Clinton plays ineligible player vs Halls

[wheezie]

The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association has ruled that former Clinton High School athlete Ryan Sharpe was ineligible during the 2008-2009 basketball season and for the football season opener Aug. 21 at Halls, according to principal Linda Davis in an Anderson County Schools release.

 

Clinton must vacate the wins accrued in which Sharpe participated, meaning the Dragons’ football team will be 8-0 and 6-0 in District 3-AAA — rather than 9-0 (7-0) — going into Thursday night’s televised game (MyVLT2) with Anderson County (7-2, 6-1).

 

Basketball wins vacated were not specified in the release.

 

Clinton athletic director Jim Davis voluntarily reported the violations once he learned of them, the release stated. But while the TSSAA only imposed a $250 fine for the basketball infraction and a $50 fine for the football infraction due to Davis’ move, it did add a $2,000 fine and a two-year probation period due to a non-technical violation of the recruiting law.

 

Sharpe was found to have been provided “a special privilege not normally provided to other students,” the TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress stated in his letter to Clinton and was quoted as saying in the release.

 

Sharpe was granted a hardship by the TSSAA in December of 2008, after transferring from Jefferson County, on the basis he live with his father in Clinton. But the TSSAA investigation, the release stated, found that Sharpe lived “several nights a week” with assistant principal, assistant coach and “family friend” Scotty Herrell.

 

Sharpe left Clinton the week after the Halls game and re-enrolled at Jefferson County.

 

Linda Davis said in the release that “the school’s effort to help any student in need, and, in particular, Herrell’s assistance to students, were not unusual and were not based on Sharpe’s participation in athletics.”

 

The TSSAA does not comment on its rulings for a 24-hour period, allowing schools ample time to handle the matter first.

[oppressed238]

WHY does it NOT surprise me, indiangiver, that you would post something of this nature about an Anderson County team???

[devilsden]

I hear this a long time ago. Why do we not get to claim the win against Clinton? If we get to, dont that put us in the playoffs? The TSSAA is stupid if they dont give us a win when they make Clinton forfiet the game to us.

[osunut2]

I hear this a long time ago. Why do we not get to claim the win against Clinton? If we get to, dont that put us in the playoffs? The TSSAA is stupid if they dont give us a win when they make Clinton forfiet the game to us.

TSSAA won't give a win to Halls. Under the current TSSAA bylaws, Clinton's win will simply be vacated, rather than counted as a loss for Clinton. According to Article III, Section 13 of the 2009-10 TSSAA handbook:

 

"In vacating wins [due to use of an ineligible player], each victory is treated as though the game were not played. Opponents still count actual outcomes."

[DyronNix]

What does this do if for some freakish reason Anderson Co beats Clinton. There will be 3 teams with 1 loss, but Clinton will have played one less game. In other sports that makes Clinton behind a 1/2 game. So that would make AC and Oak Ridge Tied, and Oak Ridge would get the tie break because head to head when only 2 teams are involved. I just want to know how this is handled. Would there still be a 3 team tie do to 1 loss each, or would Clinton be out because they played 1 less game. Please let me know, and please actually show factual evidence of this not theories. In my opinion it would make Clinton a 1/2 game back, but that is just my opinion.

[osunut2]

What does this do if for some freakish reason Anderson Co beats Clinton. There will be 3 teams with 1 loss, but Clinton will have played one less game. In other sports that makes Clinton behind a 1/2 game. So that would make AC and Oak Ridge Tied, and Oak Ridge would get the tie break because head to head when only 2 teams are involved. I just want to know how this is handled. Would there still be a 3 team tie do to 1 loss each, or would Clinton be out because they played 1 less game. Please let me know, and please actually show factual evidence of this not theories. In my opinion it would make Clinton a 1/2 game back, but that is just my opinion.

According to TSSAA's playoff scenarios (from tssaa.org), "If Clinton wins they are a 1st place qualifier; otherwise they are a 2nd place qualifier, unless Oak Ridge wins in which case they are an automatic qualifier." So yes, vacating that win would hurt Clinton's playoff seeding if they lose to AC.

[ORidgeKat]

This is one of those weird inner county games. My question is how has AC beat Stone, Hazlehurst, Frazier, Chapman and company for three years in row? Props to Anderson County players and coaches for that accomplishment. But, does anybody from Anderson County really believe they will play well enough on defense for 48 minutes to slow this Clinton offense down? I knew Clinton was very good, but that offense when clicking is terrific. I believe we only forced one punt and our D is pretty stout and probably had our best game on D all year.