Savanna Expects to Forfeit Games

Savanna expects to forfeit two boys’ basketball games for use of an ineligible player, school Athletic Director Tom Voigt said.

Solomon Brown, a sophomore guard, received a limited transfer from the Southern Section prohibiting him from playing on the varsity level when he left Mater Dei for Ocean View this fall, Ocean View Coach Jim Harris said. According to Voigt, Brown played in three junior varsity contests at Ocean View, then enrolled at Savanna in mid-December and played in varsity victories over Anaheim and Valencia.

“We at Savanna were wrong,” Voigt said. “We shouldn’t have let him play and we should have done our homework. We probably should have called [Harris] before we let him play.”

The forfeits are expected to severely hinder Savanna’s playoff bid. Currently in third place in the Orange League, the Rebels would fall to fourth place, 4-4 in league and 10-14 overall.