The importance of clericality cannot be stressed any more.

"When one person makes a small error, that ripple can turn into a tsunami if it isn't stopped."

-J.R. Salazar

I work as an administrative assistant at the Long Beach Bar Foundation, and after seeing this news, I cannot stress further the importance of paying attention to detail. One of the staff members at Lakewood High (my alma mater) made the poor decision to let one of the players on the varsity side play, though he was ineligible.

Here, an ethical choice had to be made: do you ignore the situation, or do you take action and forfeit the four victories, while taking corrective measures regarding the player and (most importantly) the person who screwed thousands of alums who watched the team blaze through their non-leeague games?

They chose the latter, and the end results are at least two scapegoats who now are going to be reviled among the Lancer faithful: the player and the person who made the error. I'm already sharpening my meat cleaver as we speak.

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Clerical error costs Lancers
FOOTBALL: Lakewood forfeits wins for unknowingly using ineligible player.
By Dave Werstine, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 09/30/2008 10:23:13 PM PDT


LAKEWOOD - Upon finding it had unknowingly played the first month of the 2008 season with an ineligible player, the Lakewood High football team Tuesday forfeited all four of its victories as a corrective measure.

According to Lakewood officials, the mistake was of a clerical nature. They also refrained from naming the player in question, citing "respect" for him.

"We want to do the right thing," Lakewood co-principal Charles Acosta said after calling those schools affected by the forfeits and apologizing for the error. "We have to own up to it. We don't want to sacrifice our integrity, as painful as it might be."

The Lancers gave back wins over Crenshaw, Peninsula, Mayfair and Verbum Dei, and will now go into Friday night's Moore League showdown against Poly with an 0-4 record. Giving the 24-7 decision over crosstown rival Mayfair also means giving up the Milk Bucket.

"It's not rightfully ours," Acosta said. "It needs to be returned."

Coach Thadd MacNeal said he was "shocked" when he heard the news about lunchtime Tuesday.

"I'm sick," he said. "I feel bad. I'm embarrassed."

MacNeal added even though the incident is a distraction going into the Lancers' biggest game of the season, he believes it won't change his team's lofty goals.

Despite surrendering the victories, Lakewood can still reach the CIF Southern Section playoffs if it can clinch one of the top four spots in the Moore League.

"Our goal is to win the Moore League and be CIF champion - that's not going to change," MacNeal said. "We've got to focus on the Moore League, on our first game against Poly. You always have adversity. ... It's like a guy who gets hurt - you got to move on. The trains keeps going."

MacNeal said the player in question has the chance to right his grades by the next grading period, which will take place in about three weeks, and rejoin the team.

The eligibility mistake is one that Lakewood officials say won't happen again.