Ruling Returns Edison to Playoff Picture, but Forfeits Still Enforced

Edison High School, which was forced Tuesday by Sunset League officials to forfeit five victories for utilizing an ineligible player, is back in the postseason playoff picture Thursday.

The Chargers will most likely participate in a four-team playoff for the third and final playoff spot from the league after a three-hour meeting of the league’s principals Thursday at Huntington Beach High School.

Edison entered the week with a 5-3 record and tied for second place with Fountain Valley in the six-team league when the Chargers were forced to forfeit five games after it was discovered that Servite transfer Baron Coenen was not living in Edison’s district.

Edison fell to 0-9 Wednesday night after a 48-46 loss to Fountain Valley, and Coach Jon Borchert had given up hope of participating in the playoffs. But Coenen and his parents were allowed to appeal the ruling Thursday.

League officials ruled that Coenen remains ineligible and the Chargers must forfeit five games. But they also ruled that Edison, Huntington Beach, Marina and Westminster will compete Saturday in a single-elimination tournament to determine the league’s third-place representative, providing Huntington Beach and Westminster finish tonight’s regular-season finale tied for third place.

Westminster (4-5) faces league champion Ocean View (9-0) while Huntington Beach (4-5) meets second-place Fountain Valley (7-2) tonight. If the games go to form, Westminster and Huntington Beach will finish with 4-6 records and tied for third.

That means there will be a playoff to get to the playoffs. Edison would then face Westminster at 10 a.m. at Huntington Beach the next day. Marina would meet Huntington Beach at the same time at Edison. The winners would face each other at 7:30 that night at Ocean View for the playoff spot.

Borchert, who called his team’s play lifeless Wednesday night against Fountain Valley, said he feels a lot better about the Chargers’ fate, but still contends his team is innocent.

“I feel better today than I did last night,” he said. “I still say we didn’t do anything wrong. But I’m not going to complain. We found out about the new ruling at the end of practice and it seemed to take some weight off the players’ shoulders.”

But the principals’ new ruling has added confusion to another league coach.

“This isn’t a postseason tournament, it’s postseason confusion,” Marina Coach Steve Popovich said. “You would think that with all six schools in the same district, they could work this out a little better.

“I have nothing against all four teams getting a chance at the playoffs. That’s OK. In fact, I still think Edison should be in the playoffs. I believe Jon Borchert when he says he wasn’t aware where the kid was living.

“Then, I ask myself what are we doing all this for? A chance to play Mater Dei in the first round?”