Fremont’s Forfeit Gives Alta Loma a Playoff Berth

The Alta Loma boys’ basketball team qualified for the Southern Section Division I-A playoffs Wednesday after picking up a victory when Los Angeles Fremont forfeited its Dec. 3 victory over the Braves.

The forfeit improved Alta Loma’s overall record to 12-13, giving the Braves enough victories to petition for an at-large berth into the playoffs.

Alta Loma will travel to Fontana Kaiser tonight for a wild-card game. The winner will play at fifth-seeded Riverside King in a first-round game Friday.

The Braves figured their season was over when they lost their regular-season finale to Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos, leaving them a game out of third place in the Baseline League and a victory short of at-large consideration. But Coach Guy Thomas said his team learned it was in the playoffs Wednesday morning.

“They were walking on pins and needles,” Thomas said of his players’ reaction. “They were excited, but nervous.”

One of Alta Loma’s victories this season came against Pasadena, the top-seeded team in Division I-A.

Fremont, seeded second in the City Section, was removed from the tournament Tuesday after it was forced to forfeit all its games when section officials determined that six players who were transfers were ineligible.

With no team replacing Fremont in the Championship division, 15th-seeded Lake Balboa Birmingham will advance to the quarterfinals on Wednesday with a forfeit victory in the first round.

-- Dan Arritt