Lodi Colts kicked out of football league over rules

One of the three Lodi youth football programs was informed Tuesday that its season has been suspended for the rest of 2019 for what team officials described as violating league rules and the code of conduct.

However, the Colts’ four levels of youth football teams — rookies, starters, junior varsity and varsity — and their cheerleading squads might be back in action before the month is over.

According to Erin Perez, president of the Colts, an emergency meeting was held among the 10 youth football and cheerleading programs that are part of the Central Valley Football Youth and Cheer on Monday in Manteca that lasted until midnight. The Colts were part of the league that also includes the Lodi Jr. Flames and Lodi Titans.

Kim Ruoff, president of the Lodi Boosters of Boys/Girls Sports, the organization that runs the Lodi Colts youth football program, said that a unanimous vote of 8-0 favored of removing the Colts from the league. The presidents from each program, with the except of the Colts and the Modesto Raiders, voted. An email was sent to Colts’ officials late Tuesday morning.

On Saturday at the Grape Bowl, the Colts’ four teams hosted the Modesto Raiders in a league game. Taylor Diede, who is the Colts’ varsity team mom, told the News-Sentinel that a team mom was assaulted by people from the Raiders’ side. Diede noted that a report was filed with the Lodi Police Department.

At Salas Park on early Tuesday evening, approximately 300 parents and supporters of the Colts youth football teams attended a meeting held underneath one of the park’s gazebos. Ruoff joined Perez and husband Pete Perez, who is the football coordinator, in addressing the crowd.

One of the many questions asked at the meeting is would families would receive their money back if the Colts’ season has officially come to an end. No answer was specifically given.

Erin Perez said she was recently suspended for “misinterpretation of a rule” violating a league rule of player eligibility. It stemmed from allowing a Bear Creek High freshman, who was on the school’s junior varsity football team, to play for the Colts’ varsity team. The player had played in three games after Bear Creek High folded its junior varsity team in September.

The Colts’ varsity squad also had to forfeit three games in which the Bear Creek freshman played. On the field, the Colts were 7-1 but are now 4-3.

“That was a hard pill to swallow,” Perez said.

Perez said that the league’s board had approved of the freshman to play on the Colts’ varsity team, Perez said. The player in question is 14 years old.

“There is no limit as to how many freshmen you can have,” Perez said. “If I was hiding or anything malicious behind it, I wouldn’t have called the chairman of the (league’s) board and asked him.”

For the season, the Colts’ junior varsity team has an 80 record. The rookies are 4-3 and the starters 1-7.

Perez said her and Pete were fine if the Central Valley Youth Football and Cheer removed them from their respective roles in the Colts’ program if that was brought to the table.

“The motion was originally to remove my husband and I removed, or just have the BOBS completely take over the Colts,” said Erin Perez, “and have us step back, which we were completely fine with.”

Erin Perez said that a representative from the North Central Youth FootballCheer, which the Colts were a part of last season, contacted her to allow their football and cheerleading squads to join the league if they wish.

Perez and Ruoff said that the BOBS plan to have an emergency meeting that could be held today to discuss if they should move forward playing in the new league for the reminder of the season.

“They said they wanted to help us out for the rest of the season,” Perez said.

Should BOBS take up the NCYFC offer, most likely, the Colts’ youth football teams would not play until Saturday, Oct. 26, Perez noted. The league started its season one week after the Colts did in late August.

“To see if we can get into their bye games, bye weeks,” Perez said. “They are one week behind us.”

Perez said that she was informed that league may honor each of the Colts’ records on the rookies, starters, junior varsity and varsity teams.