November 15, 2007

Mission Viejo to forfeit two games for ineligible player
'Something slipped through the cracks,' Diablos football Coach Bob Johnson says in response to Southern Section office ruling.

From Times Staff Reports

Mission Viejo, which is experiencing its least successful season this decade, was thrown for another loss Wednesday when it was announced by the Southern Section office that the Diablos would forfeit their first two football games of the season for using an ineligible player.

Mission Viejo will forfeit its 26-22 victory over host Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller on Sept. 1 and a 34-14 victory over Redondo the next weekend.

The player was not a starter.

"I play the kids I'm told to play that are legal," Diablos Coach Bob Johnson said. "Something slipped through the cracks."

Mission Viejo, which failed to win the South Coast League title this season after winning seven in a row, and lost a league game for the first time in 39 games -- a span dating to 1999 -- has a revised overall record of 4-5-1. Redondo is now 7-3 and Moeller is 8-3.

The forfeits do not affect Mission Viejo's playoff status because they did not affect the team's league standing. By tying for second place behind Rancho Santa Margarita Tesoro, the Diablos received one of three automatic qualifying berths from the league. Mission Viejo plays Orange Lutheran in a Pac-5 Division first-round game Friday at Santa Ana Stadium.

-- Martin Henderson

College Commitments

Noe Ramirez of Alhambra, expected to be one of the top pitchers in the Southland this spring, will sign with Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, according to his coach, Steve Gewecke.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Newhall Hart junior shortstop Melissa Brown has committed to Tennessee and West Hills Chaminade senior shortstop Emily Bliss has signed with Cal State Bakersfield, according in a report in the Daily News.

Brown batted .451 as a sophomore and had 15 stolen bases for the Indians, who advanced to the Southern Section Division I finals. Last year, Bliss batted .391 and drove in 21 runs to help guide the Eagles to the Division IV championship.

-- Austin Knoblauch

Amani Butler of Ontario Colony was expected to commit Wednesday to play women's basketball at Arizona, choosing the Wildcats over Colorado, Oregon and UCLA.

The 5-foot-7 senior guard was the Southern Section Division III-A co-player of the year a season ago after averaging 14.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.6 steals a game for the Titans.

-- Sean Ceglinsky