California high school football team forced to vacate wins over star players eligibility

A California high school football powerhouse has been hit with a stunning setback after two star players were ruled ineligible, forcing the team to forfeit four victories and turning its once-promising season upside down.Garces Memorial High School in Bakersfield was stripped of four of its five wins after the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Central Section reversed its previous decision to grant eligibility to brothers Carter and Bryce Hanson, who transferred from rival Liberty High School during the offseason, according to KGET.The bombshell ruling has left the high school team the Rams with a dismal 1–5 record, despite the team winning five straight games on the field.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story At the center of the controversy is junior running back Carter Hanson, a highly touted college football prospect who has attracted offers from more than a dozen NCAA Division I programs — including UCLA, Arizona, Oregon and Texas Tech.Hanson, considered one of California’s top 20 running backs in the Class of 2028 by 247Sports, rushed for 400 yards and five touchdowns in five games for Garces this season.His older brother Bryce, a senior defensive back who has verbally committed to Southern Utah, recorded eight tackles and two interceptions during the same stretch.But their impressive performances have now been overshadowed by an eligibility nightmare.The CIF initially cleared both brothers to compete on Aug.17, granting them full eligibility based on what was classified as a “valid change of residency” following their transfers from Liberty.That approval was abruptly reversed Monday morning, when the Central Section changed both players’ eligibility status from “valid change of residency” to “denied” for the remainder of the foo...