Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 24, 1993 TAG: 9309240199
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Oak Hill Academy, a candidate for the No. 1 ranking in the country, will be without three probable starters when it meets George Washington-Danville and Virginia High in boys' basketball this season.
Ken Tilley, programs supervisor for the Virginia High School League, said Oak Hill coach Steve Smith volunteered to withhold Curtis Staples, Alex Sanders and Mark Blount from the Warriors' games with Virginia High School League schools.
Tilley said the three players violated VHSL rules when they accepted a $100 gift certificate from Nike at the Career Developmental Weekend and Fab 40 Shootout in Beaverton, Ore.
"We have an amateur and awards rule, which specifies that an athlete not accept merchandise of value other than intrinsic value," Tilley said. "That means nothing other than medals, trophies, charms, cups and items like that."
Tilley said Smith raised the possibility of returning the money, as players in other states have done in order to regain their eligibility.
"That was not discussed with our executive committee," Tilley said. "We have a provision for reinstatement, but an ineligible player may be reinstated after not less than one year has elapsed."
Oak Hill, a private boarding school in Mouth of Wilson, does not belong to the VHSL but has agreed to abide by VHSL rules when playing VHSL members. The Warriors' only VHSL opponents are G.W.-Danville and Virginia High in the first round of the Bristol Tipoff Tournament.
Smith could not be reached for comment late Thursday. Sanders and Blount played for Oak Hill last year, while Staples, from Roanoke, is in his first year at the school after transferring from St. John's in Frederick, Md.
In related developments, the commissioner of the California Scholastic Federation has decided not to punish eight players from that state who participated in the shootout. California rules prohibit athletes from participating in all-star tournaments from Sept. 1 until the end of basketball season.
"This was clear violation and the punishment is that the players be barred from all [in-state] competition," Thomas Byrnes said. "But there is an appeal rule which gives me latitude to set aside punishment, and I used it in this case.
"Our rules are to protect the students and not punish them. Our investigation proved that it was the adults who were in the wrong here. And we have no power to punish Nike, so I didn't want to make the kids pay the price."
The Associated Press also contributed information for this story.
by CNB