Prep Zone

By Joy in teaching

October 13, 2006 03:48 PM | Link to this

As terrible as it is, I think that having this fine team forfeit those games is a just ruling. An adult made the mistake. In most large schools, the athletic director is the one who is responsible for checking student eligibility and the principal signs off on it. (I’m not sure how it is at North Gwinnett, however.)

The kids on that team have absolutely nothing to be ashamed about. They have done exceedingly well this season and have that to remember in life.

The big thing, though, is that this is a lesson…a hard one…that students need to learn: When they screw up in life, they need to own up to it, no matter what the consequences are.

By david

October 13, 2006 04:10 PM | Link to this

Joy … well said. It’s just too bad one kid’s or administrator’s blunder should cost the whole team. That said, the entire team gets to celebrate winning, even the players that don’t even see the field.

By Ponce

October 13, 2006 04:38 PM | Link to this

I wonder how many times that kid has gotten beaten up so far…. poor kid. The Scott Norwood of high school.

By Dewey

October 13, 2006 11:13 PM | Link to this

Once again adults screw up youth sports. What impact did this player have upon Collins Hill? Not much. Lets make an entire team suffer over a lame rule. This is all Politics. If this was Brookwood, Parkview or Collins Hill this case would never be raised. Some parent needs to get a life. Worry about your kids education instead of a high school football team. Collins Hill should be ashamed!!!

By 01'Wildcat

October 13, 2006 11:50 PM | Link to this

As much as I feel for the kids of north gwinnett, rules are rules. Everyone knows the saying, “do the crime, do the time”. Yes, its terrible but the athletic director appears to have violated a rule and now the team must suffer.

By The Unknown Factor

October 14, 2006 10:46 AM | Link to this

My question. Why should a whole team be punished for an unclear law or rule. The rule in the GHSA white book is not clear. GHSA is really the one that should be at fault because they have failed to create a fair system concerning transfer of students to other schools. They should create a release form that new school and the old school have to sign before a student plays any sport on the high school level. In this matter it was the parents fault not the schools fault. Every needs to remember that GHSA had to approve the player before he played.

By Steve

October 14, 2006 11:24 AM | Link to this

When in the top spot, that position sometimes becomes a target for those who wish they had what it takes to be there. While other teams rest NG team works, and it shows on the field. Can’t beat them on the feild then lets try with a PEN. Ruels are guide lines that should be used by intelligent people to make intelligent decisions. To rule that any games be forfited would be wrong. To strip a season like this over a oversite is not setting the right example for our kids.

By Jimmy

October 14, 2006 12:04 PM | Link to this

I agree with the post that says “If you do the crime, do the time”. However, the students at North Gwinnett, the transfer student in question, and the football team did not commit the crime.

The administration and coaching staff at the high school did the crime, if the clerical error that occurred could be considered a crime. The innocent should not be punished for having a coaching staff that erred. And I can guarantee that the team would have the same number of wins had they not allowed this transfer student to play. This case has been blown out of proportion as a result of North Gwinnett’s number one rank in the state. Hopefully a just decision will be carried out on Tuesday.

By Joy in teaching

October 14, 2006 12:59 PM | Link to this

The rules concerning transfer students have been in the GHSA white book for several years now. Seems to me that if folks have issues with the rules, then they should have been addressed long before now, and not when it is being enforced.

Part of being a teacher, coach, parent, etc, is to teach kids by word and example. This is one of those teachable moments to the members of this fine team that could go either way.

By Ralph

October 14, 2006 04:51 PM | Link to this

“Joy in teaching” must be from Collins Hill. Not enough to suppport worthless rules of the GHSA “joy” wants her pound of flesh.

By wildcatonthewardog

October 14, 2006 07:14 PM | Link to this

I think that we are missing something here. School is for educating, athletics is secondary. If indeed no rule was broken it will come out in the wash, if a rule was broken, athletics is part of the school system, you can not separate the two. It does not matter who reported it, or why, the school system knew this and failed to act. As with any illegal participation in any event, if it occurred it will be dealt with, it just so happens that North Gwinnett is undefeated and could go undefeated for the season. If they were 0-7 now, we would not be having these discussions, let’s not get twisted. Some are letting an undefeated season cloud the issue, look from within your school system, if there is a problem fix it, don’t place blame on anyone else, when the blame lies at the foot of the school system. 90% of school athletes never make it to the next level, let’s at least teach them basics of gamemanship. As the old addage goes ” Right is right, wrong is wrong.” North Gwinnett fix your transfer paperwork. The little things always come back and bite in the behind.

By bobby

October 14, 2006 09:47 PM | Link to this

I understand the rules but punishing the kids who’ve worked so hard by taking away hard fought wins is just wrong. They didn’t have anything to do with the blunder by the AD. Punish the AD and fine the school but don’t punish the players. All you rules are rules folk need to remember that the next time you get a ticket for going 5 mph over the speed limit and not complain about the cops just upholding the rules. The infraction by NG is a minor paperwork error and shouldn’t ruin the season for these warriors. Come on GHSA and do the right thing.

By NorthGrad

October 15, 2006 10:13 AM | Link to this

It is wrong for anyone to have to pay for someone else’s “crime” as some put it. North’s players don’t get paid to handle the administrative duties so why should they suffer if someone else made a mistake. The players have worked hard to win these games for North on the field and have done nothing wrong.

Other schools want to knock North from their undefeated spot. They are against the players and will use any means to take them down. Another example was the player from PR that came on the field and hit North’s Ryan McDaniel Friday night.

The players don’t need to take away from this the fact that if you work hard and fight with your heart, you will get knocked down in life. The GHSA needs to send the message that if you want to beat North — put on a jersey and do it on the field, not with jealous tactics. I guess we will all find out soon if GHSA is for North’s players or against them also.

By KEN

October 16, 2006 06:54 AM | Link to this

This would not be an issue if North was

not having a winning season.Collins Hill

would not even have complained.I was at the

Collins Hill /North game.The other side

Booed loudly our team when they came on

the field.I have never in all the home

games seen North fans do this.If North

has to foreit Collins Hill will get a

home field platoff spot.They had alot

to gain from this.It’s too bad these

hard working kids have to suffer from

adults power plays and school admin not

following rules.

By Fan

October 16, 2006 10:26 AM | Link to this

This issue was brought to North’s attention from Collins Hill before the season started. It should have been taken care of by North at that time. If Collins Hill had not said anything and the GHSA found out they had knowledge of it, they would get violations of their own. North Gwinnett turned themselves in. It wasn’t Collins Hill. Those are the facts. And NO I’m not a Collins Hill fan.

By primetime

October 16, 2006 12:39 PM | Link to this

Don’t punish the kids. Fire the AD. Every player on that team should line up and hear an apology from this adult, and then he should do the right thing and resign. Maybe then North will get support for other sports than football.

By RP

October 16, 2006 05:57 PM | Link to this

Whats worse than the forfeited games is that many of these kids, who might launch their team deep into the playoff are going to lose scholarship opportunities at big schools. Its easy to say that “rules are rules” and “it will all come out in the wash,” until you see how much this is actually going to affect some of these players.

I know quite a few kids on that team that were looking to the post season to get recruited by a better pool of colleges, and from experience I know that the further you get into the post season, the more universities pay attention to you. Now it seems like this N. Gwinnett team may not even get that chance.

This is not just going to effect a season of Gwinnett football, but for some of these kids, their entire lives - over something as trivial as the timing of a 3rd stringers transfer. If you look at the last time a top school’s (No. 1 ranked) season was threatened like this, you have to go back to Valdosta in 1977. But then, they won their appeal and had their forfeit games reinstated.

There are a LOT more angles to this story than are being reported. The only reason for an appeals process and investigation panel is to allow the GHSA the opportunity to get to the truth and come to a fair and weighted judgement. A fair and weighted judgment would see NO games taken from North, based on intent and impact, however thats not what seems like is going to happen.

Its unfortunate. It really is.