CIF Bans Sheldon High School Basketball From Postseason Play
ELK GROVE (CBS13) — Recruiting violations have benched several students at Sheldon High School and banned the team from playoff contention.
The California Interscholastic Federation says the program influenced students to transfer to the team by allowing non-students to practice in the school's gyms, and in some cases, parents of Sheldon High basketball players bought meals or gifts for non-Sheldon student athletes.
Daniel Brooks' son is one of five student athletes the CIF ruled ineligible for the rest of the season.
"With Coach Rawlings, he's a great guy." he said. "Before my son came to this school, I didn't even know him, yet he's being accused of recruiting all these kids."
In addition to the ineligibilities, the powerhouse program also received a a postseason ban.
Mark Tennis edits Cal-Hi Sports, which tracks sports at 1,200 high schools in California. He says the sanctions against the team are unusual, and only are handed out once or twice a year in the state.
"The thing that makes it different is they were in the state finals just two years ago," he said.
