Defending Champion Saugus to Forfeit Seven Wins for Use of Ineligible Player

Saugus High, the defending Southern Section 3-A Division basketball champion, has been forced to forfeit all of its victories this season for use of an ineligible player, the school’s athletic director, Randy Parker, said Tuesday. Saugus was 7-11 overall and 3-2 in Golden League play.

Jason Harrison, a 6-2 senior forward, had been enrolled at Hamilton for eight semesters before transferring to Saugus in September, Parker said. Southern Section rules dictate that a student is eligible for interscholastic athletics for the first eight consecutive semesters of high school and no longer.

The school was unaware of the infraction until receiving a telephone call from Hamilton officials Monday, Parker said.

“After checking into it and speaking with his parents, we discovered it was true,” Parker said.

Harrison scored all three points in overtime in Saugus’ 47-44 victory over Canyon on Friday. In six games since he cracked the starting lineup, he averaged 8.5 points and 8.5 rebounds.