Yesterday morning, boys soccer was officially disqualified from advancing to CIF-Southern Section finals on Saturday after a program rule violation. The last time Calabasas High School soccer advanced to CIF finals was in 1994, when the team finished in a tie with Moorpark. With just a day’s notice, the disqualification came as a surprise to the team, which had an extraordinary season and was considered a strong contender for a CIF title.

“Someone reported to us that we may have used an ineligible player during the playoffs,” said Christopher Martinez, the assistant athletic director. “As soon as we found out, we did an investigation with that player, found out it was true, so we reported ourselves to CIF with that information, and they decided we were disqualified from tomorrow’s competition.”

In an email sent by Principal Wutkee to CHS soccer families, the reason for the ruling was a program violation of CIF Bylaw 600 – Outside Competition. Under this rule, athletes on high school teams are ineligible if they participate in competition with an outside team on the same sport during their high school season.

“The player’s club program provided misinformation to the player regarding the ramifications of participation in club activity, which was in contrast to what is outlined in the aforementioned CIF policy,” Wutkee said in the email. 

The season marked a historic run for boys soccer under new head coach Dror Zilpa, who took over the program in October 2025. After opening the playoffs with a 4-1 win over North Torrance, followed by a 1-0 victory against Claremont, a 3-1 quarterfinal win, and then a 1-0 win against Channel Islands during semifinals, the team built momentum throughout the postseason and advanced to the finals. 

However, with Calabasas no longer eligible to compete and Channel Islands not given the opportunity to advance, Los Alamitos will be recognized as the CIF champion for the 2026 soccer season. 

The situation quickly drew attention beyond the local community, with coverage appearing in outlets like the Los Angeles Times, LA Daily News, and Yahoo Sports. Similar eligibility incidents have also been reported by other schools before championship matches, according to media reports. 

“We shared the news with the boys with a heavy heart, as they have truly had a remarkable season and have achieved an extraordinary amount of success as a team,” continued Wutkee in the email. “This CIF ruling should not take away from all the accomplishments the boys have had on and off the field this season, and we remain incredibly proud of each and every player’s contribution to the program.”

After learning of the disqualification, a statement was shared to Instagram on behalf of the boys varsity soccer team, and has since been taken down. It confirmed that the player, Adam Hayun, was unaware of his contract’s expiration. 

“The player had previously been granted permission to compete in high school soccer and was unaware that his contract had expired prior to his participation in the semifinal match against Channel Islands,” said the statement. 

“We understand that compliance with CIF regulations is essential,” the statement went on to say. “However, it has been communicated to us that CIF Southern Section was prepared to issue a warning and allow the team to compete in the final and subsequent matches. Despite this opportunity, the decision was made by school administration to forfeit the remaining matches.”

The team’s assertion that CIF was set to administer a warning is inaccurate, according to Martinez. 

“It’s already been communicated by the CIF Assistant Commissioner Tom Simmons that the CIF would not have allowed them to continue, as suggested in their team statement,” said Marrtinez.

The statement ended by requesting clearer communication in future matters, claiming that the coaching staff was not included in the decision to self-report the violation. 

“We respectfully request transparency regarding this decision and hope that in the future, student-athletes and coaches will be included in discussions that directly affect their seasons and accomplishments,” the statement concluded. 

Many team members’ main concerns centered on Calabasas choosing to self-report the ineligibility without discussing it with the team, which learned of the decision alongside the coach a day before the match. As one of the team captains, Hayun reported feeling blindsided by the decision.  

“I was honestly more confused than anything. From everything I had been told, I understood that I was in compliance with the rules, so the decision felt sudden and unexpected. What hurt most wasn’t even about me, it was knowing how much this impacted my teammates after everything we had worked for all season,” said Hayun. 

He added that the timing of the decision made the situation particularly difficult for players preparing for the championship match.

“I understand that CIF guidelines exist for a reason, and I respect the need for structure. What was most difficult was being informed only one day before the final. At that point, there was no opportunity to address the issue or respond in a meaningful way,” said Hayun. “Clearer communication and earlier confirmation of eligibility could prevent something like this from happening again.”

Team Captain Hadar Moskowitz echoed similar concerns, emphasizing the broader impact the ruling had on soccer players hoping to continue their athletic careers beyond high school.

“Many guys on this team are still uncommitted and hoping to play college soccer, and playing in a state final could have helped them get exposure. On top of that, reaching a final is a once in a lifetime experience for many high school athletes. Our team worked extremely hard all season to earn that opportunity. For it to be taken away because the athletic department failed to communicate properly is incredibly frustrating and disappointing for everyone involved,” said Moskowitz.

According to Martinez, the decision was made to avoid more serious consequences.

“If we didn’t self-report, the punishment would probably have been more severe. It’s not a case of us communicating inaccurately. We looked through the rule book to see if there was any way around it. There was none,” said Martinez.

This story was updated from an earlier version to include Martinez’s responses to the statements from the soccer team and Moskowitz.