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A high school soccer team in the state of California has been removed from playoffs after booking a ticket to the championship game.
It was uncovered that they’d been using an ineligible player. News of the wrongdoing leaked days before the title contest.
The team involved was South East, a school located in South Gate, CA. The Jaguars earned the No. 2 seed in the CIF LA City Section Open Division Boys’ Soccer Tournament field after posting a 19-1-5 regular season record.
The team beat Venice 3-0 in the opening round of postseason action. It then advanced to the finals with a 1-0 victory over Maquez.
Unfortunately, the Jaguars will not be given a title shot.
South East High School barred from California soccer playoffs.
The Jaguars won their most recent game in dramatic fashion, with the go-ahead goal coming with just 12 minutes left to play.
The 1-0 victory appeared to set South East up for a championship matchup vs. El Camino Real. That is no longer the case.
It was discovered that an ineligible player has been on the roster. The uncovering led to the Jaguars’ removal from the playoffs.
The issue revolves around competition in outside leagues. That could potentially mean playing for a club team in addition to the high school squad during the season.
The rule book explicitly states that it is illegal.
2708. OUTSIDE COMPETITION BY AN INDIVIDUAL
During Individual’s Season of Sport ‐ A member of a high school soccer team may not, during his or her season of sport, compete for an outside team in the sport of soccer. A season of sport (see Bylaw 504) is defined as that period which begins with a student’s first interscholastic competition (non‐league, tournament, or league game) and ends with that student’s last interscholastic contest (tournament, non‐ or CIF Southern Section playoff).
It is a reoccurring problem.
According to Eric Sondheimer of the LA Times, South East is not the only school to be punished for the infraction. Franklin High in Los Angeles has been disqualified from the CIF LA City Section Division III Boys’ Soccer Tournament for the same reason.
He suggested that a third school is also at risk.
Turmoil in City Section boys soccer playoffs. South East is out of the Open Division. Ineligible player. El Camino Real will now face Marquez in final on Saturday. Franklin is out of quarterfinals. Ineligible player. Playing in outside leagues. Another team also in trouble.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) February 23, 2026
It’s a bit of an epidemic in the California high school soccer scene, much like illegal transfer activity marred the state’s football season.
Despite winning its semifinal matchup, South East will be home for the championship round. Marquez will instead play for the title against top seeded El Camino Real on Saturday.