Hoover High football waiting for forfeit confirmation
When the Hoover High football team lost its first game of the season, first-year Tornadoes Coach Matt Andersen felt his group let one get away.
Well, Hoover might very well get it back.
After things had appeared to go south for the Tornadoes, who dropped consecutive games after they won their debut, 65-0, over Blair on Aug. 30 under Andersen, they enjoyed a quick upturn Thursday, according to a Los Angeles Times report.
Sotomayor forfeited its victory over Hoover due to ineligible players appearing in the game, stated the article, which included confirmation by CIF Los Angeles City Section Commissioner John Aguirre.
As of Thursday afternoon, Hoover Athletic Director Jack Van Patten and CIF Southern Section Communications Director Thom Simmons hadn’t heard about the forfeit.
Andersen was also among those waiting for an answer.
“I haven’t got true validation of the forfeit, I’ve only heard rumors today,” Andersen said. “We’ll definitely take a win if it’s given to us, but we’re not as worried about it because it’s not league.”
On the field, Hoover suffered a 39-26 road loss to Sotomayor on Sept. 6. The Tornadoes botched consecutive kickoff returns that led to easy scores and a 20-0 lead in the first six minutes of the game for Sotomayor.
“I heard rumors before the game about some of the things going on over there,” said Andersen, whose team fell, 27-7, at South Pasadena on Friday. “But those were rumors and I had to focus on my own team.”
While things looked bad for Hoover with back-to-back losses, they wound up being much worse for Sotomayor, which won all three of its games between the lines but might have to forfeit them all because of the use of ineligible players in each game, according to the LA Times.
Hoover, which has a bye this week, now enters Pacific League play against Muir at 7 p.m. Sept. 26 at Moyse Field likely at 2-1. The Tornadoes face a tough test against defending league champion Muir, a team that defeated them, 63-0, in 2012.
The Tornadoes will look to win against Muir after having relied on the play of senior offensive leaders Se Jun Kim and Kenneth Traquena at quarterback and running back, respectively.
Kim has completed 19 of 52 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns and one interception and ran for 113 more yards and two more scores on 23 carries. Tranquena has averaged 7.26 yards a carry with 254 yards and five touchdowns on 35 rush attempts.
Alvin Kim has been Hoover’s most productive aerial target with nine receptions for 143 yards.
Andersen said he’s yet to address the issue with his squad.
“I wasn’t going to bring it up until [Friday]. Again, it’s something I’ve just heard today,” Andersen said. “Hopefully I’ll have an answer by then.”