Village Christian Forfeits Four Wins but Retains Title

Village Christian High, unbeaten on the football field in nine games, has forfeited its first four wins because the team used an ineligible player.

Coach Mike Plaisance said a player, whom he did not identify, played four games while he was academically ineligible. Plaisance placed the blame on administrative error, saying the player’s grade-point average was miscalculated after a course the player took in summer school.

The player, who has suited up for all nine games, raised his GPA above the required 2.0 during the first 4 1/2-week grading period, Plaisance said. He has been eligible since the start of the second grading period, Oct. 5.

Plaisance said he learned of the problem 2 1/2 weeks ago. He and school administrator Ron Sipus reported the infraction to Bill Clark of the Southern Section last Thursday.

The Crusaders, who last week won the Alpha League championship, are now 5-4. Their 4-0 Alpha League record is unaffected. The forfeits are to Bell-Jeff (now 5-4), Southern California Christian (5-4), Kilpatrick (5-4), and La Salle (2-7).

Clark said the forfeits should not affect the Crusaders’ position in the Division X playoffs. The team qualified by winning the Alpha title, and its seeding will be based on a media poll. Village Christian will play Montclair Prep (8-0) in a nonleague game Friday.

“Even though their record will be 5-4 or whatever, it will be difficult to look at them any differently because it is still the same kids,” Clark said.

Earlier this season, the Crusaders were penalized the loss of one practice for running wind sprints during a summer conditioning dead period. In both cases, Plaisance said, the school reported itself to the Southern Section.

“We look at these two things as being honest errors that happened and nothing we did to gain any unfair advantage (to) our football program,” Plaisance said.