Transfer rules cause confusion

One of the high-profile programs in Orange County likely will take the field tonight without the promising quarterback it practiced with all summer.

The transfer saga of Chase Favreau remains unresolved. Welcome to Orange County's 2010 high school football season. It's the year of the transfer ... at least so far.

Orange County had nearly a dozen high-profile transfer cases during the offseason. Veteran county coaches say they can't recall so much movement involving All-CIF players, players from football factories and players on the rise.

"It's crazy," said Canyon football coach Brent McKee, whose squad features three lesser-known transfers, including two from Servite.

Sheer numbers, however, only illustrate part of a saga that has lit up Internet sites such as OCVarsity.com with outrage from fans and comments calling Thursday's Servite-Oceanside game the "Tostitos Transfer-recruit bowl."

Much of the conversation is about which transfers were approved by the CIF-Southern Section and which ones were denied and why.

The Southern Section is the main governing body of interscholastic athletics from Central California to San Clemente. It has no rules enforcement division, but the office of 14 employees oversees some 576 schools which are supposed to be policing themselves.

When it comes to transfers, the section generally plays an active role with three situations. The section becomes involved when presented with credible evidence of a suspicious residential transfer, hardship cases and the relatively new rule that allows a one-time transfer without penalty before the start of the sophomore year.

The case of Favreau is the hottest transfer story and rages on as the Chargers head to their season-opener at Artesia tonight.

Favreau, a backup at Mater Dei, surfaced at Edison in the spring.

The rising junior participated and progressed during summer passing competitions with Edison, but last week he was declared ineligible by the Southern Section. His move was deemed "athletically motivated."

Favreau was found in violation of state CIF rule 206 that prohibits a change of residence for athletic reasons. The philosophy of the rule is that education has a higher priority for students than athletics.

For Southern California's longtime high school observers, the term "athletically motivated" must have sounded like a new rule or catchphrase.

In the past couple years, new statewide transfer rules have been passed and the term "athletically motivated" is now found throughout the bylaws.

Another wrinkle is the rule of "prima facie evidence" or a "sufficient" amount of evidence. That standard in state rule 510 puts the pressure on the transfer to present proof that the move was not "athletically motivated."

Without the proof, the penalty is a one-year ban from competition.

"Let's not kid ourselves," Cox3 football announcer Bill Cunerty said. "Well, of course (transfers are athletically motivated). I guess maybe they ought to look for somebody who transfers because the school has the best woodshop program in Orange County."

The section's ruling on Favreau infuriated Edison coach Dave White.

"It's totally ridiculous," he said.

"We've got some angry people at Edison."

This week, the Southern Section and Edison discussed the Favreau case. Evidence is still to be collected before the issue is revisited.

White also expressed concern about how some transfers in the county have been approved while some have not.

Two All-CIF linebackers transferred to Mission Viejo and have been cleared to play. Trabuco Hills' Griffin Balmer had his hardship appeal approved, while Michael Schmall of St. Margaret's made a change-of-residence transfer.

Mater Dei senior Todd Hunt, an impressive-looking athlete from Connecticut, had his hardship appeal denied.

Los Alamitos features three players from Long Beach Poly that could start tonight against Norwalk at Veterans Stadium.

Meanwhile, former Irvine running back DaVonte Young had his move to Tustin nixed because it was ruled athletically motivated and because of the rising sophomore's pending disciplinary issues at Irvine. He is now at St. John Bosco, where he is hoping to be cleared.

La Habra running back Drake Griffin, a transfer from St. Paul, originally had his change-of-residence transfer denied, but it was later approved.

The Southern Section cautions that it can't treat each situation the same way.

"Every case is different," said Thom Simmons, the section's director of communications. "Every single case that comes into this office is unique."