Newbury Park Forfeits 5 Wins Because of Ineligible Player

The Newbury Park High boys’ basketball team has forfeited five wins for using an ineligible player.

Newbury Park will forfeit its Jan. 16 Marmonte League victory over Agoura as well as nonleague wins over Hueneme, Santa Ynez, Santa Paula and Calabasas. The Panthers drop from 7-13 and 3-9 in league play to 2-13, 2-10. The forfeits have no bearing on the league race.

Dave Cummings, the father of junior Matt Cummings, called the Southern Section office last week to inquire about his son’s transfer to Ventura High. Matt sought to move from his father’s residence in Newbury Park to Ventura, where his mother lives.

As a sophomore, Cummings lived with his mother and attended Ventura High before transferring to Newbury Park this year. His parents are divorced.

Southern Section administrator Dean Crowley said that Cummings is ineligible because his mother, who is his guardian of record, did not change residences.

Crowley said that Cummings, who had planned to transfer to Ventura High next week, would not be eligible to play there as a senior. He is eligible to play next season at Newbury Park because he had now technically “sat out one season,” Crowley said.