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Woodbridge football coach Aaron Craver will not coach the remainder of the season following the Warriors’ game against Pacifica on Oct. 11 not being completed, he and the Irvine Unified School District stated.
Pacifica scored a touchdown to lead 29-0 with 8:32 left in the fourth quarter when the Omicron League game ended at Bolsa Grande High, Mariners coach Kyle Murphy said.
The game, Craver said, was heated and featured a skirmish after score. A meeting between officials and administrators from both schools was held, the coaches said, and the game didn’t resume.
Irvine Unified stated on Tuesday that Woodbridge (2-6, 1-2) “initiated the end of the game” with Pacifica (3-5, 3-0) and was notified by the CIF Southern Section of a violation of bylaw 125.2, which covers “failure to complete a contest.”
“When a school fails to complete a contest, due to a coach pulling his/her team from the floor, court or field, it is mandatory that the CIF Southern Section Office be notified by the principal within 24 hours (excluding holidays and weekends),” the rule reads. “The competing schools and officials will be required to file written reports, and after review of the aforementioned material, the principal of the school involved will be required to respond to the CIF Southern Section Office concerning his/her investigation of the incident.”
The bylaw is accompanied in the Blue Book with a question and answer that reads: “How serious is such action? Answer: It has been the position of the CIF Southern Section Executive Committee to expect the building principal of the school concernedto relieve the coach from his/her assignment for the balance of that season or the Executive Committee is empowered to considerrecommendations for additional penalties.”
Woodbridge, Irvine Unified stated, filed an appeal, and was denied.
“In accordance with CIF bylaws and to ensure that Woodbridge retains its membership with CIF, Coach Craver will not coach the remaining games this season,” Irvine Unified stated. “(Quarterback) coach John Halagan will step in for the remainder of the season.”
The final score of the Pacifica-Woodbridge game stands as a 29-0 win by the Mariners, said Thom Simmons, section spokesperson and assistant commissioner.
Craver said Monday that he was “suspended.” He said he was concerned about players fighting at the game.
“We started to talk about whether the game should go on,” the fourth-year head coach said. “From Woodbridge’s side … we were just expressing our concerns.”
“My concern was about safety,” the coach added. “It got ugly at the end. … If the game hadn’t ended, there probably would have been 10, 15 suspensions.”
Paul Caldera, Orange County’s referee liaison with CIF-SS, said officials work with both school administrations if games need to end early for extreme safety reasons.
Murphy said he wanted to continue playing the game and felt the officials and coaches were in control. He added that he began to substitute reserves into the game and was open to starting a running clock.
“I wanted to continue to play,” he said.
Garden Grove Unified School District athletic director Dave Mamelli attended the game and agreed with Murphy that while the game was “chippy”, the coaches and officials had control.
Craver, who didn’t coach last week in Woodbridge’s 56-8 win against Katella, hopes the situation spurs more discussion.
“I was in favor of calming the game down,” he said. “I want to play football. I coach because I want to coach. I love coaching, and those are teachable moments.”
SHORT ROUTES
Pacifica forfeited nonleague victories against Garden Grove and Walnut for playing with an ineligible player, Murphy said. The coach said there was a “paperwork issue” with a transfer who has since been cleared to play. …
Huntington Beach sophomore quarterback Brady Edmunds broke Kai Ross’ career record for TD passes last week in a 43-29 victory against Foothill. Edmunds tossed five TDs to raise his total to 48, one more than Ross. …
Santa Margarita junior linebacker Dash Fifita recorded 19 total tackles, a sack, two forced fumbles and returned a fumble 64 yards in a 13-10 loss against Orange Lutheran last week.
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