60 replies to this topic

[BlueJay]

Purcell Marian's boys basketball team won the Division III district championship on March 10 with a 68-54 win over Versailles at the University of Dayton Arena.

Shortly before playing in the regional tournament at Kettering's Trent Arena March 18 against Shroder, the Cavaliers were informed that title had been removed.

Because an ineligible in-season transfer played less than two minutes in the Cavaliers' 81-41 tournament win against Blanchester on March 5, Purcell Marian's season is over according to Coach Scott Kerr.

Dwayne Wallace had transferred from DePaul Cristo Rey to Purcell Marian over the holiday break.. The player and parents did not inform Purcell Marian staff that he had played for DePaul Cristo Rey during this current season.
Kerr says Athletic Director Kenny Pope talked to the DePaul Cristo Rey principal and there was no mention of Wallace playing for them.

"We assumed as a transfer that he sits out his 11 games and becomes eligible," Kerr said. "That's normal transfer policy."

The 11 games were up after Purcell Marian's opening tournament win against Felicity-Franklin. The playing time that occurred at the end of the game against Blanchester were viewed as a reward for Wallace practicing with the team.

After tournament wins against Badin and Versailles, the OHSAA received an email pointing out the status of Wallace. He did not play in either contest.

"We're out!" Kerr confirmed Wednesday afternoon. "We didn't know about it. We thought he was a normal transfer. We put him in at the end of the game. I guess next time I just leave my starters in and we score more points."

The decision also strips Purcell Marian of their Division III district title. Early indications were there would be no recourse.

"You tell me how many times somebody's fought the OHSAA and won," Kerr said.

Kerr also had reservations about proceeding and winning and then having those games wiped away. Based on that, Shroder advances with a 2-0 victory to the regional final.
The coach is deeply disappointed as he feels Purcell Marian was operating with false information and acted in good faith. He is particularly upset about the whole team being punished.

As for having the Division III district title removed, Kerr says his Cavaliers are still champions.

"The State says we're not," he said. "I'm not saying that. I know what the scoreboard said at the end of the game and that kid didn't play a second. That team won a district championship. I was there. I watched it. That kid didn't play."

In basketball, a minute and 50 seconds is a long time. For Purcell Marian, it's eternity.

[BlueJay]

Versailles/Shroder play Thursday at 9 PM at Trent Arena

[Dman]

Hmmm...

[tigerball13]

just heard about this from my dad...this is crazy

[tigerball13]

kind of sucks that it's tomorrow though because I'm pretty sure our girls team is in the state semis and they play at 6. hate that the fans have to choose which one to go to

[BlueJay]

The Independent

SPORTS

Cincinnati Purcell Marian removed from boys basketball tournamentment

The Cincinnati Purcell Marian High School boys basketball team was removed from the Ohio High School Athletic Association postseason tournament on Wednesday for violating OHSAA Bylaw 4-7-3, a transfer regulation, OHSAA Commissioner Dr. Dan Ross announced. The last team that Purcell Marian defeated in the district tournament, Versailles, will take Purcell Marian’s place on the bracket and play Cincinnati Shroder in a Division III regional semifinal game on Thursday at 9 p.m. at Kettering Fairmont’s Trent Arena.

OHSAA Bylaw 4-7-3 states that once a student plays in a game, the student cannot transfer to another school within a 50 mile radius in the same season and be eligible in that sport. Purcell Marian — 18-8 after its district win — must forfeit all victories this season in which the ineligible student participated, including in the tournament, and will be replaced on the bracket by the last team it defeated, per OHSAA Bylaw 10-2-3. After the student transferred to Purcell Marian during the season, the school held the student out for half the regular season games and assumed that the student was then eligible to play.

The OHSAA was made aware of the violation on Tuesday. Dr. Jim Rigg, superintendent of Cincinnati Catholic Schools, agreed that the regulation and penalty are clear within the OHSAA bylaws and that Purcell Marian accepts the sanction.

“We deeply regret that this happened,” Rigg said in a statement released by the OHSAA. “Purcell Marian is an upstanding member of the OHSAA, and the basketball team was having a great season. We are working with the school administration to ensure that there is a clear understanding of OHSAA regulations, with the intent that this does not happen again. Our athletic programs promote individual development, self-discipline, and Catholic values, and it is important that we follow the OHSAA regulations in achieving this goal.”

Also in a statement released by OHSAA, Ross said, “This is a tough day for Purcell Marian, but our member schools expect us to uphold the bylaws that they have voted into place. This bylaw was voted into place so that kids couldn’t start the season at one school, and then transfer to another nearby school and play in the same season. If a family moves more than 50 miles away, they are obviously moving their residence for reasons such as a job transfer.”

[Maltese Falcon]

wow! Wondering if Versailles already turned in their uniforms, started planning a post season banquet, athletes getting ready for baseball/ track, etc. .......and now they are informed that they are back in. This is incredible and what a swing in emotions for the Tigers over the past several days.

To strip Purcell does seem a bit harsh, as we know many more egregious tactics are blatantly used and not investigated/ prosecuted, plus this seems to be somewhat of a technicality. but I guess rules are rules.

[Bengal WhoDey]

tigerball13, on 18 March 2015 - 02:55 PM, said:

kind of sucks that it's tomorrow though because I'm pretty sure our girls team is in the state semis and they play at 6. hate that the fans have to choose which one to go to

The girls team plays at 6 and the boys at 9. It might be rushed, but I think you can make both.

[roadtoC-town]

I totally disagree with this. We are talking about kids here. There are grey areas. They did not use the kid to win games. He was a bench warmer who got playing time when they were winning big or losing big. The basis of the rule is to stop player from transferring during the season and helping a team win games. This did not happen. These kids and especially the kid who transferred will be scared for life by an innocent mistake. Not a attempt to circumvent the rules but an honest mistake.

[Bobby]

Perhaps the OHSAA needs to provide every school with a checklist for transfers to determine eligibility.
Wonder what the team Purcell Marian defeated with the ineligible player thinks about them not being able to advance in the tourney? I don't believe the ineligible player played against Versailles or at all in the district tourney.

[Mr Bearcat]

He did play versus Versailles that's why they got disqualified. This may seem like a picky rule, but they have to draw the line somewhere. They can't just say if you are the best player this rule only applies to you.

[Bobby]

Mr Bearcat, on 18 March 2015 - 06:50 PM, said:

He did play versus Versailles that's why they got disqualified. This may seem like a picky rule, but they have to draw the line somewhere. They can't just say if you are the best player this rule only applies to you.

Per a Cincinnati Enquirer article he did not play vs. Versailles or the previous game vs. Hamilton Badin. He played less than two minutes at the end of a 40 point win vs. Blanchester. It sounded like his 11 games sitting out for transferring ended after their first tourney win. The next game was vs. Blanchester. Sounds like the kid played in one game less than two minutes all year.

Per another Cinn. Enq. article the teams were notified at 1:00pm today of the forfeit. The original regional semi was scheduled for 5:30 tonight. The coach of the other team in the semi's, Shroder, is very upset that the schedule has been altered to accommodate Versailles with no regards to his team or fans.

Check out the articles at the Cincinnati Enquirer online: http://www.cincinnati.com/

Edited by Bobby, 18 March 2015 - 07:23 PM.

[ADog]

knowing the circumstances now (playing only a few minutes of a blowout game at the end), it makes me curious just who. or what school emailed OHSAA alerting them of this...sounds like sour grapes or maybe a Super from Wayne County,,

[Rocketman]

them damn Catholics......

[Mr Bearcat]

I thought I had heard he played when they played Versailles. I might have heard/was told wrong. regardless of when he played, he was Not eligible to do so. It is really no different then a player playing with 6 fouls.

[HH75]

So Versailles gets one night of practice for a regional semi final after not doing anything for 4/5 days... uh that can't be real good.

[basketballstud]

Don't like Versailles gets a "Second chance". They lost. Shroder should just get a forfeited win from Purcell and move on. A few years ago Continental got second place in the Boys State tournament to Africentric. Africentric lost their state title because of paperwork not right making a player ineligible. Ohsaa never issued Continental a State championship. Just not RIGHT!!

Edited by basketballstud, 18 March 2015 - 09:18 PM.

[Bobby]

Here's a question... since the ineligible player did not participate in the Badin or Versailles games do those wins count in the record books for Purcell Marian and their coach?

[von]

Bobby, on 18 March 2015 - 08:46 PM, said:

Here's a question... since the ineligible player did not participate in the Badin or Versailles games do those wins count in the record books for Purcell Marian and their coach?

The coach screwed up, do not blame Ohio officials. Those are the rules.. Good luck V.....

[Common Sense]

Lance McCallister, host of WLW's sportstalk nightly show discussed this tonight during his show. Much like the girls varsity team banned from post season play a month ago for playing 23 regular season games, this is an unbelievable error by an administrator at Purcell Marian??? How in the heck do you allow a kid to set foot on in a varsity without knowing 1000% that he's legal?? Transfer rules are very, very specific. It's just unbelievable to me this was allowed to happen by Purcell Marian.