Narbonne football team banned from City Section playoffs for three years
Narbonne's football team was found to have multiple players ineligible last season after the playoff seedings had been announced, forcing the City Section to let the Gauchos compete. They won the Open Division championship. Now the punishment is being enforced.
The City Section determined that Narbonne violated CIF Bylaw 202 (Accurate Information) and CIF Bylaw 510 (Undue Influence, Pre-Enrollment Contact) during the 2024 football season. Narbonne was also punished for ineligible players in 2018 and 2019. A group of Marine League coaches refused to play the Gauchos in league play last fall.
The City Section has told Narbonne it can appeal the postseason ban after the 2025-26 school year 'depending upon the school's documentation of successful compliance of all CIF bylaws.'
The school also had problems with forfeits in other sports. The school has hired a new football coach in Doug Bledsoe, who has vowed to rebuild from the ground up.
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