AUDIO: Inside Bishop Montgomery parent-admin meeting; football season canceled

An audio clip from the meeting between Bishop Montgomery football parents and administration was leaked to High School On SI.

Bishop Montgomery High's 2025 varsity football season was canceled after a bevy of CIF violations were revealed. / BMHS

High School On SI has obtained an audio clip from inside the Bishop Montgomery football meeting between parents and administrators. The meeting took place on the school's campus on Tuesday, September 2, the same day the archdiocese and school decided to cancel the 2025 varsity football season due to a bevy of CIF rule violations.

• STORY: Football season canceled
• VIDEO: Inside Bishop Montgomery football meeting

An administrator tells the parents that the school had to do a self-investigation and self-report their findings or CIF's sanctions could've been worse.

"Because we decided to investigate ourselves, self-report and self-impose sanctions. We felt that was better. If the CIF had been allowed to do so, the sanctions would have been much worse," the administrator says. "We could have lost all sports for the year at Bishop Montgomery, all levels and all sports."

A passionate mother shared a heartfelt response to the administrator.

"Bishop dropped the ball," the mother says. "... We were left in the dark. We continued to ask questions. Nothing was ever answered. No one spoke to us. No one even spoke to our kids. We were noticing that there were issues prior to Hawaii, and nothing was being said."

The mother goes on to talk about her son who's been at the school since he was a freshman and is now a senior.

"It's all washed away," she said. "I love this school, but I hate the way you guys handled these boys."

Many of these players and parents are awaiting a decision from the CIF Southern Section office, which will give these families direction on what to do next. As of Friday, at 2 p.m., the CIF has yet to announced what options these student-athletes have.

The school says it plans to offer a junior varsity program, which makes things tricky because technically the sport is still provided. Only if a sport is not provided can a student-athlete transfer without moving or serving a sit-out period.

However, it's very possible the CIF gives exception in this particular case.

MORE TO THE STORY

The Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese canceled Bishop Montgomery High School's varsity football season for the 2025 campaign after what's been a disastrous start to the season, riddled with CIF rule violations, drama and headlines.

"School Administration took immediate steps to address the situation in the best interest of our students and school community. The self-report and steps taken by our school have been accepted by CIF-SS. Therefore, with deep regret we inform you that the varsity football program has been suspended for the 2025 season and all games are forfeited," the school's press release said.

Bishop Montgomery press release suspending 2025 football season. / Bishop Montgomery

Bishop Montgomery is a small private catholic school located in Torrance, Calif.

HOW IT STARTED

The freefall began August 20 before a game was ever played. Five football players were deemed ineligible by the CIF Southern Section office and hit with Bylaw 202 (falsifying info), which disqualifies the student-athletes from varsity competition at any CIF school for up to 24 months.

Sources have told High School On SI that Bishop Montgomery had 24 football transfers.

The influx of football transfers at Bishop Montgomery was so egregious that CIF Southern Section commissioner Mike West went to the school to meet with administration in early August.

“In the 27-plus years I’ve worked at the CIF Southern Section, I’d say it’s not standard operating policy for the commissioner to visit a school and its administration over transfers," assistant commissioner Thom Simmons said.

THE 'MONEY MAN'

Brett Steigh, known as the 'Money Man' of high school football scene in Southern California, said his piece Monday night on FATTAL FACTOR, a live show on Youtube hosted by sports reporter Tarek Fattal.

Steigh, a self-proclaimed gambler, Narbonne High graduate, booster and businessman admitted to paying families to play high school football at stops that included Narbonne High (in 2018-19, and again in 2024), St. Bernard, and most recently Bishop Montgomery.

When Steigh was asked what's the most he's given a family, he said:

"If the kid is nice and he's a pro about it ... like $50,000," said Steigh. "(On top of) rent — $50,000, yea. It might sound like a lot of money, right? But when you win $300,000 on a bet ... that's my money for the year to pay the guys."

THE ON-FIELD SCUFFLE IN HAWAII

As if that wasn't enough drama, Bishop Montgomery got into an on-field, sideline clearing scuffle in Hawaii when it went to play Saint Louis in Honolulu.

With under a minute to play in a 34-27 loss, Bishop Montgomery and Saint Louis players cleared its respective sidelines to meet at midfield in a light skirmish that involved players and coaches.

Because Bishop Montgomery cleared its sidelines, suspensions were handed down which resulted in the Knights having to forfeit its Week 1 game at No. 1 Mater Dei on August 29 due to a lack of players.

"Bishop Montgomery unfortunately does not have enough healthy and eligible players to safely field a team against Mater Dei at this time," school principal Michele Starke said in a statement.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported, "... tempers flared near the Saint Louis sideline. After some shoving, a Saint Louis player on the sideline ran three steps onto the field and backpedaled, triggering a penalty flag," the report reads.

"Then, a Saint Louis player yanked the helmet off a Bishop Montgomery player and both teams began to empty the benches into and ran to the hashmarks. Coaches on both sides berated each other at midfield."

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