Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 3, 1993 TAG: 9304030010
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
PLAYER'S TRANSFER TO MENCHVILLE APPEARS ABOVE BOARD
After Cave Spring's girls lost 64-54 to Menchville in the Group AAA state basketball semifinals two weeks ago, Knights fans were wondering if the Monarchs had used an ineligible player in the victory.The source of concern was an article published by a Newport News newspaper the day before the tournament with details of how sophomore Danielle Dawson played for Petersburg one Friday in January and by the next Tuesday was playing for Menchville.
Dawson, one of the state's outstanding sophomores, scored 15 points and had five steals against Cave Spring. The article, which gave few details of the move, said Dawson arrived unannounced and enrolled for the second semester at Menchville.
Indications are that the move, under Virginia High School League transfer rules is legal.
"It's a suspect situation, and I acknowledged that from the word go," said Dr. James Kilpatrick, Menchville's principal. "There was nothing I could do because [her father] Mr. [Albert] Dawson presented all the credentials [for a transfer] required. I very carefully review eligibility rules before we permit a player to walk on the court."
Efforts over two weeks to talk to Albert Dawson failed, but here is the story:
It began when Petersburg officials found out in January about the unexpected loss of Danielle Dawson.
"All I know is that one day her father withdrew her from school," said Petersburg athletic director Jack Mullins. "I had no information she was going to transfer."
Veteran Petersburg coach Ben Dyer was just as stunned.
"When I came to school Monday, some of the players said, `Did you hear about Danielle? She's moving,' " said Dyer. "Later Mr. Dawson came in to withdraw Danielle, saying he needed to find a job and had found one on the peninsula [in the Newport News area]."
Dyer offered to try and find a job for Dawson, who has a teaching certificate, with the Petersburg system. The player's father indicated he would call back that afternoon, but he didn't. Dyer hasn't spoken with him since.
At Newport News, Dawson joined the school system as a substitute teacher and began to look for a school for his daughter. Indications are that he was thinking of a move the previous summer when he asked his daughter's AAU coach, Mike Tallon of Phoebus, for a recommendation on schools. When Albert Dawson took a job in Newport News, he moved in with Menchville assistant coach Blue Williams, another AAU contact.
Tallon said he had told Dawson that the best program with young talent was at Menchville. Albert Dawson, despite his daughter playing in AAU for Tallon, never considered sending Danielle to Phoebus because the Phantoms had seven seniors, including national player of the year La'Keshia Frett, who led the Phantoms to the 1992 Group AAA state title.
"There was a knock on my gym door one day and Mr. Dawson asked if he could watch practice. He said he was thinking of making a family move," Menchville coach Gary Forbes said of his first meeting with any of the Dawsons.
Dawson played for Menchville the rest of the season before Phoebus requested an investigation into her eligibility right before the tournaments. A Peninsula District committee ruled the transfer fell within the guidelines of VHSL rules.
Phoebus assistant principal Harry Bennett said his school had some questions "and felt the committee needed to rule."
"They reached the decision, we have to live with it," Bennett added.
Under VHSL guidelines, for someone to make a corresponding move and be eligible for sports, the person must live in a locality with the intent to make it a permanent home. While they lived with a Menchville assistant, the Dawsons presented a rent check dated Jan. 19 (before Danielle Dawson changed schools), Kilpatrick said.
"We can't identify where one must live. All the district committee must look at are the factors under the transfer rule," said VHSL programs supervisor Claudia Dodson. "In a corresponding move, the parents may move first and the student may join them later."
Other VHSL requirements for establishing a change in permanent residence are an automobile registration and voter registration and reporting of a mailing address as well as changing appropriate agencies, such as the post office, utility companies, creditors and employers.
Dawson presented enough necessary documents, though Tallon heard that some were dated March 1 - two days before the district committee met and more than a few weeks after the transfer.
VHSL executive director Earl Gillespie, who was apprised of the district ruling on Danielle Dawson's eligibility, said no other district or regional school can appeal.
"Cave Spring can't appeal. It's past the [week after the violation was discovered] deadline. As far as I can see, it's a dead issue," Gillespie said.
Cave Spring principal Martha Cobble said her coaches continued to express a concern over the incident so she talked to Gillespie last week.
"Our interest in pursuing this was not sour grapes," said Cobble. "It was just in pursuing the follow up of transfer rules and making sure everyone follows through just the same as earlier this year when we reported one of our [boys'] players was ineligible for a game."
At Petersburg, Dyer is mystified by what took place.
"We [he and Albert Dawson] didn't have a falling out," he said. "We all have differences. I don't know if that's why he transfered Danielle, but he never expressed any anger.
"Only he and the Lord could answer that. Certainly his daughter played all the time and averaged over 20 points [for Petersburg]. So I wouldn't think he had too much room for argument."
Kilpatrick, talking about Phoebus' late protest, adds, "I think it's unfortunate that we can't trust in our fellow man. When we arrive at that point that we don't trust our fellow professionals to do the right thing, then it's perhaps time to look elsewhere and do other things."