No Forfeits Required of Santa Ana : Commissioner Rules Wilbon and Ruiz Are Eligible to Play

Stan Thomas, Southern Section commissioner, ruled Friday that two Santa Ana High School football players, who school officials thought were academically ineligible, are eligible, putting to rest expectations that the school would forfeit four nonleague victories.

Thomas ruled that tight end Albert Ruiz and wide receiver Royal Wilbon, who enrolled in a summer school course to improve their grade-point average, should not be punished for “trying to improve.”

Ruiz and Wilbon played in Santa Ana’s 14-6 Century League victory over Foothill Friday.

Ruiz and Wilbon failed to meet the state’s required 2.0 grade-point average after the 1987 spring semester. That rule states that a student must maintain a C average to be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities.

Ruiz and Wilbon repeated a world history class, in which both had received grades of D, during summer school in an effort to improve their GPAs. Each received an A in the summer school class instructed by Rick Andrade, a teacher and assistant varsity football coach at Santa Ana.

However, according to California Interscholastic Federation rule 205, students cannot repeat classes in which they did not fail (receive an F) in order to improve their GPAs and maintain eligibility. Andrew Hernandez, the school principal, interpreted this to mean that Ruiz and Wilbon were academically ineligible.

Ruiz and Wilbon, who had played in five nonleague games, were held out of last week’s Century League opener against Canyon. Hernandez and Coach Dick Hill said they thought forfeitures of the nonleague games in which Ruiz and Wilbon had played would be forthcoming. According to Ruiz, Hill informed the team before the Canyon game that Santa Ana would likely forfeit its four nonleague victories.

Thomas, attending the state CIF Federated Council meeting in Palm Springs, said the issue was discussed with state commissioner Thomas Byrnes Friday morning.

“The state legislature has ruled that if a student-athlete takes a class in summer school and improves his GPA to a 2.0 or better, he is absolutely eligible,” Thomas said. “No matter what his previous grade was in the class. Our rule book is now outdated.”

Hernandez, the Century League’s representative to the Southern Section’s general council, and Hill were operating under the belief that rule 205 was valid.

“If the rule was applied correctly,” Hill said Thursday, “then they (Ruiz and Wilbon) shouldn’t have played to begin with.”

Thursday, Hernandez said: “Those people (Ruiz and Wilbon) are ineligible, simple as that.” When asked whether he had contacted the Southern Section, Hernandez said: “I believe that’s in the process of happening right now.”

Friday, Thomas said: “I have never talked to Andy Hernandez or anyone else from Santa Ana High School regarding this issue. I wish they had contacted me. I feel sorry for the kids. They should have been playing all along. You don’t want to punish kids for going to summer school and trying to improve.”