Narbonne files appeal for City Section football sanctions

Narbonne has filed an appeal of its City Section football sanctions for ineligible players, but the appeal does not affect the playoff ban for this year’s team, City Section Commissioner Vicky Lagos said.

The school and the City Section have mutually agreed to postpone any hearing until after this season. Narbonne was banned from this year’s playoffs and the 2020 playoffs after ineligible players were discovered in 2018 and 2019. Narbonne is expected to try to get the 2020 ban reversed.

A spokeswoman for Local District South said a senior night that was postponed when the game against Banning was canceled is in the process of being rescheduled to honor Narbonne’s seniors.

Narbonne went from 9-0 to 0-9 this season when multiple players were determined to be ineligible for not having a valid change of residence. Those players are facing a 24-month ban from competing in sports for committing fraud under CIF rules.

Now the question is how many of Narbonne’s underclassmen will stick around, led by junior quarterback Jake Garcia, a USC commit. It also has to be decided who the coach will be. Joe Aguirre was the interim coach while Manuel Douglas was placed on temporary reassignment. Douglas filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District and never coached this season. Aguirre hasn’t said if he would be interested in returning.

Narbonne was the five-time defending City Section champion but must vacate its 2018 title as part of the sanctions.