The CIAC has ruled the Central boys basketball team will forfeit its season-opening victory over Staples for the use of an ineligible player, according to Bridgeport citywide athletic director Jim Denton.
Central, which self-reported the violation, falls to 10-1. Staples, the beneficiary of the forfeit, improves to 6-6. The game also counts toward the FCIAC regular season. Central, the top-ranked team in Connecticut, is now 9-1 in the FCIAC. Staples improves to 4-6.
According to a statement Denton read to the Connecticut Post, the unnamed player is a Bridgeport charter school student who resides in the Harding High School district. He played football for the Presidents this fall.
The student subsequently became a member of the Central boys basketball team in December and played off the bench in the closing minutes of Central’s 83-38 victory over Staples on December 16.
“As soon as the situation became apparent, the individual was released from the team and the violation reported to the CIAC,” Denton said. “Since the player participated in the first game of the season, the CIAC has ruled Central must forfeit the victory.”
There are several charter schools in the Bridgeport school system. According to district and state policy, if a charter school does not offer any sports, its students are allowed to participate at the high school of their home district.
Since the student lived in Harding’s district, he is required to play athletics at Harding. Denton said he found out about the violation after “an individual in the community” informed him about it after seeing the player’s name in the box score. However, Denton declined to say who told him.
Denton also said that no one from Central knew the player lived in Harding’s district, or that he played football for Harding. However, they did know he was a charter school student.
Denton declined further comment. Central hosts Danbury at 7 p.m. tonight.
–SEAN PATRICK BOWLEY & HENRY CHISHOLM
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SPB, Henry….I am very suprise what happen at Central. Central’s AD should have been on top of this from day one, when the student came to Central. Did the student not tell Central he played football for Harding in the fall???? In high school sports(anywhere) when a student(athletic) transfer from another school, the (AD) and school has to do there homework. You never take a chance on anybody. The risk is too high, and now Central has to forfeit a game. This student is from the same town, did he think people would not notice and not say something???? Did Central do a back ground check, to see where this student came from, and if he played a sport at his school???? What if this happen when Central was in the playoff’s or the States???? It would have been a big blow to all the players, who have worked so hard, to get where they are right now………
Comment by Donald C — January 29th, 2010 @ 8:40 pm
do you think central will lose their number 1 ranking cause of this
Comment by champ — January 30th, 2010 @ 9:07 am
Nah, they haven’t lost on the court yet so they should still be No.1. Also at the moment there is nothing that indicates that Central did this on purpose. So for any writers to punish them by voting for someone else, it would just be wrong.
Comment by Henry Chisholm — January 30th, 2010 @ 11:34 pm
SPB, Henry…….It was a cold evening and the fans came out to SHU to see what was suppose to be a good game. In the beginning, ND was hanging in there against Kolbe. It did not take long before Coach Chris Smith got his boys going. I thought that in the end, it would have been a closer score. Ronnie started it, and his team followed.
ND did not have much offense, and I was suprise. Casey W. one of there best 3 pt shooter’s, did not score a basket. Only Miles and Coleman scored for ND. It brought back memories, back in the day, when Walter went against Barry and Frankie. Dave Bike was in the house, where he played many years ago, in the same gym. It did look like ND panicked a bit, maybe because they are a young team. Coach Smith has his kids in great shape, and they are playing great basketball. Coach Smith is doing a great job at Kolbe, so far this year. They should be one of the top teams in the SWC’S playoffs, along with Stratford, Newtown, and don’t count out the young Lancers.
Comment by Donald C — January 31st, 2010 @ 12:16 am