Football Season Is Over, but the Heartache Remains : High schools: Savanna and Huntington Beach players wish the games could have continued. But participants are divided about going to court.

Jeff Brentlinger has been trying to forget the pain of November. But every now and then, there are reminders that keep the memory alive.

Last Wednesday, Brentlinger and other members of the Huntington Beach High School football team went to watch the basketball team play Edison. Early in the game, a group of Edison football players unfurled a banner that read, “Sunset League Champions.”

Huntington Beach’s football team defeated Edison during the season, but the Oilers had to forfeit that victory, along with seven others, and their share of the league title because of an ineligible player.

The banner was just one more insult directed at the Huntington Beach players, according to Brentlinger, a junior offensive lineman.

“We never stop hearing about it,” He said. “When they brought that banner out, some of the guys wanted to go stop them. But what would fighting prove? We beat them on the field. They know it.”

Little has changed in the two months since the booster clubs from Huntington Beach and Savanna chose to contest the forfeits.

Some players and boosters would prefer that the programs concentrate on the future. Other players and boosters are determined to continue the fight in the courts.

“I wanted to compete in the playoffs,” said Doug Cunningham, a senior defensive back for Huntington Beach. “It’s too late for that now.”

Huntington Beach finished the season in three-way tie for the league championship with Edison and Ocean View. After the forfeits, Fountain Valley took Huntington Beach’s place in the Division I playoffs.

A similar fate befell Savanna, which forfeited six victories and a tie because of an ineligible player. The Rebels also lost their share of the Orange League title, the school’s first championship in 29 years.

“I don’t think about it every day anymore,” said senior defensive back Billy Brazelton. “But there are times when I’m alone when it comes to mind. I don’t want to think about it, but I can’t help it. It was so unfair.”

In November, the booster clubs from both schools took their pleas to court and challenged the authority of the Southern Section. Although Huntington Beach won an initial victory, higher court judges eventually upheld the Southern Section.

Some members of the Savanna booster club now say that going to court was a mistake.

“If we had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t want to fight it,” booster club member Paul Meza said. “I don’t think it helped. In fact, I think it hurt. It left the kids a little bitter. There was no way we were going to beat the Southern Section in court.”

Steve Macias, a defensive back at Savanna, said that not a day goes by that he doesn’t think about the forfeits.

“We worked so hard and then had everything taken away,” he said. “It wasn’t fair.”

Booster club president Dave Ferguson said that the organization will not be involved with further litigation. He said that any effort to restore Savanna’s 6-3-1 record will not be paid for by the booster club, which funded most of the previous court proceedings.

“If this thing continues, it will only hurt the team next season,” Ferguson said. “What’s done can’t be changed. I understand the parents who want to continue to fight, but I’m not sure that anything positive will come from it.”

Savanna Coach Fred DiPalma is also concerned about the case dragging on.

DiPalma said that the players, parents and students gained an identity from the court proceedings. That might be lost by pursuing the case, he said.

“There so much of a positive feeling after it was over,” DiPalma said. “The school, parents and community got behind the team. Before, there was apathy toward the program, now the kids know that everyone supports them. I would hate to see that destroyed.

“We have to think about next year now. I’ve told the kids countless times that they know what they did on the field and that’s all that matters.”

But DiPalma said there is little that he can do for the players who won’t be back next season other than empathize. He said that the seniors might gain some satisfaction by the record being restored.

Senior defensive lineman Mike George said the Rebels also have received reminders of the incident.

“We got to school one morning and someone had put flyers in our lockers,” he said. “They had the league standings on them showing us in last place. I don’t know who did it, but it wasn’t anybody from our school. Maybe it’s a grudge, but I would be happy to get the record back.”

The fight to restore Huntington Beach’s record also is being done outside the booster club. The first case was partially funded by the booster club and donations by the parents, according to club president Reno Bellamy.

Huntington Beach Coach George Pascoe would prefer to start building for next season. He would like to see the issue dropped, but he also said that he can’t desert his senior players.

“I have empathy for the parents and players, but the Southern Section is the ruling body and I’m bound by its decision,” Pascoe said. “I would be just as happy to see this whole thing die. We have to get on with next season.”

And, according to Brentlinger, there will be a lot for the Oilers to remember next season. Like banners at basketball games.

“Next season, it’s pay back time,” Brentlinger said.