Controversy emerges over football official penalties in Southern Section, City Section

When you get two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a high school football game, you are suspended for the next game — unless the official rescinds the call.

On Tuesday, it was learned the officials refused to rescind two celebration penalties called against Edison running back Julius Gillick last week after he scored six touchdowns against Vista Murrieta, making him ineligible to play against Simi Valley on Friday in the Southern Section Division 3 final. One penalty was for spinning a football in the end zone and another for late in the game coming onto the field without a helmet to celebrate a play by the backup running back.

In the City Section, two Narbonne players who were ejected last week after penalties will be able to play on Friday in the City Section Open Division final against San Pedro. Before that game, the referee told everyone they had received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, meaning a second would get them ejected from the game.

Linebacker Mark Iheanachor and lineman Mathayus Moe received penalties and were ejected against Birmingham, but the referee never filed an ejection report with the City Section, clearing them to play on Friday in the Open Division final against San Pedro. The official indicated he did not want to prevent them from playing on Friday. Another Narbonne player who was ejected, Domo Phillips, won’t be able to play Friday for using profanity.

Moe said Tuesday he was grateful for the second chance to play. Asked for any lesson learned, he said, “To keep my composure and stay calm at all times.”