Confusion Causes Santa Ana to Forfeit

The Santa Ana boys’ basketball team forfeited its opening-round game against Monrovia in the Canyon tournament Wednesday because of confusion involving the playing dates on the pairings bracket sheet.

Todd Morse, Santa Ana’s first-year coach, received a pairings sheet that showed Santa Ana playing Monrovia at 10:40 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27. The date should have been Dec. 26. Morse said he thought his team was playing today.

“This should not have happened,” said Santa Ana Athletic Director Bill Ross. “Todd is pretty thorough. He usually doesn’t make mistakes.”

Bolsa Grande Coach Tom Cardoza, whose team will play Santa Ana in a consolation game at 12:20 today, said he almost made the same mistake after receiving a bracket sheet with an incorrect date.