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Post by bucknasty on Aug 29, 2006 15:52:58 GMT -6
I think it's wrong to strip the state championship from Bastrop. Then rule the kids ineligible for this season, because of angry former coach.The story on espn.com.
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Post by emily on Aug 29, 2006 16:05:59 GMT -6
That is so sad for those kids. For all the kids, not just the ones that are not able to play this year, but also for the other kids on the team that worked so hard to win that championship.
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Post by Eddie Goodson on Aug 29, 2006 16:37:30 GMT -6
sports.espn.go.com/sports/news/story?id=2564897BASTROP, La. -- Bastrop High School will have to forfeit its football championship under a Louisiana High School Athletic Association ruling that it illegally recruited players and violated the residency transfer rule last year, the Morehouse Parish School Board president said. Board president Kris McKoin confirmed Monday night that the LHSAA had ruled against Bastrop High. All of the players involved were hurricane evacuee transfers from Port Sulphur High, and all will be ineligible this coming season, McKoin said. "Our community accepted not only these kids but hundreds of evacuees from all over the state that came from dire situations. These kids did not come from homes or schools, but shelters." The Class 4A state football championship last year was Bastrop High School's first since 1927. Coach Brad Bradshaw said earlier Monday that he had been told the school was receiving bad news from the LHSAA, but his only focus at this time was on his players and how the decision might affect them. He added that he expected the school to appeal the decision. "My kids are crushed right now," Bradshaw said. "They are crying. They are hurt that their hard work is being taken away from them. They know what we did last year. They know what we accomplished." Principal Tom Thrower said he wouldn't comment until he got the written ruling. LHSAA commissioner Tommy Henry said Monday that he had issued a preliminary ruling, which he expected to arrive Wednesday at Morehouse Parish and the school that filed the complaint. Both Bastrop and the complaining school will have 48 hours to file an appeal once they receive the ruling. Henry said he wouldn't comment on the investigation until after an appeal had been made or the appeal deadline had passed.
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Post by Eddie Goodson on Aug 29, 2006 16:49:50 GMT -6
bastrop.townnews.com/articles/2006/08/29/news/news1.txtLHSAA takes Rams' title By Marq Mitcham Declaring the football program guilty of recruiting violations, Louisiana High School Athletic Association Commissioner Tommy Henry levied severe penalties against Bastrop High School during a Monday afternoon conference call. Sanctions against the program include: - The forfeiture of all games during the 2005 football season. Bastrop must return the Class 4A state championship trophy as well as a replica of the championship trophy. - Quarterback Randall Mackey and running back Jamal Recasner have been declared ineligible to participate in athletics at any LHSAA member school. Recasner is a senior. Mackey, a junior, will be allowed to compete in athletics next school year, but not at Bastrop. - Defensive line coach D'Carlos Holmes will not be allowed to coach in football games. He may coach during practice and will be allowed to coach in games in sports other than football. Holmes and head coach Brad Bradshaw will be required to attend the next Coaches Education Certificate Program. - A $14,000 fine. - The school has been placed under administrative probation for one year. Bastrop High School Principal Tom Thrower said the commissioner ruled that the program was in violation of the rules because Holmes and former assistant coach Travis Stanley transported five former Port Sulphur players to Bastrop. Bradshaw informed the team of the commissioner's ruling prior to Monday's practice. "They took it pretty rough. There were a lot of tears," Bradshaw said. "The biggest concern I have right now is for Jamal and Randall and how the rest of the team reacts to the whole situation." In addition to Mackey and Recasner, Jeremy Sylve, Jody Ancar and James Brown joined the Rams after losing their homes in the storm. Thrower said that all five players actually contacted Holmes, who joined the Bastrop staff from Port Sulphur only a few days before Hurricane Katrina. "The kids text messaged coach Holmes," Thrower said. "What it boils down to is coach Holmes went and got the kids after they called pleading with him to come get them. I don't feel like he did anything wrong. He was trying to help the kids out." Thrower said he has filed an emergency appeal and that a hearing has been scheduled before the full executive committee on Wednesday, Sept. 6 in Baton Rouge. Henry's ruling came after a team of three investigators spent four days at Bastrop High last week. "In my opinion, they came with a predisposed attitude," Thrower said. Due to the administration's co-operation in the investigation, Henry's ruling does not affect the Rams' eligibility for post-season play this year. "Mr. Thrower, coach Bradshaw and Mr. (Richard) Hartley, the Superintendent of Schools, have been cooperative," Henry said. Thrower said the school has not received a written complaint nor would the LHSAA release who filed the complaint. That information, however, will be made available at the appeal. "Evidently there were 12 charges against us. They only found one (violation)," Thrower said. Thrower said the school was cleared on charges of changing grades for athletes and giving money to athletes. In addition, charges that the school provided school uniforms to athletes free of charge did not stick because the service was provided for all 47 evacuee students who attended BHS last year. Thrower said that the eligibility of athletes in other sports were also investigated, but no violations were found. According to Henry, 19 people connected with BHS during the 2005-06 school year were interviewed during the investigation. Bastrop went 14-0 last season, defeating Breaux Bridge 41-12 in the state championship game for its first state football title in 1927.
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Post by meritza1st on Aug 29, 2006 19:47:21 GMT -6
if those kids want to play football this year we will welcome them here becuase they are real discipline and great athletes.
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Post by heathwaldrop on Aug 29, 2006 22:52:28 GMT -6
If it really unfolded the way that the Daily Enterprise's story said that it did (and I would have liked to have seen explanatory comments from officials at the LSHAA), then Bastrop got a raw deal.
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Post by Outlaw85 on Aug 30, 2006 8:38:07 GMT -6
All I can say is holy crap Batman!!!!!!
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Post by stevesanders on Aug 30, 2006 9:49:36 GMT -6
Did you see the last paragraph of Marq Mitcham's story online?
"Bastrop opens the regular season at home Friday at 7 p.m. against Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe."
Oklahoma?
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Post by heathwaldrop on Aug 30, 2006 13:48:32 GMT -6
Didn't notice that but yikes, that's crazy...must be a coaching connection there somewhere and I'm betting that they're meeting on a neutral field. I've been to Edmond before; it's probably half an hour northeast of Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City is a solid eight and a half hours from Crossett and Bastrop is another half hour on top of that. Nine-hour drive and probably more like 10 hours plus on buses. That's insane. |
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Post by stevesanders on Aug 30, 2006 15:43:47 GMT -6
Updated on News Star site:
Bastrop High has received the Louisiana High School Athletic Association ruling stripping the Rams of the 2006 Class 4A football title — and it includes new allegations of wrongdoing beyond recruiting players.
LHSAA commissioner Tommy Henry alleges that Bastrop assistant coaches transported five Port Sulphur students to Morehouse Parish to play during 2005’s hurricane-torn season, but also encouraged them to file a false report about the events leading to their transfer.
Written, signed and notarized statements from Bastrop assistant D’Carlos Holmes, the five transfers and two of their mothers were taken when a preliminary investigation was opened last fall by the LHSAA.
"In their statements, they all claimed the students had been transported to Bastrop by someone other than Coach Holmes and (assistant Bastrop) Coach (Travis) Stanley," Henry writes in the ruling.
The LHSAA’s recent investigation, Henry writes, has shown that information to be untrue.
The ruling goes on to outline a series of penalties for illegal recruiting. Bastrop will be able to participate in the LHSAA postseason this year, but the two remaining Port Sulphur transfers at the school have been declared ineligible for the 2006 season.
The sanctions, first reported by The News-Star, were initially discussed during a conference call on Monday afternoon with Henry. His letter to Bastrop principal Tom Thrower was dated Monday and arrived late this morning.
Thrower has said the school will appeal the ruling.
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Post by heathwaldrop on Aug 30, 2006 16:27:46 GMT -6
I can't figure out why the transportation issue is that big of a deal...the kids didn't have homes and the coach who allegedly moved them had a pre-existing relationship. Under normal circumstances this would be a no-no, but Hurricane Katrina wasn't normal.
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Post by old lion on Aug 30, 2006 18:19:05 GMT -6
Sounds like some body is PO'd. Heard it was someone with OCS connections, but you will hear anything.
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Post by Outlaw85 on Aug 30, 2006 21:45:54 GMT -6
Here is the scoop guys. There was a Bastrop coach that came from Port Sulpher and he was fired for improper conduct with a female student. Since his firing another female student has come forward with the same allegations. It is believed by the parents and fans of Bastrop that this coach is the one that filed the complaint in retaliation for being fired. Once an appeal is filed it will be known who filed the complaint.
As for OCS filing a complaint, they had nothing to gain. They are a different classification. My sources tell me it was OPHS that filed a complaint last fall and Bastrop was cleared at that time.
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Post by heathwaldrop on Aug 31, 2006 0:07:44 GMT -6
So wait a minute, is this the same former Port Sulphur coach who is named in the investigation as being the one who transported the players? Or did Bastrop hire more than one?
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Post by old lion on Aug 31, 2006 6:38:23 GMT -6
Here is the scoop guys. There was a Bastrop coach that came from Port Sulpher and he was fired for improper conduct with a female student. Since his firing another female student has come forward with the same allegations. It is believed by the parents and fans of Bastrop that this coach is the one that filed the complaint in retaliation for being fired. Once an appeal is filed it will be known who filed the complaint. As for OCS filing a complaint, they had nothing to gain. They are a different classification. My sources tell me it was OPHS that filed a complaint last fall and Bastrop was cleared at that time. I had heard the same thing about the female conduct, I just wasn't getting too involved in something I don't keep up with too much. I'll try to keep up with South Arkansas where I know there is not any illegal recruiting going on, ain't that right Warren. |
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Post by Outlaw85 on Aug 31, 2006 6:39:56 GMT -6
So wait a minute, is this the same former Port Sulphur coach who is named in the investigation as being the one who transported the players? Or did Bastrop hire more than one? According to my source there were 2 coaches involved, Holmes and Stanley. Stanley is the one that has been fired. My source says he was from Port Sulpher but according to what I have read he wasn't. I'll check into that. We will know by Monday who the actual complaintant is. |
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Post by Outlaw85 on Sept 1, 2006 9:28:59 GMT -6
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Post by Eddie Goodson on Sept 1, 2006 9:37:00 GMT -6
This really should come as no surprise to anyone. Honestly, the only thing as corrupt as Louisiana politics is Louisiana Sports. Bastrop just got to sloppy. I tend to believe Stanley in this whole deal.
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Post by heathwaldrop on Sept 1, 2006 12:11:17 GMT -6
Stanley obviously has an axe to grind over the whole thing, but even if he's telling the truth I still see such a fine line between 'recruitment' and actually going out of your way to help storm victims.
I mean what if some kids were staying in a local shelter and school officials came down and encouraged them to enroll after finding out that they were good football players? Would that had been a violation? It's not much different.
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Post by Outlaw85 on Sept 1, 2006 12:47:07 GMT -6
Stanley is not credible as a witness. His character has been challenged. He was fired at Neville for striking a male student, fired at Bastrop for sexual harassment and is now at OPHS. Prior to all that he was brought up on domestic abuse charges.
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