Crest Disqualified...

Hey AC fans. I like the class that *** displayed when he told Coach Clary to suck his d*** about midway through the first qtr of that game. And I was standing there to hear it. Don't get on here act like your perfect.

He SC fans explain to me why another Coach in the NW4A called Coach Kirby to warn him about the players walking by a black kid an using the word n*****.


Don't get on a holier that thou trip. The facts are that if Crest wasn't winning nobody would care. But I have been to enough games across the state of North and South Carolina to know that anything that goes on at Crest goes on anywhere else. Nobody is perfect.

 

From what I understand the Crest player was eligble by state standards, but once you meet state, it goes back to any other local standards that the school system has put in place. This is were Crest missed it. The player had met the state standards. There was even a check list that they went over to make sure, but the local part was missed. It was picked up on during a winter sports evaluation, as soon as it was seen, Crest reported it, and here we are.

I feel for all the teams. Crest, Grimsley, past teams they have played. It has had a ripple effect, but that will happen when something like this takes place.

This will be addressed at Crest and the crack that this child feel through will be closed.

Folks, if you could have seen these kids at Crest yesterday. As an adult, I couldn't wrap my mind around it. Imagine being a 15 or 16 year old kid and trying to make sense of it.

Good luck to all of the teams still playing. Bring home that championship trophy.

 

for what it's worth - the one time Ragsdale played Crest I don't remember anything more than an intense, hard hitting football game.

No jawing, no taunting or rough stuff - just clean hard nosed football.

 

I can only imagine the pain to be hit with that announcement over the intercom system. The story below I'm sure does it no justice.


Shelby brings home win, Crest never gets to leave
Hays Burchfield, Shelby Star Staff Writer

SHELBY — Students and parents stood outside Crest High Friday afternoon ready for a big send-off celebration for Friday’s regional championship football game.

Then, all students were called inside the school.

Little did they know that minutes earlier Crest High’s football coach had gathered his players and told them that one of them had been academically ineligible to play, and the team wasn’t going to Greensboro to play Grimsley High in the 4A western regional championship.

Crest High Principal Roger Harris announced over the intercom the school had to forfeit Friday’s game. Students started to sob and curse, while others stared off in silence.

Crest High senior Jalisa Bickham and junior Adreana Anderson were standing in the hallway during the announcement.

“People ripped down the ribbons, were popping the balloons and tearing down the posters on the walls,” Jalisa said. “I called my mom, dad and sister and told them. They were shocked and sad. We were all planning on going tonight.”

Adreana also planned on going to the game in Greensboro.

“The students went crazy,” Adreana said. “This is really serious to everybody. A lot of the teachers stopped their lessons for the day.”

Senior Jessica Walker plays bass drum in the band. She was ready to play music outside around the charter buses when they were called back into the band hall, and the charter buses drove off from the campus without students aboard.

“Everyone was mainly shocked and ticked off,” Jessica said. “We were all looking forward to going tonight. No one knows who the ineligible student is.”

Boiling Springs resident Cleo Blanton was sitting in his pickup truck in Crest’s parking lot Friday afternoon getting ready to go home instead of Greensboro. He said his grandson, senior Brandon Boyce, is on the football team and plays tight end.

“I found out minutes ago when my grandson called me,” Blanton said. “This is his senior year and it’s really a heartbreaker for him.”

District not identifying student

Cleveland County Schools spokeswoman Donna Carpenter would not identify the football player who was found to be ineligible to play.

She said a Crest High employee was checking each student’s eligibility for winter sports and discovered Friday that a current football player was academically ineligible for winter sports and had been ineligible this football season because he had failed a class.

“Ineligibility was determined today and we notified the North Carolina High School Athletic Association,” Mrs. Carpenter said. “It means Crest is ineligible for all games this year and any money earned during post-season play has to be turned over. When Mr. Harris made his announcement, he said honesty and integrity are more important than winning ball games.”

A release on NCHSAA’s Web site said Crest High had reported the use of an ineligible player to its office Friday morning.

Grimsley High advances to next Saturday’s state championship game. The fine for use of an ineligible player is $500, and it will be cut in half because of Crest High’s self-reporting of the violation.

“This is a most unfortunate matter and we are deeply sorry about Crest’s inadvertent use of an ineligible player,” said NCHSAA Executive Director Charlie Adams on the release. “But we certainly commend Crest for the professional manner in which it has dealt with this difficult situation.”

Honesty hurts

Junior LaToya Ross agreed that it was important for the school to be honest and come forward and say that it had broken the rules, but the situation still hurt.

“Tears just started falling off my face,” LaToya said. “I have a cousin and a friend on the football team. They’re disappointed. We’re disappointed. We were going to win tonight.”

Junior Travis Ellis was going to start in Friday’s game as an offensive lineman. He was sitting along the school sidewalk Friday afternoon listening to music on his portable CD player, trying not to think about what had happened in the past hour.

“I knew something bad was going to happen when the coach called us back in, but I didn’t know it was ever going to be like that,” Travis said. “When he told us, guys started crying. I was mad, but I really feel for the seniors on the team.”

Grimsley loses money

Grimsley High Principal Rob Gasparello expressed sympathy Friday afternoon to Crest High. He said they were expecting about 7,000 people to attend Friday night’s game.

He said about $9,000 would be lost in concession sales and his school’s portion of the ticket sales. Gasparello said his thoughts were on how his heart was breaking for Crest High and its students and not on how much money his school would lose by not playing the football game.

“I’ve been trying to call the principal there and tell them what good sportsmanship they have for turning themselves in, but I haven’t been able to get through,” Gasparello said. “We would’ve much rather determined it on the field, but you take the hand you’re dealt.”

Cleveland County Schools Superintendent Dr. Gene Moore could not be reached for comment for this article.

 

oddly, when our two were Crest athletes, they had to show their report cards personally to the coaching staff before the day ended. Cards were passed out over 3 weeks ago.......??

 

correct me if im wrong but doesnt all fall sports academic qualifications go back to the final semester of the previous year?

 

not sure VI but from what i understand, he failed a class the first 9-week grading period of this year. that to me would make him disqualified immediately.

 

that must be a local rule. its sad none the less for all involved, especially the kids. see ya, i got choir practice to go to.

 

just in......its local according to my daughter.

You Sing??

 

Hate to see that happen. I just don't understand why they just found out the he failed. The coaches must not be concerned about grades during school year.