A sick feeling spread among members of the Cathedral Catholic High School football team on Tuesday night after the announcement was made that the varsity football team officially will be forced to forfeit their game scheduled for Friday against Serra, along with all playoff games for the remainder of the season. If the ruling stands it will bring their record of 8-2 to 0-10. The team was hoping to win their sixth straight CIF division championship, but because of a “clerical error” regarding a transfer student, the CIF board ruled that the team’s season is over.

Jerry Schneipp, local level CIF commissioner judge, ruled against the continuation of the season. He has served as commissioner for just a little over one year.

The mishap was caused purely by a technical error. The transfer student, who participated in all ten games, was deemed ineligible and due to CIF bylaw 205.3, all of the subsequent games were required to be forfeited. The law states that, “Any athletic contests in which an ineligible student has participated intentionally or unintentionally, involving both team and individual sports, must be forfeited.”

“This was the perfect storm; a lot of things happened at the same time. We had 700 students in athletics school wide, and 85 transfer students,” a somber Head Coach Sean Doyle said, addressing football players and parents at an early meeting Wednesday morning.

Mr. Doyle and the team will not settle with the local ruling; they plan to present the issue to the state board. “We’re working with the court system. I’m going to get all these attorneys together because everyone I’m talking to thinks we need a concerted effort,” he said.

“We went electronically on all of our paperwork. There was no reason to double and triple check because this student was not seen as a transfer student in the computer. In 27 years this has never, ever happened before,” Coach Doyle said.

“I truly believe that he (Schneipp) knows what’s going on, but his hands are tied; we just have to follow the procedure of what’s next,” said Coach Doyle.

This Friday, the playoff game against Serra High School will be forfeited. CCHS coaches and parents are currently working on taking this case to the state level, in order to preserve the record that the football players worked so hard to achieve. Despite the ruling, Schneipp commended Cathedral for their honesty in turning themselves in. He said, “It is very admirable and honorable for CCHS to turn themselves in, however unfortunate the situation may be.”

Due to CIF local rulings, the football team will not be able to contest the ruling on Friday’s game, but they will be working with a team of lawyers in order to regain their winning record from this season. Because of this forfeit, they still stand eliminated from playoffs. Coach Doyle asks for prayers while they handle this ordeal.