Ineligible Student Forces Foothill to Forfeit Victory

Foothill High School’s football team has forfeited its victory over Woodbridge because an ineligible exchange student played in the game, Foothill coach Marty McWhinney said Saturday.

Running back Mitsuro Sano, a senior from Osaka, Japan, was involved in “about six plays” at the end of Foothill’s 25-6 victory over Woodbridge Sept. 14.

Foothill’s record drops to 1-2, Woodbridge improves to 2-1.

“We uncovered it here in our eligibility check and we called the (Southern Section) office. We found out Wednesday,” McWhinney said. “The exchange program that (Sano) is on is not one of the 39 approved student exchanges listed in the (Southern Section) Blue Book (Constitution and By-Laws).”

Foothill has submitted the name of the program as part of the appeal process.