Sylmar Survives Longest Day, Will Play Tonight : Football: City makes no decision, for now, on possibility Spartans used ineligible player.

Sylmar High, already on probation for violations of City Section football rules, survived an intensive daylong investigation into an eligibility matter and passed muster--barely.

Facing ouster from the 4-A Division playoffs for possibly using an ineligible player, a section official said Tuesday night that a violation may have taken place, but that there wasn’t enough evidence immediately at hand to remove the team from postseason play.

Caught in a cross-fire of “conflicting evidence,” City Commissioner Barbara Fiege decided prudence was the proper tack.

“In a 24-hour time period, I can’t (order Sylmar’s removal),” Fiege said. “Is it done with? No. Will they be playing (tonight)? Yes.”

Sylmar (11-0) is ranked ninth in the state by Cal-Hi Sports and is the top-seeded and only undefeated team in the 4-A playoffs. The Spartans play host to Banning in a quarterfinal game tonight at 7:30.

Fiege on Tuesday morning began investigating whether Joe Gonzalez, a reserve linebacker and fullback who transferred to Sylmar from Saugus in midseason, satisfied California Interscholastic Federation residency requirements. In order to maintain athletic eligibility, students who transfer must change residence.

Gonzalez played in last week’s 46-0 first-round victory over University. Had he been declared ineligible, Sylmar would have forfeited the game and been bounced from the postseason picture.

When enrolling at Sylmar on Oct. 20, the Gonzalez family claimed to have moved to a residence in Sylmar. The family supplied Sylmar administrators with a copy of a lease agreement, Fiege said.

Fiege said another family also lives at the Sylmar address. As a result, Fiege made trips to the Gonzalez family homes in both Sylmar and Saugus. In Sylmar, she found some of Gonzalez’s clothes and his jersey hanging in a bedroom closet. The Gonzalezes’ neighbors in Saugus, however, said the family continues to live there, she said.

Under CIF rules governing dual residency, a family or athlete may not maintain two residences for the purpose of establishing eligibility.

A Times reporter saw three members of the Gonzalez family drive away from the Saugus home at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. The player was not in the vehicle.

A videotape submitted anonymously to Fiege that purportedly shows Gonzalez leaving the Saugus residence on Monday was inconclusive, she said. Fiege said she couldn’t tell from the tape who was driving the vehicle.

“I can’t make a ruling based on what my instinct is,” she said. “Can I prove there were misdeeds? I can’t.

“Do I have problems with it? Yes. Who do I believe? To knock them out of the playoffs, I have to be sure.”

Gonzalez’s father, Joaquin, told Fiege that his son spent Sunday night in Saugus because he had a haircut appointment and because he suffered a sprained wrist in last week’s game. Gonzalez’s father is a chiropractor, Fiege said.

Gonzalez’s father told Fiege that the family moved to Sylmar because their home has suffered earthquake damage.

He added that because he is having marital problems, members of the family sometimes stay at the Saugus home, she said.

Joaquin Gonzalez, reached Tuesday night, said he had not heard from Fiege and had no comment. He said the family was staying at the Sylmar house on Tuesday.

The investigation knocked the Sylmar program off stride, Coach Jeff Engilman said.

“It caused the kids a lot of problems,” said Engilman, who called Gonzalez “a third-stringer.”

“It was a big distraction not knowing what was going to happen.”

As a part-time starter for Saugus at fullback last season, Gonzalez (6 feet, 200 pounds) rushed for 93 yards in 29 carries. This season, Gonzalez was slowed by a lingering hamstring injury and his playing time for the Centurions was limited.

Joey Charles, an assistant coach at Saugus, said Gonzalez missed a meeting at midseason and refused to accept team punishment. Gonzalez quit the team, checked out of Saugus later in the week and enrolled at Sylmar, Charles said. Gonzalez already had a Sylmar uniform in his possession when he withdrew from Saugus, Charles said.

“If the kid’s playing, it’s wrong,” Charles said. “It’s not fair.”

Greg Marquez, who started at quarterback for Saugus a year ago, moved with his family into the Sylmar attendance area over the summer and is the Spartans’ starting quarterback.

Marquez, a senior, has completed 64 of 108 passes (59.3%) for 1,235 yards and 19 touchdowns for Sylmar. He passed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns in 1993 at Saugus.

Saugus Coach Jack Bowman expressed concern over the player exodus and seemed mystified about how Gonzalez received clearance to play.

“As far as I can tell, the City lets everything go,” Bowman said. “Do they even have rules? (Sylmar) will probably get another six years of probation.”

Gonzalez’s eligibility review marks the fourth time in 15 months that Sylmar has been forced to defend the actions of administrators, coaches or players.

In 1993, Sylmar held a team meeting over the Labor Day weekend, a violation of City rules. Engilman claimed he was handing out uniforms to his players. However, a videotape taken by an assistant at a rival school showed the players lifting weights. The team was ordered by the City to forgo two practice sessions and was placed on probation for the remainder of the 1993 season.

Last May, during an undercover drug sting conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department, at least three Sylmar football players were among 18 students arrested on suspicion of felony sale of narcotics. One player was a senior who has graduated, and the names of the two minors who had remaining football eligibility were not released.

Senior district administrator Dick Browning investigated the matter and ruled that the players did not receive preferential disciplinary treatment.

On Sept. 14, Sylmar was placed on probation for one calendar year after participating in a passing-league game against players from Pierce College. Engilman said he was unaware of the rule prohibiting high school players from competition against college-age players.