21