Granada Hills Back in City Playoffs

Granada Hills High moved back into the City Championship football playoffs Wednesday when Westchester was forced to forfeit its quarterfinal victory over the Highlanders because it used an ineligible player.

The Highlanders will play a semifinal game at 7 p.m. Friday against Banning at Gardena High.

Granada Hills players were off for six days after losing to Westchester, 26-21, on Nov. 25.

City Section administrators told Highlander coaches late Tuesday Granada Hills might gain the forfeit victory.

Coaches began contacting players by phone, telling them to gather their equipment and be ready to resume practice Wednesday just in case.

“I heard last night it was possible,” quarterback Jason Winn said. “[Defensive lineman] Roberto Garcia called me and I thought it was a joke.”

Granada Hills practiced for the first time in more than a week on Wednesday.

“I think the players are excited,” co-Coach Darryl Stroh of Granada Hills said. “To me, it’s not a very pleasant thing. It’s not fair to Westchester, it’s not fair to Banning, it’s not fair to us. But it is a game and we enjoy playing.”

Westchester was declared out of the playoffs after City Section officials determined the Comets used an ineligible player in their playoff opener against Locke two weeks ago.

School officials appealed the decision to a three-member appeal panel on Wednesday, but it was rejected.

“The circumstances the school presented did not a warrant a change of the decision,” said Willie Crittendon, operations administrator for the Los Angeles Unified School District. “It was a clear-cut violation of the transfer rule.”

Ed Russell, assistant principal at Locke, said his school informed Westchester last week it had “suspicions” that a player who transferred to the school was ineligible.

The City Section started an investigation after receiving another phone call from a Locke administrator on Monday.

The player involved previously attended Inglewood High and transferred to Westchester last spring. He is required by City Section rules to seek a rule waiver to gain immediate eligibility, City Section Commissioner Barbara Fiege said.

Sharon Lilly, principal at Westchester, said her school was unaware the player in question competed in sports at Inglewood.

“The [school] records did not show any sports competition or a P.E. class,” Lilly said.

City Section rules require any team discovered using an ineligible player to forfeit its last game.

Poly High’s boys’ soccer team was similarly ousted last season from the playoffs after winning its quarterfinal game.

“Hopefully, at some point, every school has to get the message they need to be absolutely sure about the eligibility of their players,” Fiege said. “Many innocent students have been hurt again.”

Granada Hills was seeded No. 1 in the 16-team football bracket and had won 11 consecutive games until its defeat to Westchester.

Banning (9-3) has beaten Roosevelt, 56-0, and Sylmar, 29-0, in the playoffs.

“Our preparation is a big part of what we do,” Stroh said. “It’s limiting us, but Banning is limited, too. They’ve been preparing for the [Westchester] wishbone.”

Granada Hills must quickly focus on slowing explosive tailback Chris Howard of Banning.

Highlander players contacted at practice were just happy their season would continue.

“It’s a dream come true,” receiver Peter Gunny said.

Added Winn: “It’s nice. You don’t get too many second chances in your life.”

The schools were given the option of delaying the game until Saturday, but elected to stay with the original schedule.

City Section Football Playoffs

Semifinals, Friday, 7 p.m.

City Championship

* Granada Hills vs. Banning at Gardena High

* Taft vs. Dorsey at Fremont High

Division Championship

* Manual Arts vs. Reseda at Jackie Robinson Stadium

* Van Nuys vs Chatsworth at Birmingham High