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Inglewood played ineligible football players.
Inglewood High School head football coach Mil’Von James was not on the sidelines for the team’s most recent game against Long Beach Poly. His mysterious absence has raised questions about player eligibility.
It’s being reported that two ineligible players suited up for a late August matchup vs. Westlake in Texas. There have been no reports of a suspension.
Mil’Von James did not coach Inglewood on Friday against Long Beach Poly at SoFi Stadium. His absence comes as Inglewood looks into an ineligible player who allegedly played in a game in Texas.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) September 19, 2026
The school district and Southern Section declined to comment on the situation, creating speculation surrounding James’s future with the program.
Inglewood High School competed with ineligible football players.
According to a report from The LA Times, those players were listed by the Southern Section transfer portal as NOT cleared for competition before kickoff of the Sentinels’ contest with Westlake.
Their presence did not impact the final outcome. Inglewood fell 33-26 in its road trip to Texas. That means there will be no forfeitures linked to the matchup. Playoff implications and coaching staff changes, however, may be on the table.
According to the report, “the Southern Section cannot make personnel changes when a school violates rules, but it can prevent teams from playing in the playoffs if schools don’t self-report violations and decline to take action.”
The school can make a change at the helm if it sees fit based on the severity of potential eligibility infractions.
To this point, there has been little made public about the possible wrongdoing. The Times reports that “the two players are still eligible to play this season if cleared.”
One player was cleared last week. The other has not yet received eligible status. Neither is currently listed on the football roster provided by MaxPreps.
Mil’von James has a history with eligibility scandals.
He was fired by Hawkins in 2016 after the use of ineligible players. The high school football team, located in Los Angeles, was forced to forfeit every game from a championship season as a result and finished with an 0-13 overall record.
That situation sparked a City Section change known as the “Hawkins rule” calling for all team to exchange rosters before games to verify that players are eligible.
James was hired at Inglewood in 2019 after an 0-10 season. He proceeded to go 12-1 in his debut.
Since being hired, the Sentinels are 68-14. They are off to a 4-1 start in 2026.
The Times has not been informed if James’s absence will extend longer than one game. It has confirmed that players were ineligible at the time of competition. It will be interesting to see if there is any further fallout from the wrongdoing.