Pahokee football team now forced to forfeit two district games after coach notices second violation

Tuesday, November 03, 2009
by Jason Lieser

The Pahokee football team, already forced to forfeit a district game because of an academically ineligible player, now likely will have to forfeit a second district game for using the same player, the Florida High School Athletic Association said Tuesday.

Pahokee initially was forced to forfeit its Sept. 25 win against Cardinal Newman, a decision first reported by the Palm Beach Post on Monday and announced early Tuesday afternoon by the FHSAA. But an association official said the school reported a second violation involving the same ineligible athlete and called it in to the FHSAA late Tuesday afternoon.

FHSAA Associate Executive Director Denarvise Thornton said Pahokee coach Blaze Thompson noticed the violation on film.

"He went through all of his tapes and found that the kid played in a second game," said Thornton, who did not disclose the opponent in Pahokee's second forfeit. Thompson has not responded to requests for comment this week.

The second district loss would put Pahokee in a more perilous position to make the playoffs.

The losses will drop Pahokee to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in District 7-2B. The Blue Devils can still clinch at least a spot in a potential three-way tiebreaker by beating Fort Lauderdale-University on Friday, but a loss would eliminate them from post-season contention. Pahokee has beaten University handily in recent games.

If the second forfeit turns out to be Pahokee's 31-20 win over Coconut Creek-North Broward Prep on Oct. 2 (one week after the Cardinal Newman game), the Blue Devils would not be able to win the district title even with a win Friday and a North Broward Prep loss.

Pahokee has won three straight district and state championships.

Prior to the forfeits, the Blue Devils were assured of no less than a spot in a potential three-way tie-breaker event and could have won the district outright this week.

Pahokee Athletic Director Tom Mejia said Monday the player, a junior, is no longer on the team and did not participate in any other games. In a letter to the FHSAA and Cardinal Newman Principal John Clarke, Pahokee Principal Ariel Alejo stated that the player only practiced the week leading up to the Cardinal Newman game and played in it, but did not participate in any form after Sept. 25.

The FHSAA's letter to the school Tuesday, however, indicated that the player participated in three games. Thornton said that that was a misprint and only one violation was known at the time the letter was composed.

Mejia declined comment later Tuesday when informed there would be a second forfeit.

Alejo has not responded to requests for comment this week. A Palm Beach County School District spokesperson said the district does not have a statement at this time.

The minimum penalty for using an academically ineligible athlete is $2,500 per player per contest, but the FHSAA lessened Pahokee's fine to $100 because the school self-reported the incident. Thornton said the second violation is considered self-reported as well.

The FHSAA also placed the school on administrative probation until Sept. 25, 2010. Executive Director Roger Dearing wrote in his letter to the school that this is the least severe form of probation he can enact.

"It's as fair as it can be," Mejia said of the first FHSAA ruling. "It was an honest mistake."

The athlete in question appeared to have a 2.1 grade point average prior to the Newman game, but school administrators later discovered the student benefited from an incorrect grade change in one course and should have had a 1.8 average, Mejia said Monday. Student-athletes must maintain at least a 2.0 average to be eligible.

Pahokee can appeal the decision to the FHSAA's Sectional Appeals Committee.