Wrestling: San Fernando banned from playoffs
The City Section rules committee has banned the San Fernando High wrestling team from participating in this year's playoffs as punishment for the team's using an ineligible player over the past four years.
The program was previously put on two years' probation and forced to vacate its 2010 City title. The rules committee also required San Fernando's administration to "submit documentation to the rules committee outlining the steps that will be taken at the school to ensure that the circumstances leading to the evidence of a 'lack of administrative oversight' will not recur."
The rules committee also banned Coach Fernando Gonzalez from attending all tournaments for the 2011-12 season.
-- Eric Sondheimer
(They will just go somewhere else and pickup where the left off.) What??? You say that if like they had something to do with it. Not the School, Coach or the AD. Can’t say the same for the parent involved. Did the School drop the ball? Yes! Did the AD not follow up with the student? Yes! Is it the coach’s reasonability to verify where every athlete lives? NO! He is given a list of who can participate and who can’t. And that what he goes by. Wrestling is an individual sport first and team second. Why punish athletes for administration oversight. This school has a rich tradition in wrestling and does not need to cheat to win. What about the School that brought this to light? Are they with out controversy? Recruiting their top two wrestlers from a different school? Isn’t that illegal? One of which is 20 years old! How does that work?
Posted by: BunchofCrybabies | February 11, 2011 at 10:36 AM
Very obvious that the DeJohn legacy of honor and integrity are now missing from the leadership at SF but the kids shouldn't suffer.
Posted by: Izzzy | February 10, 2011 at 10:41 PM
How do you punish the Coach and School without banning the team? Do you fire everyone involved?? They will just go somewhere else and pickup where the left off. You win as a team and lose as a team - therefore you suffer as a team. Unfortunately, the kids always suffer the pain of poor judgement (cheating??) by the adults. Why didn't any of the parents or coaches speak up at the time. Perhaps it was becasue everyone loves a Winner.
Posted by: Press Box John | January 28, 2011 at 04:16 PM
This is crazy...completely unfair. They are going to punish kids for the actions of one that they have nothing to do with and for the actions or non-action of administration... Let the adults be responsible and let the kids partake and have a chance at receiving scholarships.. this is not the same as the USC situation.
When is the hearing so we can protest this?
Posted by: What? | January 28, 2011 at 03:28 PM
Another newspaper wrote that the San Fernando wrestlers are appealing to the City to compete as individuals. That would let them participate while the San Fernando "team" would not. That appears to be a good solution - even for City athletics.
Posted by: Greg | January 28, 2011 at 03:08 PM
Don't make the USC argument. The NCAA ignored the fact Reggie Bush was long ago graduated. I don't think any parents or wrestlers from the teams ever complained about the ineligible athlete living in Malibu. The point of a punishment is to prevent future rule violations. It's pretty tough, but then having a wrestler wrestle for four years and being ineligible is pretty bad.
Posted by: es | January 28, 2011 at 01:59 PM
The ineligible kid is not even at the school anymore. Why punish this group of kids who have done nothing wrong? If the school administrators or coaches are not doing their job right, punish them as harshly as they deserve. But don't punish innocent kids from competing in the post-season. They have worked just like every other team and deserve a chance to compete.
Hopefully San Fernando can appeal and get this changed, because this sounds like inappropriate punishment.
Posted by: Momo | January 28, 2011 at 01:34 PM
Why on earth would CIF ban the wrestlers from competing? Punish those responsible, not those who are just bystanders.. This could be a life altering move for at least one of the kids who has a good shot at taking state and getting a scholarship, not to mention the other wrestlers who it keeps off the streets.
This is not in the best interest of the kids.. I hope they seriously reconsider this.
Posted by: Chris Luna | January 28, 2011 at 12:01 PM