Forfeit Appeals by Laguna Hills, Villa Park to Be Heard Today

Laguna Hills High, which forfeited five football games this season because it used an ineligible player, and Villa Park, which forfeited three games for the same reason, will have appeals heard today by a Southern Section panel.

Laguna Hills discovered last week one of its starters was technically ineligible because he played last year at Capistrano Valley and the Laguna Hills administrators failed to file the proper form or ask for either a hardship waiver or open-enrollment transfer. Villa Park discovered it had failed to properly file an open enrollment form for one of its players after the fifth week of the season.

Without the forfeits, Laguna Hills, the defending Southern Section Division VIII champion, would be 6-3 overall and 4-0 in the Pacific Coast League. Presently, the Hawks are 1-8, 1-3 and out of playoff contention.

Villa Park, which forfeited three nonleague victories is presently 3-5-1, 3-0-1. Regardless of today’s decision, the Spartans still qualify for the Division VI playoffs, and can even win the Century League title with a victory over Canyon Friday.