As part of the Southern Section's ongoing crackdown on students and parents providing inaccurate information on transfer documents, Orange Lutheran School announced Tuesday that it has declared the football player ineligible and will miss the first two games of the season. The school self-reported the violation after an investigation that lasted several weeks.
This fall, more than 40 students were sentenced to two years of ineligibility for violating CIF Rule 202, which involves providing false information. In September Southern section disqualified 19 players in the Bishop Montgomery football program, 24 in total. The school canceled the varsity season.
Players from Long Beach Milliken, Long Beach Poly, Compton, Victor Valley and Bellflower also received two-year fines.
The Orange Lutheran student will only be ineligible until the next season because false documents were not submitted when transferring.
The Southern Division has adopted new investigative techniques to verify transfer documents submitted by schools.
Orange Lutheran Principal Jack Preus and football coach Rod Sherman informed players and parents Tuesday. Preus said that as a result of this experience, his school will implement a “more rigorous process” for reviewing accounts and visiting transfer students' homes before submitting paperwork for an actual change of residence.
Schools have begun submitting transfer paperwork for basketball players as the season begins Nov. 17, which will be a good indicator of whether athletic directors and parents have learned lessons from what happens to players.
The big change is that the Southern Section will declare players ineligible after the school has made a decision declaring the athlete eligible to participate with a valid change of residence. If additional information becomes available about whether the student has been granted a valid change of residence, the student may be switched to ineligible. The same applies to students who are exempt from competition after a break from competition.
“We’re going to change and do it right,” Sherman said.
Southern Division Commissioner Mike West said last month: “We had a real influx of fake documents.. It was important and very disappointing.”
Orange Lutheran falls to 2-6 overall but is still considered a likely Division I playoff contender with its strong schedule. He lost wins to Miami Northwestern and Rancho Cucamonga.
