Katella’s Girls Forfeit 4 Wins for Ineligible Player

The Katella High School girls’ basketball team, ranked fifth in Orange County in The Times’ preseason poll, has forfeited its first four victories for using an ineligible player in those games.

The Knights forfeited victories over Kennedy, Sonora, Western and Fullerton. Katella’s record drops from 8-1 to 4-5 with the forfeits.

“We had a player who was scholastically ineligible and it slipped through the cracks,” said Joan Hueter, Katella girls’ athletic director. “Fortunately, we caught the error right away and corrected it.”

Last year, Katella was the runner-up in the Southern Section’s 3-A division, losing to Mission Viejo, 52-50, in the title game. The Knights finished third in the Brea-Olinda tournament last week.