ELIGIBILITY DISPUTE HOLDS UP SEMINOLE

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 25, 1993                   TAG: 9302250059
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
ELIGIBILITY DISPUTE HOLDS UP SEMINOLE
Put the Seminole District basketball tournament on hold for another night - and maybe longer.
The start of the tournament was delayed again Wednesday so that an appeal could be heard this morning by the Virginia High School League involving the eligibility of Altavista's Sherman Pannell.
Pannell was ruled ineligible for allegedly accepting money for making dunks during Altavista games. Seminole District officials won't comment on the nature of the infraction except to say it violates a VHSL rule stating an athlete shall be ineligible for participation in all VHSL sports if he accepts pay, promise of pay or financial benefits for his participating in any VHSL-sponsored sport.
"From what I understand, someone brought a charge against a kid [Pannell] that he was being paid depending how many dunks he had in a game. The district council ruled it violated the awards rule," VHSL programs supervisor Larry Johnson said.
The case might not be solved today in time to play tonight's games. For instance, if the VHSL appeals committee sides with the Seminole District principals and rules Pannell ineligible, he still can go before the VHSL's Super Appeals Committee, which is the court of last resort as far as the ruling body of state athletics is concerned.
Should Pannell fail to win a reversal in the Super Appeals Committee, the case might go to a district court in Lynchburg. It apparently was headed that way Wednesday until the VHSL and Seminole District principals agreed to let it go before the appeals committee.
The principals' ruling strips Altavista of the regular-season title, giving it to Amherst County. Now that's up in the air, meaning the Colonels might yet win if today's appeal is upheld.
Tonight's scheduled matchups are Amherst County vs. Staunton River and Jefferson Forest vs. Altavista at Brookville. Scheduled games at Rustburg are Nelson County vs. Liberty and Brookville vs. Appomattox.
If Pannell wins his case, tonight's games will revert back to the original schedule. Altavista would play Staunton River, Amherst County would meet Liberty, Jefferson Forest would face Brookville and Nelson County would meet Appomattox at sites to be determined.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB