CIF says schools playing unauthorized games face fines, suspension or dismissal

The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports, dotted across 10 sections, and its message has long been to pursue victory with honor, to do things the right way.

In a memo Tuesday to its 1,500 member schools, the CIF promised severe and immediate punishment to any schools that play in unsanctioned interscholastic competition. The memo is tied to Southern California schools that played a football game over the weekend in violation of California’s Department of Public Health orders, not to mention CIF bylaws.

Capistrano Valley Christian High and Calvary Chapel, both of Orange County, kickstarted a firestorm of curiosity, concern or outrage by playing a full game, with referees and game uniforms. All youth sports are currently banned by the state Department of Public Health.

One argument is that kids deserve to play and that coaches want to help their student-athletes have a semblance of normalcy, and that message came across loud and clear at some 135 parent-led “Let them Play!” rallies across the state Friday.

The other argument is that everyone wants to play but patience is vital because no teams are allowed to compete until the CDPH adjusts, updates or lifts its order that no youth/prep sports can be held until at least Jan. 25.

The CIF memo states it is “bound by the orders, regulations, and guidance of the Governor’s Office, CDPH and the California Department of Education,” with the expectation that all leagues, districts and CIF-member schools are expected to comply.

The memo also read, “The vast majority of our member schools have complied with the state’s orders pertaining to high school sports. However, the CIF has recently become aware that several member schools have competed in interscholastic contests in contravention of the guidance of the CDPH and CIF rules.

“Any school determined to have participated in or to be conducting interscholastic athletics events in violation of the State’s orders or CIF rules may be subject to CIF Article 22 sanctions including, but not limited to, fines, suspension or dismissal from membership.”

And more, “While the CIF understands that the postponement of interscholastic athletics due to the COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on all of our member schools and student-athletes, the intentional violation of the orders, regulations, and guidance of the Governor’s Office, CDPH, CDE and CIF will not be permitted.”

Sacramento sports stay quiet

No Sacramento-area teams connected to a high school have competed in any football games. The Iron Sharpens Iron club team with Sacramento-area players is not affiliated with the CIF or any school.

That team has played three games, winning two, in the Winner Circle club football event in Southern California. The question there: How is this not a violation of county health? Or this: If the club teams can play, why not the prep teams?

CIF Associate Executive Director Brian Seymour, who supervises the CIF’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, told the Bay Area News Group on Tuesday, “There are groups of people that will publicly state this is what should happen and don’t believe the scientists,” he said. “There are a lot of people who are saying we should be playing immediately.”

“Then you talk to the professionals at the high schools. They are all agreeing that we need to move cautiously to make good decisions. You hear some noise, but they are very much in the minority of worrying about whether or not a school is going to do something on their own or not. It is very clear what our rules are for that.”

Seymour added, “We are not hearing that from our membership. In fact, we are hearing the opposite. Our membership is just as frustrated as the rest of us are with the impact that the pandemic has had. But they are the lockstep that what we’re doing right now is the right thing to do and we will continue to do that as a unified group.”

Mater Dei won’t play

Speculation that more private schools will play games outside the CIF calendar took a hit when the powerhouse program of all private schools made a stand.

That would be Mater Dei of Santa Ana, a football powerhouse since the 1960s. Bruce Rollinson has coached the Monarchs since 1989, winning 300 games and three CIF State championships. He told the Orange County Register that the SoCal teams that played over the weekend were wrong and said that his school would not “go rogue” and compete in a football game while state health guidelines are in the most restrictive purple tier and would not consider a game unless it is within CIF and health guidelines.

He added, “What’s this saying to the kids? We have an ethical and moral responsibility to adhere to what the county health department is telling us.”

Rollinson also said he is not interested or impressed with the club football concept, “I have publicly stated and written to our (team’s) parents that I am adamantly opposed to club football, for the dangers of it and the poor coaching.

He added, “Let’s say there are 30 kids on each (club) team, and I’m going low with that number here, and 40 adults that come in contact with them and the coaches. To me, that is a super-spreader event. And those kids who then come back to our practice are endangering me and (assistant coach) Eric Johnson and (Oregon-committed receiver) Kyron Ware-Hudson and everyone else because they did something they shouldn’t do and they’re bringing it back to us.”

This story will be updated.