THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 31, 1995 TAG: 9510310455
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Booker T. Washington's best football season since joining the Eastern District was sacked Monday when the school agreed to forfeit five victories for using an ineligible player.
Victories were awarded to Oscar Smith, Lake Taylor, Bayside, Granby and Norcom and dropped the Bookers from 7-1 overall and 3-0 in the Eastern District to 2-6 and 1-2.
The fifth-ranked Bookers had clinched at least a tie for the district title and an Eastern Region Division 5 playoff bid.
``We're going to deal with it like men,'' Booker T. coach Larry Stepney said. ``One thing we can say: We're winning football games on the field and not on paper. We're going to win our remaining two games and declare ourselves as district champions.''
The revised Eastern District standings have Granby and Norview tied for first place at 2-1, followed by Maury at 1-1 and Booker T. and Lake Taylor at 1-2. It is possible for all five schools to end up 2-2 in the district.
Granby, 5-3 overall, is now in the best position to win the district title and go to the playoffs. The Comets play Maury on Saturday and finish the season against Norcom. Should Granby win both games it would earn at least a tie for the championship and gain the district's automatic playoff berth.
The forfeits also could have playoff ramifications beyond the Eastern District. Western Branch received two extra power points from Granby and Norcom and could get a third Friday night if it beats Oscar Smith.
The ineligible player transferred to Booker T. from Norview and was used as a long snapper on punts, Stepney said.
``His mother lives in another area and for family reasons he was living with an uncle,'' Booker T. principal Joel Wagner said. ``He met all the qualifications to enroll at Booker T.
``But for him to be eligible we had to notify the executive director of the Virginia High School League.''
That wasn't done.
Asked if the forfeits then were the result of an administrative error, Wagner said, ``I can't speak for all of our athletic department. Obviously that's where we are.''
This was the second case dealing with an ineligible player at Booker T. this season. In the first, the Bookers won an appeal from the VHSL citing fraudulent enrollment information.
That involved only the victory over Oscar Smith. by CNB