Boys’ Basketball Qualify for CIF Playoffs Despite Forfeiting Games to Rule Violation

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KEVIN KONG
Sports Editor

On Jan. 24, the Power 106 game hosted by FHA-HERO took place. The AHS team consisted of four players from the varsity boys’ and one player from the varsity girls’ basketball team. However, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Constitution states that students who play in an organized sporting event outside of league become ineligible. Resulting in the two forfeited wins by the boys and one for the girls.
Samantha Garcia, the varsity girls’ captain, claimed that this did not affect their chances at league and playoffs. The team ended their season with a record of 2-8.
“It was hard for me […] to just watch my team play. The punishment was not justified because we caused no harm,” Garcia said.
The boys were close to tying for first; however, after the two forfeits and losses that followed, the boys fell to the fourth rank. The rules of the CIF Constitution cost them the title, according to Assistant Coach Bryan Gonzales.
“It was a lot of hard work we put in the last two years to be close and have that changed in a matter of hours [was hard to believe],” Gonzales said.
The four players were captain Wai Sett, center and power forward Carlos Barrios and guards Brandon Cadena and Aaron Cosme. Head Coach Robert Blanchard claims that the coaches wanted them to be a part of the team, but from only the bench, without receiving playing time The boys were urged not to play to avoid injury.
The boys’ coaches claim that in the future, if a player plays in an “outside” organized game, they will be taken off the school’s team.
“I don’t support what the athletes did, but they only played for two minutes. [The penalty] doesn’t seem right,” Blanchard said.
Nevertheless, playoff dreams are still alive after the boys’ victory against San Gabriel on Feb. 8 with a score of 36-33, making their final record 5-5. Although they still ranked fourth, they will play in CIF as an wild card, a team that did not make the cutoff, but had a qualifying record.
“It’s nice […] that after everything the team has been through, we still [have the] opportunity [to play in] the playoffs,” Barrios said.