For more than 110 years, the CIF Southern Section has been the beating heart of high school athletics in Southern California. A place where legends begin, communities unite, and history is written one championship at a time.
Now, with the release of The History of the CIF Southern Section documentary, audiences can finally experience the extraordinary journey of one of the nation’s largest and most influential governing body of high school sports in vivid detail.
This documentary is far more than a timeline of events, it’s a celebration of people.. the athletes, coaches, administrators, and visionaries who built the Southern Section into an institution recognized across the country.
The film opens with a return to the spring of 1913, when 24 high schools joined forces to improve fairness and structure in interscholastic sports. Their solution was simple yet groundbreaking: create an association that would standardize competition.
From that first organized boys’ track meet on March 29, 1913, the Southern California Interscholastic Athletic Council was born — the organization that would later evolve into today’s CIF Southern Section, now home to 558 schools across eight counties.
The documentary highlights the early pioneers, including Seth Van Patten, the first Commissioner of Athletics, whose bold leadership helped shape the foundation of modern high school sports.
One of the central figures in the film is the late Dr. John Dahlem, affectionately known as “Dr. D.”
Dr. D was a former principal, wrestling coach, veteran, past CIF-SS President, and historian of the CIF-SS.
Executive Producer, Taylor Martinez, sat down with Dr. Dahlem about one year before his passing and talked with him on camera about all of the in’s and out’s of the Southern Section. Dahlem is by far the most knowledgeable about all things CIF.
When Dr. D first stepped into a storage room full of decades-old archives, he discovered a treasure trove: original minutes from 1913, early championship trophies, ancient rule books, and rare artifacts from forgotten sports. As he would come across new assets, it would fuel him to dive even deeper into facts and fun. His passion for preserving this history fuels the entire documentary, giving viewers unparalleled access to the stories behind the relics — from century-old medals to the first CIF trophy ever awarded.
The Early Days: A Parade of Unusual Sports and Unforgettable Moments
The documentary brings to life some of the most unique and surprising events in Southern Section history.
Among them:
• The Grenade Throw (1919)
Yes, a grenade throw.
As World War I patriotism swept the country, officials replaced the javelin with a hand grenade toss, complete with tests of distance, accuracy, and speed. Huntington Park’s Dick Tyson won the inaugural event with 11 successful throws.
• The Plunge for Distance (1923)
An Olympic event in 1904, this swimming discipline required athletes to dive in and float motionless for 60 seconds. The first Southern Section champion plunged nearly 69 feet without a stroke.
• High School Rowing (1930s)
After Los Angeles hosted the 1932 Olympics, its rowing venue became a hub for high school competition, eventually producing athletes who went on to compete for top collegiate programs.
And those are only the highlights.
The documentary also touches on sports that have since vanished from CIF play: archery, boxing, handball, equestrian, bowling, fencing, surfing, and even checkers.
Historic Challenges: The Spanish Flu, World War II, and Manzanar
The documentary pulls no punches when recounting the ways global crises affected high school athletics.
The Spanish Flu (1918)
The pandemic halted an entire year of Southern Section sports. The 1918 football championship wasn’t played until March 1919 – the latest championship date in CIF history.
Manzanar High School (1944)
One of the film’s most powerful moments recounts the true story of Manzanar High School, located inside the Japanese American incarceration camp.
Despite barbed wire, armed guards, and the harsh realities of internment, students built competitive teams and eventually played one official interscholastic game.
In 2009, the CIF Southern Section honored Manzanar High School with honorary membership, a moment captured movingly in the documentary.
The Golden Era of High School Football
Southern California high school football has long been a national powerhouse, and the film relives some of its most iconic moments.
The 1956 “Dream Game” Downey vs. Anaheim
Played before 60,000 fans in the L.A. Coliseum, this legendary matchup ended in a dramatic 13–13 tie. The documentary revisits the stars, the coaches, including famed Van Hornebeck — and the electricity that filled the stadium.
A Record-Breaking Crowd (1957)
More than 85,000 fans packed the Coliseum for the Shrine All-Star Game, with thousands turned away at the gate – the largest high school football crowd in California history.
The film also showcases rare, original football programs dating back to 1925, meticulously preserved by Dr. Dahlem.
Six-Man Football: A Forgotten Chapter
Before powerhouse schools dominated headlines, many smaller California schools competed in six-man football, a fast, high-scoring, wide-open version of the sport.
The documentary chronicles its rise in the 1930s, its CIF championship era from 1965–1972, and its lasting influence on today’s offensive strategies.
The Rise of Girls’ Sports and the Impact of Title IX
One of the documentary’s most inspiring arcs is the fight for girls’ athletics.
In the early decades, girls’ interscholastic sports were discouraged — deemed “too dangerous” or “inappropriate.” Only tennis remained sanctioned.
Momentum changed after 1950, when the Southern Section sponsored its first girls’ tennis tournament. By the early 1970s, girls gained official CIF governance, and the passage of Title IX in 1972 opened the door to exponential growth.
Today, more than 5,000 girls’ teams compete in Southern Section sports, with recent additions including beach volleyball, girls’ wrestling, cheer, and flag football.
The documentary features trailblazing stories like:
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Debbie Siewert – the first girl to medal in a boys’ diving championship (1974).
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Jane Ward – the first girl to win a boys’ CIF title (1975).
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Dozens of female athletes who went on to become Olympians, champions, and global icons.
CIF Legends: From Jackie Robinson to Russell Westbrook
Across its history, the Southern Section has produced some of the greatest athletes in American sports:
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Jackie Robinson
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Reggie Miller
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Tiger Woods
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Lisa Leslie
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Janet Evans
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Misty May-Treanor
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Billie Jean King
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Giancarlo Stanton
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Russell Westbrook
The documentary pays tribute to these stars and many more, reminding viewers that every legend starts somewhere, often on a high school field, court, pool, or track.
Behind the Scenes: Sponsors, the Blue Book, and the Office Evolution
From its humble beginnings in borrowed rooms to its current headquarters in Los Alamitos, the Southern Section’s story is also one of organizational growth.
The film explores:
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The creation of the Blue Book in 1945 – once 44 pages, now 248.
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The slow acceptance of corporate sponsorships, beginning with Dr Pepper in 1978.
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The Helms Athletic Foundation, which provided the first dedicated CIF office in 1949.
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An incredible archival collection of trophies, medals, and memorabilia dating back to 1913.
A Documentary for Every Athlete, Every School, Every Era
The History of the CIF Southern Section is more than a documentary, it’s a living tribute to the student-athletes, educators, and communities who made Southern California a national leader in high school sports.
Whether you’re an alumnus remembering your glory days, a current athlete chasing a title, or a sports fan who loves a great story, this film captures everything that makes the Southern Section remarkable.
It’s a story 110 years in the making, dozens of articles now finally told through film.
Here’s to Dr. John Dahlem. Forever in our hearts.
