Chandler Hamilton this week reported its softball team used an ineligible player and has forfeited five games it won in the Dobson-Marcos Invitational in late February.
Hamilton athletic director Dick Baniszewski said the mother of the player indicated on the 520 transfer form she was relocating due to a job transfer from Florence to the Chandler area. When the school followed up on the domicile it found the mother had not relocated to Hamilton’s attendance zone. Hamilton reported the violation to the AIA and the softball program was placed on advisement.
The player was ruled ineligible and the sanction was the Huskies forfeited their first five games — all wins vs. Mesa, Higley, Horizon, Marcos de Niza and Ironwood Ridge. Those forfeits will not affect Hamilton’s place in the power rankings since all games were tournament games and thus non-power point games. Hamilton played Ironwood Ridge in the tournament final so technically Ironwood Ridge was the tournament champion.
What? Hamilton cheating? Gee, what a shocker. Not. That school is classless in any sport it plays.
So the parent fills out a 520 form… the school follows up and discovers that the PARENT has not relocated into the school boundries…… Hamilton reports it to the AIA (as they should)….how is that cheating?Maybe they should have put them up tin the apartment rentals people seem to think Hamilton has with all the extra $$ laying around.
They did the right thing!!! The AIA dropped the ball on this one. Hamilton contacted them before the Tournament to get verification and they were told that everyone on the team was eligible. It was after the fact that the AIA came back to say that one player was not eligible even after the AIA faxed approval back to the school. Two weeks later with out the player who was found to be in eligible. Hamilton swept a second tournament!!! Way to go girls!!! This is a team that plays with class, heart and sportsman’s ship!!!