Cathedral’s 42-21 victory over Los Alamitos last week in the state regional Division I-AA playoffs was the 251st in coach Sean Doyle’s career.
That’s right, 251. The Dons’ victory over Carlsbad in the San Diego Section finals had been hailed on the Southwestern College scoreboard as No. 250 for Doyle, sending the Dons into the regionals, while this website, while not official and not affiliated with the CIF, declared that the win was No. 248.
An ineligible player, asserted in a statement from the office of CIF commissioner Jerry Schniep, had appeared in all 10 games in 2012, wiping out Cathedral’s 8-2 season. We originally went along with that information.
But when asked by John Maffei before the Los Alamitos game, Doyle told the reporter that he had researched game film, talked to coaches and players, and said that the ineligible player had not been a participant in two Cathedral victories, 29-21 over Lincoln and 28-20 over St. Augustine, Cathedral’s main Eastern League opponents. The player’s overall participation was such that in four other games he had been in for one play.
According to Maffei, after visiting with Doyle, Cathedral’s forfeits should have been eight and an overall record of 2-8 and not 0-10 in 2012. Max Preps originally had reported eight forfeits and Cal Preps originally reported six.
Doyle goes for No. 252 this week against Folsom, longtime Sac-Joaquin Section power and a familiar championship game opponent for the Dons. Cathedral lost to the Bulldogs, 21-14, in 2018 and won a rematch, 33-21, in the 2021 final.
Adjustments in the Coach 100 table will be made at the end of this week’s games. The records of Doyle, Lincoln’s David Dunn, and St. Augustine’s Richard Sanchez will be noted.
SAN DIEGO SECTION REGIONAL RECORD 4-2
Christian outscored Cerritos Valley Christian, 27-13, in Division V-AA and Valley Center defeated Moreno Valley Valley View, 30-19, in Division VI-AA in other Friday night’s regional openers.
Oxnard Pacifica edged Granite Hills, 42-35, in D-IA, Arcadia Rio Hondo topped Santa Fe Christian, 26-21, and Morse ousted Simi Valley Grace Brethren, 57-40 in VI-A, on Saturday.
Cathedral will meet Folsom at Mission Viejo Saddleback College on Friday, Dec. 12.
Christian plays Oakland Bishop O’Dowd of the North Coast Section on Friday at Buena Park High.
Valley Center’s game against San Jose Lincoln of the Central Coast Section will be on Friday at Fullerton High.
Morse and Winters of the Northern Section will kick off at Buena Park High on Saturday, Dec. 13.
