BRANDON MAGPANTAY/ Special to The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
Coachella Valley's Aaron Ramirez (23) finds a clear path to advance against Don Lugo during the CIF-SS Division 12 playoffs in Chino, California, on November 10, 2023.
The Don Lugo Conquistadors high school football team should have had a chance to keep their 2026 season alive. Instead, a controversial call with no valid explanation saw the Chino, California program end its season in heartbreaking fashion.
The Conquistadors were trailing Lakeside, 25-23, late in the fourth quarter of a CIF Southern Section Division 12 playoff game when they appeared to come up with a fumble recovery.
However, one of the officials threw a flag on the play and ejected Don Lugo defensive lineman Mark Batrez, who made the hit that caused the fumble and ultimately recovered it.
After the game, the officials gave an unsatisfactory explanation to Don Lugo head coach Pete Smolin, who is now looking for answers.
I have been coaching high school and college for over 30 years, and have never publicly complained about officiating, and I’m not gonna start now, just looking for a clarification. Last night was a rough one and here is a prime, example:
Coaches and officials—looking for honest opinions and clarification of the rules on this play.
Don Lugo was down two with almost two minutes left and a timeout remaining. The offense was in its regular two-back I formation.
#75 shot the gap, sacked the quarterback, stripped the ball and recovered it. From my sideline view, it was a clean strip sack—the QB’s knee wasn’t down, and there was no whistle before the tackle.
#75 was flagged and ejected from the game. We were told afterward that the offense was taking a knee. Some players may have been notified, but #75 was says he was unaware.
What do you see? What rule would make this a foul, and what would warrant an ejection?
Please keep it respectful—just seeking an accurate explanation.
— Pete Smolin (@petesmolin) November 7, 2026
California High School Football Program Fell Victim To Nonexistent Rule
According to Smolin, there were just under two minutes remaining in the game, and Don Lugo still had one timeout. The Lakeside offense lined up in the I-formation, and on the snap, Batrez shot the gap, tackling the quarterback and forcing and recovering a fumble.
The quarterback’s knee was not down at the time, and there was no whistle prior to the hit, according to Smolin and the video above.
However, officials flagged and ejected Batrez. Smolin was told after the game that the offense was taking a knee. However, Batrez says he was unaware of this fact.
And even if Lakeside was taking a knee, the quarterback appeared to still be up at the time of the contact and fumble.
“What do you see? What rule would make this a foul, and what would warrant an ejection?” Smolin asked on social media.
Smolin also noted that Lakeside did not shake hands after the game due to the play.
However, NFHS rules contain no “victory formation” provision that makes the ball dead or contact illegal based solely on intent to knee.
Nobody has been able to provide Smolin with a rule that shows otherwise. So it appears Don Lugo may well have been robbed of a chance at victory.