Grace Brethren, the No. 1-seeded football team in the East Valley League that Mary Star lost to 61-7 in the first round of the playoffs, will be forfeiting the championship game, the CIF Southern Section announced on Friday.
Much like Lawndale earlier this season, Grace Brethren self-reported the use of an ineligible player.
For Grace Brethren, it goes back to the regular season and its postseason games.
The CIF-SS states in a press release that “an ineligible player is one who is in violation of any State CIF or Section scholastic residence, transfer, age, semesters of attendance, or other eligibility rules.
“A. Games in which the student participated, after the occurrence of the violation shall be forfeited
(See Bylaw 500.2)
B. From the time the CIF Southern Section Office receives the entries from the league, violations discovered will be assessed only against the individual(s) and will not affect the advancement of a team into the playoffs.
C. Violations discovered after the first round of any playoff will result in disqualification of the
ineligible player’s team from the playoffs and forfeiture of its last playoff competition. In such cases, the losing team will advance provided the date of the next scheduled contest has not elapsed (In this case, the next scheduled contest would have been after Grace Brethren’s first-round game making it impossible to advance the three teams Grace Brethren subsequently defeated).”
Grace Brethren was going to play Saddleback Valley Christian in the East Valley League final on Saturday at San Clemente High. Saddleback Valley Christian has been named East Valley Division champion and will move on to state.
