Murrieta Valley enters playoffs at 4-6

Murrieta Valley will enter the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs with a 4-6 record after its Oct. 29 win over Norco was forfeited because of an ineligible player.

The Nighthawks beat the Cougars 55-38 on the field, but the victory was wiped from the books, according to IE Varsity's final regular-season rankings published Monday, Nov. 2. Staff writer Eric-Paul Johnson's rankings list Murrieta Valley at No. 6 in the Inland area with a record of 4-6, noting "one loss by forfeit."

As we reported Nov. 1, the Nighthawks appeared to have clinched a playoff spot with the on-field win. The forfeit changes the official record but not the postseason destination. MaxPreps still lists Murrieta Valley in the Division 3 bracket with a home playoff game against Crespi at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6.

Neither Murrieta Valley head coach George Wilson nor the school has made a public statement about the forfeit or the identity of the ineligible player. Before the forfeit was announced, Wilson told the Press Enterprise after the Norco game, "Our guys are getting better every week, and we've used the whole season to get where we are."

The on-field performance against Norco was dominant. Quarterback Ty Isaia completed 10 of 20 passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns, according to the Press Enterprise's Oct. 30 game story. Receiver Kayden Borden caught six passes for 156 yards, including an 84-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the third quarter and an 83-yard kickoff return for a score. Running back Tahj Stephens rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.

None of those stats will count in the official record.

Vista Murrieta's streak ends

Across town, Vista Murrieta's football season is over. The Broncos finished 2-8 and went winless in Big West Conference-North Division play at 0-5, according to MaxPreps.

That means Vista Murrieta did not qualify for the CIF playoffs for the first time in 22 seasons, according to IE Varsity's rankings. The last time the Broncos missed the postseason was the 2004-05 season, when they went 4-6 under head coach Coley Candaele, per MaxPreps records.

The 2026 MaxPreps page does not list a head coach for Vista Murrieta.