THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 17, 1994 TAG: 9408170528
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
It's back to federal court for Lorenzo Thompson.
The 19-year-old Granby High senior went to Charlottesville on Tuesday to plead his case to the Virginia High School League's board of appeals. But the five-member board, the VHSL's highest level of appeals, denied his request for an age-rule waiver.
Thompson, who repeated two grades in elementary school, wants to play despite being four months beyond the VHSL's age cutoff. VHSL rules do not allow an individual who turns 19 before Oct. 1 to participate in interscholastic events, although waivers are granted in rare cases.
With his VHSL appeals process exhausted, Thompson will turn to Federal Judge Robert G. Doumar for help. Doumar last week heard Thompson's complaint and refused to grant a temporary restraining order, asking that Thompson go before the VHSL's board of appeals.
But Doumar requested both parties return to his courtroom Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. if there had not been an acceptable result.
Granby opens its season Sept. 3 against Wilson.
A Sept. 13 court date is scheduled to hear the case in full. Granby will have played two regular-season games by that time.
Thompson, who was a second team All-Tidewater selection at linebacker last season, has been practicing with Granby's team and plans to play in an exhibition scrimmage at Princess Anne on Friday.
Thompson will seek a restraining order and a federal ruling prohibiting the VHSL's rights to forfeit Granby's games should Granby beat either Wilson or Western Branch the following week. VHSL rules state that games will be forfeited if it is discovered that an ineligible player was used.
Thompson's attorneys have requested that he not comment publicly on the case.
But attorney Larry Woodward, who assisted Thompson Tuesday, said that after a two-sided question-and-answer session before the board of appeals, the board, chaired by Cumberland County superintendent of schools Harold Dodge, went behind closed doors for 35 minutes to deliberate, then voted down the request.
``We'll go in Aug. 29th and ask for a restraining order allowing the kid to play,'' said Virginia Beach attorney Tom Shuttleworth, who is heading up Thompson's case. ``We feel confident he'll do that.''
Immediately at question is the equitability of age-rule waivers that have been granted by the VHSL in the past.
``We feel Judge Doumar felt willy-nilly about the VHSL's track record on waivers,'' Shuttleworth said. ``And I think they still haven't shown any of us any written, consistent guidelines by which they make (age-rule waiver) decisions.''
VHSL executive director Ken Tilley stressed Tuesday that this is not the case.
``We could end up hearing lots of cases just like this one and the board felt that this was not unusual,'' Tilley said. ``I can remember 10 or 12 similar cases requests and they've all been turned down by the board of appeals.
``As far as the (VHSL) is concerned, we've applied the standards fairly, equitably and consistently.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Lorenzo Thompson has been practicing with Granby's team and plans to
play with in an exhibition scrimmage on Friday.
by CNB