Archbishop Murphy High School in Everett, Wash., will still compete in the football playoffs despite the Washington Interscholastic Athletics Association finding that the team used an ineligible player this season and forcing the team to overturn three game results.
According to Cascadia Daily News, opposing coaches first brought eligibility concerns to the Wesco Conference athletics directors meeting in September. The coaches alleged that the Wildcats’ quarterback was ineligible because he had played on a non-school athletic team, which is not allowed in the WIAA.
Following a WIAA investigation, the player's involvement in a non-school team was confirmed and the WIAA forced Archbishop Murphy to forfeit three of the games from its winning record, dropping the school from 7-1 overall, 6-1 in the 2A Northwest Conference to 5-4 overall. Archbishop Murphy was also placed on probation, but still allowed to participate in interscholastic activities.
The 5-4 record still qualifies Archbishop Murphy for the state playoffs, but the ineligible quarterback will not be allowed to suit up for the postseason.
Throughout the investigation, Archbishop Murphy obtained legal representation and filed an appeal to the WIAA’s findings. The lawyer argued against the rule barring student-athletes from non-school sports programs as the schools do not control those programs, but the WIAA upheld its final ruling.
“While we respect the WIAA’s role in governing interscholastic athletics, we strongly disagree with this outcome,” Archbishop’s director of admissions Jana James said in a statement to Cascadia Daily News. “The forfeitures imposed through Wesco and the WIAA affect an entire football program, including student-athletes who had no involvement in the circumstances under review. They deserve to have their hard work and opportunities protected, not taken away as a consequence of a disputed eligibility determination.”
The Wildcats’ quarterback was found to have competed for ‘The Wipe Me Down Boyz’ 7v7 club football program in Seattle. He first began playing with that club team before he ever attended Archbishop Murphy, and some allegations point to the club team’s founder, Ryan Clary, as being involved in recruiting student-athletes to various high schools in the area.
Clary’s social media profiles indicate that he is “Archbishop Murphy’s College Liaison,” but school officials say Clary has never been employed by the school.
The 2A Northwest Conference playoff bracket was released on Nov. 1, and Archbishop Murphy will take to the field against Hockinson High School, despite its probationary status and adjusted record.
