ED Hodgkiss has been fired as Bishop Montgomery’s head coach after his side forfeited their Week 1 game against Mater Dei.
After a hard-fought win over St. Thomas Aquinas, Mater Dei claimed its second victory of the year without taking to the field.
A high school coach has been fired just one week into the season[/caption]
After several players were suspended, the Knights’ roster was severely limited.
Heading into the season, many of Bishop Montgomery’s incoming transfers were ruled ineligible over the offseason by the CIF Southern Section.
They had over 20 transfers blocked for incorrect documents.
Then, last weekend, they headed to Honolulu to take on Saint Louis High, despite their depleted squad.
The Crusaders are the number one ranked team in Hawaii.
And it showed, with the Knights finding themselves 34-27 down.
But before the game could reach its conclusion, a bench-clearing confrontation erupted in the final seconds.
CIF Southern Section rules require an automatic one-game suspension for players who leave the sideline.
This led to the Knights being without enough players to field a team against Mater Dei the following week, and therefore, they had to forfeit the game.
The Los Angeles Times’ Eric Sondheimer posted on X that the school released an email statement announcing the firing of Hodgkiss.
It read, “Dear Bishop Montgomery High School Community.
“We write today to share that Mr. Ed Hodgkiss is no longer employed at Bishop Montgomery High School.
“We are grateful for his years of dedication and service to our students and community.
“We keep him and his family in our prayers, asking God to bless them in this next chapter.
“School and Archdiocesan policy require that personnel matters remain confidential.
“Should you have concerns, please contact the main office, and the school administration will respond as appropriate.
“Please be assured of our commitment to all our families through this transition, as we continue to determine next steps for fulfilling the roles that Mr. Hodgkiss served.
“Thank you for your understanding, your trust, and your continued partnership in the mission of Bishop Montgomery.”
This was Hodgekiss’ 16th season in charge of the Knights, having been appointed in 2010 as head coach.
He led the Knights to league titles in 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
On Saturday evening, they travel to the Leuzinger Olympians with hopes of turning their season around.
