Football: Long Beach Poly forfeits three league games

The Southern Section office confirmed Thursday afternoon that 19-time section champion Long Beach Poly has forfeited Moore League victories over Cabrillo, Compton and Long Beach Wilson, leaving the Jackrabbits not only out of first place but in the precarious position of trying to make the Pac-5 playoffs as a third-place team.

In total, Poly had to forfeit four games overall because of an ineligible player (the Jackrabbits’ forfeited a season-opening nonleague win over Arizona Centennial). They move from 7-2 overall to 3-6 and drop from 5-0 in league to 2-3.

The Jackrabbits will need a win over Long Beach Millikan on Friday night to move into a third-place tie in league with the loser of the Lakewood-Long Beach Jordan game and possibly Cabrillo.

According to Moore League secretary Lisa Ulmer, a three-way tie for third would be broken by putting the three schools’ names in a hat. The first name drawn would be eliminated. The remaining tie would be broken by the head to head result.

Wilson, at 5-0, will win its first league title since 1991.

Moore League before Poly forfeits: Long Beach Poly 5-0, 7-2; Long Beach Wilson 4-1, 7-2; Long Beach Jordan 3-2, 3-6; Lakewood 3-2, 3-6; Long Beach Cabrillo 2-3, 3-6; Millikan 1-4, 3-6; Compton 0-6, 0-9.

Moore League after Poly forfeits: Long Beach Wilson 5-0, 8-1; Long Beach Jordan 3-2, 3-6; Lakewood 3-2, 3-6; Long Beach Cabrillo 3-2, 4-5; Long Beach Poly 2-3, 3-6; Millikan 1-4, 3-6; Compton 1-5, 1-8.

Poly’s forfeits will cause issues in the Pac-5 seedings. A league championship team might have to face Poly in the opening round. The seedings will be announced on Sunday.

Poly’s forfeits come after Lawndale, Morningside and Inglewood also had to forfeit games because of ineligible players.

District spokesman Chris Eftychiou said in a statement, “The
school recently received new information that led administrators to
question the validity of prior information that had been submitted to
Poly regarding this student’s transfer from another high school.”

It should come as no surprise teams are having trouble with ineligible athletes because of so many transfer students. They are required to change residences with their entire family unit or must sit out approximately one month of the season if they did not move. It is up to individual schools to clear athletes to play.

For the latest on high school sports, follow @LATSondheimer on Twitter