San Diego Section Football Playoffs : Forfeits Put Grossmont Out, Carlsbad In

Grossmont High School’s football team has forfeited 2 games because of an ineligible player and been dropped from the San Diego Section 2-A playoffs, San Diego Section Commissioner Kendall Webb announced Monday.

The decision set off a wave of confusion concerning the 2-A division playoff structure.

The player was ineligible for Grossmont’s first 8 games because of grades. A reserve defensive tackle, he played sparingly in the Foothillers’ final 2 games--both victories--after seemingly regaining eligibility.

The problem was not grades or a violation of San Diego Section rules, but a Grossmont Unified School District rule regarding transfers within the district, Webb said. The player transferred from Monte Vista to Grossmont last February. Such a move requires review board approval for athletic eligibility, and that was never received, according to Webb and Grossmont Coach Judd Hulbert.

Hulbert was upset by the ruling.

“We inadvertently used an ineligible player,” he said. “I have paper work saying he was ruled eligible. Somehow I was never notified of (the district rule).

“We had a team meeting today at school. They’re kids, and they’re resilient, so they’ll bounce back. But they were crushed. The place was like a morgue when I told them.”

Grossmont, Valhalla and Santana all finished 2-1 and tied for the championship in the 4-school Grossmont 2-A League. By forfeiting victories to El Capitan (26-6) and Valhalla (25-21), Grossmont fell to 5-5 and 1-2. It had been scheduled to play host to San Pasqual (6-4) Friday in the first round of the playoffs.

Instead, Carlsbad (6-3-1), the fifth-place finisher in the Avocado League, will play at San Pasqual. Carlsbad defeated San Pasqual, 8-0, earlier in the season but finished a half-game behind in the league.

Santana remains 5-4 and 2-1. But the Sultans, who had won a coin toss Saturday to earn a first-round bye, now will play at El Camino (7-2-1).

Valhalla picked up a victory and finished 6-4 and 3-0, winning the Grossmont 2-A title outright. Valhalla will receive the first-round bye that goes to league champions.

Carlsbad received the extra at-large playoff berth over Ramona (6-4), the sixth-place team in the Avocado League and Christian (6-4), who finished third in the City Central. Webb said he was aware of the possibility of the Grossmont forfeits Saturday and asked the football advisory committee to pick an extra team (Carlsbad) at the playoff pairings meeting.

Notes

Sites for the other playoff games Friday at 7:30 p.m. have been set. Division 3-A: Patrick Henry vs. Southwest at Montgomery; Poway vs. Point Loma at Mt. Carmel; Mira Mesa at Helix; Mt. Carmel at San Dieguito. Orange Glen, Granite Hills, Chula Vista and Morse have byes. In 2-A: USDHS vs. Crawford at Patrick Henry; Oceanside vs. Kearny at Mesa College; Santana at El Camino; Carlsbad at San Pasqual. Rancho Buena Vista, University City, Valhalla and Lincoln have byes.