Advertisement

Boys’ basketball: Franklin loses appeal on player ejection

Share

Los Angeles Franklin will have to play its Division III Southern California Regional playoff opener tonight against Cantwell-Sacred Heart without its best player, Tyler Alfelor, who was ejected from the City Division III final when he was given consecutive technical fouls in the third quarter of a 65-54 loss to Bernstein.

The school appealed to City Section Commissioner John Aguirre but was turned down.

Coach Robin Cordona said the official told him Alfelor was ejected for cursing. He received one technical, then another some 15 seconds later, Cardona said.

“I was there and you can’t hear anything,” he said. Cardona said Alfelor denied using profanity.

Advertisement

Cardona said he is most displeased that the official did not give him any chance to remove Alfelor, a senior guard who leads the team in scoring, before giving him another technical. Cardona also said the same official called a flagrant foul against one of his players earlier in the season.

Aguirre said he must trust the judgment of the official. He said he was not aware of a prior issue involving Franklin and the official until after the game.

Another City Section team, Taft, will be without one of its best players, Damian Wilson, who’s serving a two-game suspension after being ejected in a playoff game.

Ejecting a player should be a last resort for officials. They know the impact of an ejection. And players have to be aware that whatever they say or do can have an influence on certain officials.

Twitter:@LATSondheimer

Advertisement