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E. Lincoln wages legal battle for playoff spot North Gaston eligibility faces court challenge Staff and wire reports Nov. 16 - DENVER — Hold everything! East Lincoln’s not out of the playoffs yet. East Lincoln and the Lincoln County School Board convinced the N.C. High School Athletic Association to take a stand in the North Gaston ineligible player case. So Thursday, the association’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to appeal a Gaston district judge’s ruling that restored six forfeited wins to North Gaston. The appeal forces the postponement of Friday’s 3-A West regional playoff games for a week. “We just felt it would be too problematic for teams to prepare for one opponent, then maybe go back to play the original one,” said Rick Strunk, NCHSAA associate executive director. “We just felt it was best to delay (the playoff games) affected by the court case.” East Lincoln had qualified for the state 3-A playoffs when North Gaston had reported an ineligible player and had forfeited the games in which he participated. However, a North Gaston parent sued. and the court ruling essentially eliminated East Lincoln from the playoffs and restored North Gaston. East Lincoln’s specific request to the NCHSAA Board was to appeal the earlier court decision. “I am very pleased with the decision the Board has made in this matter and to join with East Lincoln to pursue this matter further,” said Charlie Adams, executive director of the NCHSAA. “North Gaston clearly used an ineligible player, and that is not in dispute. Based on over 50 years of this Association holding to the tenet that a school which uses an ineligible player must forfeit games, the Board felt it must stand on those principles.” East Lincoln coaches and players are pleased with the decision. “Obviously, my guys are at least excited,” said Mustangs coach Jim Ruark.. “I certainly think the decision of the NCHSAA gives our case a boost. I’m proud to see the State rescind on their previous stand and stick up for our rules and regulations. This was an excellent decision by the board.” The school’s athletic director and assistant head football coacj Jim Prevost said it was absolute jubilation when the team heard the decision.” Afterward, the Mustangs held practice to keep in shape for the playoffs, if things go their way. Things all started Tuesday when Gaston County District Court Judge John Greenlee ruled on Tuesday that the NCHSAA acted without hearing all the facts in the case. Greenlee also cited an NCHSAA code that says a school does not have to forfeit games if a player’s grades were falsified without the school’s knowledge. The judge ruled that North Gaston was not negligent because a coach had checked the grades before the season and found them to be satisfactory. Greenlee’s ruling forced the NCHSAA to reseed the 3-A West field, inserting North Gaston as the No. 6 seed and forcing 10 of the region’s 16 teams to face different opponents. It also forced Big South Conference rival East Lincoln — seeded No. 14 in the original draw — out of the playoffs. At that point the NCHSAA decided not to appeal Greenlee’s decision. After the decison, East Lincoln principal Dr. Vicky Ratchford was advised to bring it to the school board. Lincoln County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim Watson brought it up to the school board for a quorum four attended including one by phone conference. The school board voted unanimously to go for an appeal. School board attorney David Black worked to get things ready for the early meeting with the NCHSAA board. The NCHSAA board held a two-hour conference call Thursday morning at the request of East Lincoln, which had qualified for the playoffs after the NCHSAA stripped North Gaston of six wins. After the meeting the board decided to appeal. Que Tucker Associate Executive Director recommended that the playoff be postponed to get the legal matter through. Attorneys for the NCHSAA and the Lincoln County Board of Education filed the 54-page appeal late Thursday afternoon. A hearing is scheduled for Friday morning. Lincoln County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim Watson said he was pleased with the NCHSAA’s decision. “It’s an issue of the right thing and it sends a message to society that rules are meant to be enforced,” Watson said. Lincoln Schools board chairwoman Jean Dellinger agreed. “I’m very excited and very appreciative of a board which supports what is right,” she said Thursday. NCHSAA officials said an investigation by Gaston County schools showed the player’s grades had been changed and initialed before they were put into the county’s computer system. North Gaston officials say they don’t know how the grades were falsified. “The only thing I can say at this point is that we’re at the mercy of the courts,” North Gaston principal Gary Short said. “Whatever the court’s ruling is, we’ll have to abide by it, he said. “It’s unfair for all the kids involved that this sort of thing happened. I regret it. Contrary to what some people believe, it was not the result of any wrongdoing by the staff here.”
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