Saturday, October 13, 2007

BHS soccer team to forfeit 5 wins

Ineligible player could jeopardize Eagle boys' playoff chances

T.S. Last News-Bulletin Sports Editor; tslast@news-bulletin.com

Belen The Belen High School boys soccer team will likely forfeit five wins this season after it was discovered that the Eagles had used an ineligible player for its first 13 games this season.

BHS school officials self-reported the violation to the New Mexico Activities Association after it was learned that the player had already graduated.

Jim Danner, athletic coordinator for Belen Schools, said Friday the NMAA has notified him verbally that five games have been declared forfeits by the NMAA, although he still awaits notification in writing. NMAA rules state any team that uses an ineligible player must forfeit the games in which that player participated.

Belen Schools Superintendent Patricia Rael contacted the News-Bulletin on Wednesday to announce that the Eagles were reporting the violation to the NMAA.

"Even though this is something that's disappointing, it sets a model for our kids that rules are important. We want them to understand that too. Our first responsibility is to our students."

Rael, who declined to name the player, said she believed the transgression was an innocent mistake.

"I don't think there was any malice or bad intention behind it. It's something that just came in under the radar," she said.

Rael said a red flag was raised when the school's data coordinator discovered through routine record updating procedures that the player had graduated last spring.

The superintendent explained that there are two ways in which a student can graduate - with a diploma or with a certificate. The student in question had graduated with a certificate, she said, but returned to school this fall to obtain a diploma.

When it was learned late last week that the player's eligibility was in question, the player did not play in the Eagles' 5-4 win over Grants on Friday, Oct. 5.

Jim Danner, athletic coordinator for Belen Schools, said Belen had an obligation to report what it discovered, even if it costs the team an opportunity to make the state playoffs.

"We have to police ourselves and play by the rules," he said. "We expect our coaches and players to play by the rules, so should we."

As a result, the Eagles, who are being led by first-year head coach Brian Weems, forfeited predistrict victories over Del Norte, Los Lunas and West Mesa and district wins over Del Norte and Moriarty. The Eagles record went from being 6-9 overall, 3-2 in District 5-4A play, to 1-14 overall, 1-4 in district.

Danner spoke with the team on Wednesday and sent the players home with a letter addressed to their parents notifying them the team would forfeit five games for violating NMAA rules regarding eligibility. He wrote that he was "unable to discuss the nature of the issues because of confidentiality rules."

The letter seems to exonerate Weems.

"This ruling is no reflection on coach Weems and his excellent effort to change the Belen program, or, the fine young men that have worked so diligently at making soccer at Belen a success," it read.

Weems said he had no idea the player was not eligible.

"I had no knowledge," he said. "I'm a new teacher, a new coach."

The coach said he felt sorry for the seniors, who may miss out on a chance to go to the state playoffs as a result of losing those five games.

"It's a new beginning for us. We'll see how much they really want it," he said. "We still have five more games, and I can promise you this, my boys are going to do everything in their power to win these last five games."

"We're going to use this as motivation," said Billy Santos, a senior. "We'll do what we can do. We'll play our best."

The news overshadowed a groundbreaking performance by the Eagles in Tuesday's match at Albuquerque Academy. The Eagles, dominated in the past by the Chargers, scored first on a goal by Jaime Hernandez in the 51st minute, assisted by Santos. The Chargers scored twice in the last 22 minutes to win the match 2-1.

The Eagles, who are down to 13 full-time varsity players, traveled to Moriarty on Friday after News-Bulletin press time.

Superintendent Rael also wanted the current players to know that they had her support.

"The kids are having a great season. There are a whole lot of young men on that team that are working hard. Don't give up," she said.

E-mail this story Printer-friendly version