MANGILAO, Guam – Defense continues to serve as the backbone of Guam High football. But Saturday’s 20-0 win over Father Duenas Memorial didn’t result in the Panthers’ fourth shutout victory of the season.

A clerical error forced defending champion Guam High to forfeit its first two games this season, league officials said. Senior running back-kicker D.J. Cruz’s name was not on the team’s roster turned in to the Interscholastic Football League at the start of the season.

“It’s a league rule,” Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association of Guam commissioner Martin Boudreau, who oversees the IFL, said by telephone.

Another player’s name was put on Guam High’s roster twice by mistake instead of Cruz; the second player was not identified.

Thus, Guam High had to forfeit its 42-0 win over John F. Kennedy on Aug. 20 and its 27-0 shutout of Simon Sanchez a week later. John F. Kennedy moved into a first-place tie at 4-0 with George Washington and Simon Sanchez improves to 3-2. Guam High is now 2-3.

“Rules are rules,” Guam High coach Jacob Dowdell said. “Adversity builds character and that’s how we’re going to take it.”

On the field, Logan Demick recorded 14 tackles as the Panthers, who can probably finish no better than fourth in the regular season, doiminated the Friars. Theatris Eaton and Brandon “Wolf” Saville each had 10 tackles and Nygee Smith added eight.

Shawn Sweet ran 15 yards for a touchdown, Tegan Brown added a 3-yard run on a counter and Matt Eaton caught a 40-yard option pass from Cruz to account for the Panthers’ scoring.

Cruz had 50 yards on six carries. Sweet ran five times for 41 yards and was 4-for-5 passing for 54 yards. Matt Eaton caught two passes for 54 yards and Damian Demick had 25 yards on six carries for Guam High.

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