By Aaron Coe
Herald Writer
MILL CREEK – The District I eligibility committee ruled Monday that the Jackson baseball team used an ineligible player and must forfeit all of its 14 victories for the 2002 season.
The Timberwolves will find out at today’s appeal at the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association offices in Renton whether their season is over or if they will play Cascade Wednesday in the first round of the district playoffs.
The controversy surrounds a player on the team who has always lived in the Jackson service area, but attended Snohomish the past two years. According to Jackson coach Kirk Nicholson, the player transferred to Jackson because of family and transportation issues.
Dave Johnson, who is the secretary of the District I eligibility committee said the committee could not find “enough of a hardship.”
Nicholson was flabbergasted.
“Are you kidding me?” Nicholson said. “Those people need to get out of their houses and see what a hardship is then.”
Johnson, who noted that the committee has ruled approximately 70 percent of players eligible in similar hearings, quoted the WIAA handbook:
“The circumstances must be totally different than those that exist for a majority or even a small minority of the students (e.g. usual maturation problems or family situations which do not cause severe and abnormal emotional problems, and academic or athletic deficiencies in a school’s curriculum or extracurricular activities do not constitute a hardship).”
Nicholson believes the Jackson baseball player’s reasons for transferring go beyond the norm. He said the team in no way attempted to hide from anyone that the player had transferred.
“The Snohomish coach (Kim Hammons) and I talked about his kid at our preseason meeting,” Nicholson said. “It wasn’t like I was trying to hide that the kid was with us or anything. It doesn’t make any sense to me. I’ve read the stuff from the WIAA about what is required to be eligible to play, and he fits every category.
“I am at a loss for the whole thing.”
Nicholson said the player is “by no means a superstar player.” He noted that the baseball program at Snohomish is also strong, and believes nothing was gained athletically for the student because of the transfer.
Because of the WIAA appeal today, all Northwest District games that were originally scheduled for today have been rescheduled for Wednesday. If the appeal is denied, Jackson, the Western Conference South Division champion, would not be allowed to participate in the postseason. Mountlake Terrace, Shorewood and Kamiak would each move up one seed higher, and Edmonds-Woodway would move into the fourth and final South Division playoff spot.
Nicholson said his players were devastated, but stand behind their teammate.
“The first thing they wanted to know when I called them is, “How is (the player) doing?” said Nicholson, who is not optimistic about today’s appeal. “I don’t care if I ever coach again. This kid should be allowed to play.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
