St. Ignatius’ boys basketball team will open West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL) play this week without its head coach.

Jason Greenfield will serve a two-game suspension and miss both the Jan. 4 game against Riordan and the Jan. 7 game at Valley Christian after he was suspended by assistant principal Jeff Glosser for the team’s participation in a June tournament in Arizona.

After a series of meetings with principal Michelle Levine, Glosser suspended Greenfield on Aug. 9, a decision stemming from the team’s participation in the Section 7 Event in Glendale, Arizona, from June 16-19. Incoming SI freshmen played in the event, which is held at State Farm Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

Section 7 is sanctioned by both the National Federation of High School Sports (NFHS) and the NCAA. It’s sponsored by the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) and run by the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association (ABCA). The event is open for Division I coaches to attend, and its website (opens in new tab) claims that 500 college coaches attend the tournament.

Greenfield won’t be the only notable absence from the league opener against Riordan. Last Thursday, Crusaders point guard King-Njhsanni Wilhite announced his departure from Riordan to go to Red Rock Academy, a Las Vegas prep program.

Greenfield will return to the sidelines on Jan. 10 when the Wildcats take on archrival Sacred Heart Cathedral (6-4) in the Bruce-Mahoney Game at USF’s War Memorial Gym.