Breaking News: West Covina transfer Justin Hornsby’s request denied by CIF

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Justin Hornsby, who transferred from Rancho Verde to West Covina, while moving into the South Hills area of the Covina Unified School District, was denied a hardship transfer request by CIF-Southern Section officials late Wednesday. Hornsby, a junior defensive end, figured to be one of the better defensive players in the area. West Covina coach coach Mike Maggiore said the family is deciding whether to appeal the decision.

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  • Dan

    What a shame, this was a good academic transfer, the family moved into the area and picked WC because of the forensic program and higher test scores WC has, they picked what they thought was the better academic option for their son, he didn’t come here for the football, South Hills has 4 or 5 CIF titles in this decade, he wasn’t picking WC because their football tradition was bigger than South Hills. CIF is blowing this call and the sad part is that another talented kid loses a year of football.

  • Not Sure

    Dan,

    If he wasn’t coming there for football this shouldn’t be a big deal. He’s in the forensic program that he wanted to be in and that was important to him and his family.

    Everyone should be happy and this decision should be no big deal because football would have just been an added bonus.

    Right?

  • Bulldogs have bite

    The real losers in this story…..

    The unfortunate JV opponents in the Hacienda League. Hornsby is a man amongst boys on the JV level and is taking it out on opposing offenses like a man possesed. They will need forensics to identify some of the Quarterbacks he has left in his wake!

  • Dan

    Too Not sure,
    Great point, your absolutley 100% right, I can’t argue, he is above a 4.0 student, has a bright future, and is in an outstanding forensic program at West Covina, and THAT is what is important… But I tell u what! As a fan it breaks my heart cause I sure would have liked to have seen Him and Justin Meaders on the same defensive line, they would have torn that SE. division too pieces, lol.
    Bulldogs have bite,
    Thats funny and true, he’ll be mopping the floor with those poor JV players from other teams.

  • Hey Dan

    Hey Dan, did you feel the same way for the Canada’s three years ago ..it’s not a big deal until you see one of your own suffering on the sidelines…How about Kane, you feel for him at South Hills?

  • AMAT 73

    Dan,
    In the story above it lists the transfer as a hardship transfer. You say it was an academic transfer . The story sort of makes you lean towards it being a athleticly motivated transfer issue . Which was the case , hardship or academic ? As far as the tradition spin about SH and CIF titles , you have to admit at this point in time most would lean towards WC rather than SH if you are looking for a top football program in your area.

  • Joe Amat

    73,

    CIF-SS denied his transfer in August and granted limited eligibility in football. They filed a Hardship Appeal, which was also denied a couple days ago.

  • GetReady

    We all know how the game is played…if WC had a class in Basket Weaving he would’ve taken it, that’s how they put the check mark in front of “academically motivated.” No one says nothing about the kid who is playing the position now before Hornsby came to WC, what about his hard work and dedication? What’s this say about the coaches LOYALTY to the players that have been in the program for 3-4 years? We dishonor the game WE ALL LOVE for the sake winning…Victory is sweeter when LOYALTY is preserved.

  • Dan

    Too “Hey Dan”,
    Actually I did feel disappointed about the Canada transfer, I felt bad for the kid for loosing his senior year, I was looking forward to seeing how his skills played out at the Southeast level, however Canada was a different situation, the moms own words on these blogs suggested that the transfer was athletically motivated, CIF took notice which is why his transfer was denied. I also feel for the two Amat transfers, but those are entirly differen’t situations, you had a discipline issue with one and a disagreement with the coach in the other, not the same animal. In Hornsby’s
    situation, the family moved in from out of area and chose what they thought was his best option for his future, if WC was mediocre in football he still would have been in WC’s forensic program, thats the difference.
    Amat 73,
    From the looks of it, it was at first a normal T transfer, my guess is the family may not have known about there being a problem being they moved from outside the area, my guess is when they were turned down they filed hardship because either that is the proper procedure you take when turned down for a T transfer and your trying to get into a program your district doesn’t have or maybe they thought it was the proper procedure.
    As for your point on tradition spin, South Hills has had one bad year this whole decade. They have 4 CIF titles in that timespan and are better known outside of this area than West Covina, with West Covina winning 3 out of the last 4, hopefully that will start changing, but for now most people from outside the area probably have heard more of S.Hills.
    Winning a title certainly makes WC that much more attractive, but with or without a cif title I still think this kid would have chose to be in WC’s forensic program, we will find out in the next couple of months won’t we.

  • AMAT 73

    Thank you both Joe and Dan. Dan don’t sell WC short on being a top program in the SGV .I did say at this point in time and as the blog will tell you and other areas , what have you done lately, and on that point WC is tops over SH .

  • This was for athletics all the way….

    “What a shame, this was a good academic transfer, the family moved into the area and picked WC because of the forensic program and higher test scores WC has, they picked what they thought was the better academic option for their son, he didn’t come here for the football, South Hills has 4 or 5 CIF titles in this decade, he wasn’t picking WC because their football tradition was bigger than South Hills. CIF is blowing this call and the sad part is that another talented kid loses a year of football.”

    Yeahhhh……right. Like West Covina Has a higher API than So. Hills…..and let’s see, who won a CIF championship last year??? I’m calling BS on this post.

  • Desert Rat

    Look the system in which the decide transfers is a joke.

    While there is no doubt a lot of manipulation for sports purposes, but when is enough of CIF’s crap enough?

    It seems that CIF is getting a little out of hand. What irks me is, if a kid skirts the system and uses the “valid change of address” excuse, he/she more times than not gains immediate eligibility. However, if a kid was moving schools for legitimate reasons, yet he/she is met with a heavy hand.

    So in essence you lie and you get a free pass but you tell the truth or transfer for non-sports reasons and you’re penalized. I just don’t comprehend the logic and the message CIF is trying to send.

  • Not sure…

    If the kid wanted to go to WC to play football, his parents should have rented an apartment in West Covina for a few months to establish residency within their boundaries and enrolled in WCHS.

    After CIF approved the transfer using that address, his parents could have bought the house in the South Hills area and moved.

    Knowing how to play the game is sometimes just as important as playing in the game. If you do it right, you minimize your chances of getting blindsided.

    Just my 2 cents…

  • @Not Sure

    I would take your two cents over the West Covina’s staffs two cents we see what that got this kid.

    This transfer was a mess from the start. Why did the family file for a T approval(address change). That is an automatic deny.

    This is suppose to be about the kids, and I got one rule change on transfers. Getting the transfer preapproved. This family should have been able to go to CIF and explain the situation. CIf denys or approvals it before they make the move. Even better yet the family files before they transfer and gets a preapproved list of schools that he can transfer to. If they have special needs (hardship) that is part of the preapproved process. Let the parents decide before hand if it is worth their child sitting out a year. Why do these parents have to roll the dice, when making a move.

  • EnoughAlready

    GetReady

    I am so tired of all you little underachieving, parent biotches, who always bring up the “what about the kid who was replaced…” line!

    Get fu@king over it! If the kid being replaced was better than the incoming kid, he wouldn’t be getting replaced. Get it? A starting varsity spot isn’t some sort of birthright, just because you lived in the school’s “zone” all your life. And don’t expect any loyalty from the head coach either. He knows damn well your little Johnny sucks, and he’ll replace him in a heartbeat, given the opportunity. Why? Because, his present job, and future resume depends on it.

  • Since you brought it up,

    Hornsby’s D End spot was open, last years DEnd was moved this year to D Tackle, this year an offensive lineman share’s the spot that Hornsby would of had with other linemen.

  • Since you brought it up,

    Hornsby’s D End spot was open, last years DEnd was moved this year to D Tackle, this year an offensive lineman share’s the spot that Hornsby would of had with other linemen.

  • Since you brought it up,

    Hornsby’s D End spot was open, last years DEnd was moved this year to D Tackle, this year an offensive lineman share’s the spot that Hornsby would of had with other linemen.

  • Frank

    We need to get back to the old rules of kids going to school in the school district they live in. Stop allowing kids to go to schools in other districts regardless of sports. This should also even out the strengths of more schools. If a kid wants to go to a school outside of their area, they should go to private school, or get a fake adress.

  • Dan

    That West Covina loss to Loyola isn’t looking as bad now, especially considering the injuries they had. St. John Bosco, who loss to Loyola [28 to 14] is up 35 to 0 in the third qtr. over La Habra. Looks like the Highlanders ain’t so high and mighty above the SGV after all.

  • Dan

    41 to 0 St.John Bosco, running clock.

  • Only An Observer

    Final SJB 41- La Habra 6

  • Only An Observer

    Final SJB 41- La Habra 6

  • Now that’s funny

    So let me get this straight the same parents want loyalty because there kids have been in the program. Where the loyalty when your call for a coach to be fired.
    The best kids play period if your not teaching your kids that your setting up to fail in life.