Eligibility Rule Claims 52 Football Players of Playoff-Bound Teams

El Camino Real High, already faced with playing the City Section’s top-seeded team in the first round of the 4-A football playoffs, was the Valley team hit hardest this week by the Los Angeles school board’s C-average/no-fail rule.

Fifty-two players on playoff-bound Valley teams were lost to the standard, instituted by the L. A. Unified School District in 1982, that makes students ineligible for extracurricular activities for 10 weeks if their grade-point average falls below 2.0 or they fail a class. Grades for one 10-week period determine eligibility for the next 10-week period.

Five El Camino Real starters and the punter were ruled ineligible for Friday night’s game against Carson, said Coach Skip Giancanelli.

Fullback Warren Butler, linebacker Scott Hanson, and cornerbacks Don Conner and Jason Cook all had grade-point averages higher than 2.0, but failed a class, Giancanelli said. Curtis Thompson, a defensive lineman, and punter Andrew Rothenberg were also lost to the rule.

Forty-six players on other teams were lost to the rule.

San Fernando, which will play host to Gardena in a 4-A playoff Friday night, lost six players, including starting cornerback Mark Harris. The six players had grade-point averages higher than 2.0 but were lost for failing one or more classes.

Granada Hills, which already lost five starters to injuries in the past week, had seven reserves declared ineligible. The Highlanders will play host to Dorsey on Friday night.

Kennedy, which plays Banning on Friday night, lost nine reserves.

Canoga Park lost three starters and seven reserves. Junior Delgado, a wide receiver/safety, Rick Smith, an offensive guard, and Brian Hoffman, a linebacker were among those ruled ineligible, Coach Ed McCarthy said.

Canoga Park will play host to Locke in the first round of the City 3-A playoffs Friday night.

Chatsworth, champion of the Sunset League and matched against Pacific Palisades in the Southern Section 3-A playoffs, lost 14 players. Only one, receiver James Foreman, was a part-time starter.