Judge Denies Appeal by Rosamond Booster Club

The Southern Section Division X championship football game between Orange Lutheran and Cerritos Valley Christian will take place Saturday as scheduled.

Rosamond would have played Orange Lutheran but was removed from the playoffs last week after admitting it gave the Lancer coaches altered game videotape. Attorneys representing the school’s booster group sought a temporary restraining order Thursday in Bakersfield Superior Court. But Judge Arthur Wallace denied the appeal.

“Basically the judge agreed [section] rules were violated and the punishment was what the rules called for,” section spokesman Art Munda said.

Last week Orange Lutheran coaches discovered 13 seconds missing on the videotape given to them by Rosamond. It was later determined an assistant coach had removed the passing and scoring plays--something that had occurred in videotape Rosamond had given its playoff opponent.

The resulting flap caused the resignation of Coach Lon Boyett and his entire staff.

Rosamond officials could not be reached for comment. But Tim Shank, the booster president who admitted the school was “looking for a miracle,” had contended it was unfair to penalize the players for the coach’s misdeed.

“The punishment doesn’t fit the crime,” Shank said. “We don’t want to sound like whiners but if organizations stand on principle of student-athletes, why couldn’t they have fined us instead? How excited can Lutheran get to play a team we walked over? No matter what happens, I don’t see anybody turning out a winner here.”