THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 16, 1994 TAG: 9408160476
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
Lorenzo Thompson may not realize it, but he could be the spatula that turns the Virginia High School League head-over-heels.
Thompson, 19, wants to play football this season for Granby High. Although he is four months beyond the VHSL's age cutoff, he feels he should be allowed to play. He argues he repeated two grades in elementary school for academic reasons, not knowing it would one day affect his athletic eligibility.
Thompson's mother argues that by disallowing her son to play as a senior, the VHSL is robbing him of a chance to gain a college athletic scholarship, even though he currently is not qualified academically to receive an athletic scholarship to an NCAA Division I or II school.
But that's of less concern to this argument. What is of greater concern is that Lorenzo Thompson is an eligible student under Virginia state law, which allows individuals to attend public school at no cost from age 5 to 20.
Still, he isn't eligible under the rules of the VHSL, which state that an individual cannot turn 19 prior to Oct. 1 and be eligible to play this year.
Thompson's is a sympathetic cause. He's a soft-spoken and polite young man. It's easy to feel compassion.
Thompson hopes these factors weigh when he goes before the VHSL's board of appeals at 3 p.m. today in Charlottesville.
But there are 280 schools under the VHSL flag, and if each were queried, I suspect we could find at least 500 cases where an over-age football player wants to play one more year.
If the VHSL's board of appeals rules in favor of Thompson today, it might as well reserve a room in Charlottesville for the next month: A number of such cases could arise.
Where the VHSL made a huge mistake is in not making the age rule an absolute rule. The VHSL has granted waivers to others on the age rule. Quite often, the waivers were granted in non-contact activities.
This factor bothered Judge Richard G. Doumar when Thompson took his case to federal court in Norfolk last week. Doumar sent Thompson away momentarily with the understanding that Thompson would exhaust all avenues of appeal with the VHSL before asking the court to intervene.
But Doumar asked that Thompson and the VHSL return to court Aug. 29 if the parties had not reached an agreement - meaning if the VHSL did not grant Thompson a waiver.
Here is what was learned in federal court: The VHSL has no set factors by which it grants waivers. It's done on a case-by-case basis, often by different individuals. There is no continuity. Which is why Thompson took his case to federal court - he feels that he hasn't been given a fair shake, and that his civil rights have been impaired.
One of the VHSL's big mistakes is that it oversees scholastic activities as well as sports. The eligibility rules for debate and theater are the same as for football and wrestling.
Although it's a sad political commentary, if one school's debate team were to gain a 19-year-old, there wouldn't be a great cry of injustice from the masses. But high school football often is the banner around which a community rallies, and if one team gains a competitive advantage, the rest squawk.
I expect the one shining aspect of this is that the VHSL will be forced to reform its rules-making and enforcement processes.
The age rule was installed to maintain fair and competitive play. There are those who will maintain that Lorenzo Thompson, at 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds, does not pose an unusual threat to injure opponents.
But he's a decent enough football player to have been a Second Team All-Tidewater selection as a linebacker last year. His coach, Dave Hudak, calls him a smaller version of Buffalo Bills strong safety Matt Darby. Hudak added that he is in the process of lining up some junior college possibilities for Thompson, should he elect to continue playing football next year.
As for this year, if I were a 17-year-old senior who had progressed through the educational system at the proper pace and I was told I had to line up against a guy two years older than I, I'd be upset. I'd feel cheated.
Two years older. Two years wiser. Two years stronger. Two years more mature. It makes a difference. Ask yourself if you'd want to play against your older brother at that time in your life.
I think not. by CNB