The Kimball football team forfeited three wins Friday, Oct. 3, due to a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section rule violation, Principal William Maslyar confirmed.
According to the state’s high school sports governing body’s transfer portal, two players who transferred to Kimball within the past year were listed as “ineligible.” The issue was brought to the school’s attention prior to the team’s 48-34 loss to Analy on Sept. 26. Neither player traveled with the team or participated in the game.
In reviewing records, school administrators discovered that paperwork for the transfers had not been completed, rendering the players ineligible under CIF Sac-Joaquin Section rules and regulations.
Maslyar released the following statement Friday morning to parents:
“This is truly devastating for our players and for our coaches. Please understand that this is not the fault of our coaching staff or a reflection on the program they are building with our students. Coach Nico and his coaching staff have done a tremendous job of working with our student athletes to establish a positive program at Kimball. It is ultimately the responsibility of the administration to ensure all players are cleared and eligible to participate in any sport according to TUSD and CIF regulations. I am truly sorry that we failed to accurately monitor our students’ eligibility for football and for the impact it has had on our team.”
Before reporting the violation to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section, Kimball was 3-2 overall and on track for its second consecutive football playoff berth. The Jaguars’ record was retroactively dropped to 0-5 before Friday’s home game against Lincoln.
The effects hit hard, as Kimball fell 48-3.
Kimball forfeited nonleague wins over Merrill West, Mountain House and Golden Valley. Originally, the Jaguars rebounded from an early setback with a 60-21 rout of Merrill West on Aug. 5, then pulled off a heart-stopping 22-15 overtime win against Mountain House on Aug. 12, thanks to Josiah Wilson’s incredible scramble walk-off, before topping Golden Valley on Aug. 19.
Despite a fifth new head coach in six years, hope was alive for the Jaguars under former Fresno State linebacker Nico Herron.
After a 3-2 finish in their first Tri-City Athletic League season, good for third place, the foundation was already laid, and the team felt eager to see Herron take it further.
He was well on his way — until an email nobody wants to see in their inbox changed those plans.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Two Kimball football players ruled ineligible, resulting in three wins forfeited from CIF
Reporting by Dylan Ackermann, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
