San Clemente football season ends after judge denies appeal

An Orange County Superior Court judge on Friday denied the appeal of a football player ruled ineligible earlier this week, ending the San Clemente High football season and sending West Hills Chaminade into the Southern Section Division 2 championship game next Friday.

A San Clemente football player who was declared ineligible on Tuesday went to court in hopes the Southern Section ruling could be overturned but the judge denied the application because the paperwork was not properly filled out.

San Clemente had been scheduled to play Chaminade on Friday night in the Division 2 semifinals until the section removed the Tritons from the playoffs and declared they had to forfeit every game the player participated in because of a violation of the CIF undue influence rule.

San Clemente players showed up wearing jerseys at the courthouse in Santa Ana on Friday instead of attending school.

Chaminade and San Clemente both practiced this week not knowing what would happen. A CIF state appeals panel upheld the Southern Section decision. Chaminade was preparing to board buses to San Clemente at noon. Now the Eagles will have a team meeting and practice after school and play the winner of Rancho Cucamonga-Sierra Canyon next Friday at Chaminade for the Division 2 championship.