Football: The high school version of redshirting

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Redshirting in college is when a player sits out a season and doesn’t lose any eligibility. The high school version of redshirting is when a player sits out a season after being declared ineligible after transferring without moving. Or, as one football coach said, it’s a junior high student who repeats eighth grade and doesn’t lose a year of eligibility.

More and more high school athletes are not being scared off by the threat of having to sit out a season. The Woodland Hills Taft basketball team had Bryce Jones sit out a season, then he became an All-City player the next season. Kevin Johnson sat out last season at Taft after transferring from Gardena Serra and is expected to become a standout this season.

At La Puente Bishop Amat, Wallace Gonzalez, a tight end and baseball player, sat out last season after transferring from Glendora. He’s eligible this season. And now Brock Booth, a tight end who transferred to Bishop Amat from South Hills, has been declared ineligible by the Southern Section and will have to sit out a season.

Welcome to the new era of high school sports. Sitting out a season doesn’t seem to be a big penalty any longer.

-- Eric Sondheimer