Former state wrestling champion Isaiah Locsin is appealing a decision that would deny him a chance to compete his senior year.
Locsin, who won a California Interscholastic Federation title his sophomore year and took second last year as a junior while wrestling for Live Oak High School, transferred to Gilroy for his senior season.
Locsin had applied for a wavier to compete his senior year and submitted to a mandatory sit-out period for transferring for non-hardship-related reasons.
Locsin was denied the wavier and will now appear before a CIF panel on Wednesday to get that overturned. According to Gilroy High wrestling coach Greg Varela, among the documentation provided to Locsin is a recommendation for denial from Live Oak based on advice from former assistant coach Armando Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, on the other hand, was confused as to why his name was mentioned, denying any involvement in Locsin’s transfer case.
“I love that young man, I’ve been his coach his whole life,” Gonzalez, now an assistant at Christopher High said. “I want nothing more than to watch him compete and wrestle. For them to even say that I had anything to do with him (not wrestling) is just very hurtful to me.”
Calls to Live Oak for comment were not returned.
If Locsin wins his appeal, he will have a chance to avenge his loss in the state finals from last year. If it’s denied, he will be unable to wrestle for a school until he starts attending Stanford in the Fall.
This is only avenue of appeal within CIF.
“I’m prepared for the worst. I think he’s prepared for the worst, but I think his heart is definitely looking toward a positive outcome,” Varela said. “Since he was a little kid this was all he’s dreamed of. …It’s just sad because I know how bad he wants it. I know how hard he’s worked his whole life to have fun his senior year and his senior year is almost over. That alone has been really hard for me, as an adult, to look at a kid suffer through this.”
Although Central Coast Section Commissioner Nancy Blaser said she cannot comment on specific student cases, she said students who transfer for athletic reasons are not eligible for a wavier from having to sit out for an entire year.
She said her office handles around 1,500 transfer requests per year and most of those are approved unless her office happens to suspect there might be athletic reasons for wanting the transfer.
In Locsin’s case, he applied for the transfer following a very public dismissal of former Live Oak wrestling coach Robert Fernandez. Blaser’s office became involved with the dismissal because the high school self-reported potential CIF violations that led to Fernandez being removed as coach.
According to a source at Live Oak High School with knowledge of the situation, Locsin gave notice of the transfer in June after being elected Senior Class President.
Although Locsin began the process in June, Blaser said sometimes cases take longer if more research is required. She also said fall is usually when most applications are filed.
“Normally, it takes no more than 20 business days to give a decision. I try to turn them around quickly as I can,” Blaser said. “Sometimes it takes longer if I need more information.”
Athletes have 15 days to appeal the section’s decision to CIF.
Blaser said any appeals of section decisions go before the CIF in either a single administrator format or – which she said was more common – a three-panelist format.
Blaser called the hearing similar to an administrative hearing at schools.
The hearing will take place at the CCS office.
She said parents of the athlete go before the panel and can bring witnesses, although CIF rules state appellants have a limited amount of time for the hearing. Blaser said the two schools involved may appear at the hearing, but that isn’t mandatory.
Blaser said the panel has up to 15 business days to hand down its decision.
She said last year six appeals were heard and there have been three so far this year. Of those, CIF has overturned four CCS decisions — three last year and one so far this year.
“If it is a positive outcome, if it is great, we’re going to make the most of it and salvage the rest of his season and go into the state meet full charge and ready to go,” Varela said. “We’ll enjoy it, but we’ve got to get there first.”
