Orange Ordered to Play Tonight

The Southern Section has ordered last-place Orange High School to play tonight’s Century League boys’ basketball game against No. 3 Villa Park as scheduled.

Orange Principal Robert Lewis ordered the game forfeited after an on-court incident during a 64-61 loss to Santa Ana Valley Tuesday resulted in the ejection of 12 players, nine of them from Orange.

But Thursday afternoon interim assistant commissioner Hal Harkness of the Southern Section said he had misinterpreted the section’s rule book when he approved Lewis’ initial request.

“The rule says that a player who is ejected must sit out one contest,” Harkness said. “But if the game is forfeited, that means that a contest never occurred and that then means that those nine kids would not be eligible to play in the next game, either.”

Four varsity players who were not ejected are expected to suit up for Orange tonight, along with several junior varsity players, Harkness said.