GROSSMONT COLLEGE — A rules infraction by El Camino College has resulted in its football team forfeiting its first four games, including its Sept. 11 game against Grossmont College.
What had been Grossmont’s only loss thus far is now an official 1-0 win.
The California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA), the governing body that makes and enforces rules for intercollegiate athletics, determined that El Camino had used an ineligible player for its first four games.
In an e-mail sent to members of the Southern California Football Association Monday evening, Oct. 4, SCFA commissioner Jim Sartoris announced that because of the rules violation, “their games are forfeited as per Article 7.4.12.3 of the CCCAA/COA Constitution.”
Overall season records will be adjusted accordingly for all game participants. However, “individual statistics for these games will not be modified,” according to Sartoris.
The rules governing athletic inelibility are very complex. Jim Spillers, associate dean for athletics at Grossmont, expressed a note of sympathy for El Camino and its football team, saying that what befell its program was “the kind of thing that could happen to anybody.”
“The most important thing to focus on now is Saddleback,” Spiller believes.
The Griffins (5-0) play Saddleback College (4-1) on Saturday, October 16, at 6 p.m. at Mission Viejo. The game will be broadcast (via the internet) on KBCsports.com.
It may be difficult to resist looking past the Saddleback game, however. Grossmont has a home game against Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. Sac) at 1 p.m. on October 23. The Mounties were Southern California’s only undefeated team until Grossmont joined them this week.
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Dudley is a student in Media Comm 132
