Cardinal Ritter 0 - 7?
- Thread starter VarsitySTLBlues
- Start date
This is what's floating around, but MSHSAA hasn't updated anything yet. This could set up a first round District matchup between Ritter and Lutheran North. Not your typical first round meeting.
Here's the story.
The Cardinal Ritter football team appears to have used an ineligible player Aug. 31 in its season opener at Nazareth Academy in suburban Chicago.
The No. 1 small school in the STLhighschoolsports.com rankings and top-ranked team in the Missouri Media Class 2 poll, Cardinal Ritter (7-0) could be forced to forfeit all seven of its games this season, per the Missouri State High School Activities Association by-laws, and could potentially be ruled ineligible for the postseason. The Lions are the top-ranked small school in the nation according to MaxPreps.
Junior running back Bill Jackson was suspended for Week 1 this season because he was ejected in the fourth quarter of the 2018 Class 3 state championship game. Per National Federation of State High School Associations guidelines, he was ruled ineligible for Cardinal Ritter's next game — Week 1 of the 2019 season Aug. 31 against Nazareth.
Against Nazareth, a player who appears to be Jackson wore No. 24 but was identified on the roster as freshman Marvin Burks. When Jackson was eligible to return the following week against Lutheran North, he was properly identified and wore his traditional No. 4.
Photographs from both games show Jackson played against Nazareth. He has unique, identifying tattoos running down his right bicep and forearm which are visible in photos from both games.
When reached for comment, Cardinal Ritter athletics director Preston Thomas said, “We have initiated an investigation and are working with the state to take the appropriate next steps.”
Video posted on Cardinal Ritter coach Brandon Gregory's Instagram account shows No. 24 leading the Lions through their pregame huddle call and response routine prior to the Nazareth game. A similar video posted to Gregory's account shows No. 4 in the same role doing the same routine Sept. 7 prior to a 27-13 victory against Lutheran North at East St. Louis.
Attempts to reach Gregory were unsuccessful.
While wearing No. 24, Jackson rushed for 109 yards and had a 56-yard touchdown run in a 32-21 win against Nazareth, the preseason No. 1 team in Chicago and the defending Illinois Class 7A champion.
After rushing for 147 yards against Lutheran North, Jackson and Gregory told STLhighschoolsports.com that Jackson sat out Week 1.
“Watching last week, it wasn't fun at all,” Jackson said. “It gave me a spark.”
Gregory said, “He earned it, he deserved it. It was his time to play ball.”
According to MSHSAA by-law 5.5.4, “games in which an ineligible player plays shall be forfeited.”
Because Jackson never served his suspension, he still could be considered ineligible, and every game he participated in would be subject to forfeit.
If Cardinal Ritter is judged by MSHSAA to have violated its by-laws, the board of directors has a wide latitude of punishments it can implement. Among those are fines, prohibition from hosting district tournaments and exclusion from the postseason for one or more years.
Cardinal Ritter is scheduled to host Granite City at 7 p.m. Friday.
The No. 1 small school in the STLhighschoolsports.com rankings and top-ranked team in the Missouri Media Class 2 poll, Cardinal Ritter (7-0) could be forced to forfeit all seven of its games this season, per the Missouri State High School Activities Association by-laws, and could potentially be ruled ineligible for the postseason. The Lions are the top-ranked small school in the nation according to MaxPreps.
Junior running back Bill Jackson was suspended for Week 1 this season because he was ejected in the fourth quarter of the 2018 Class 3 state championship game. Per National Federation of State High School Associations guidelines, he was ruled ineligible for Cardinal Ritter's next game — Week 1 of the 2019 season Aug. 31 against Nazareth.
Against Nazareth, a player who appears to be Jackson wore No. 24 but was identified on the roster as freshman Marvin Burks. When Jackson was eligible to return the following week against Lutheran North, he was properly identified and wore his traditional No. 4.
Photographs from both games show Jackson played against Nazareth. He has unique, identifying tattoos running down his right bicep and forearm which are visible in photos from both games.
When reached for comment, Cardinal Ritter athletics director Preston Thomas said, “We have initiated an investigation and are working with the state to take the appropriate next steps.”
Video posted on Cardinal Ritter coach Brandon Gregory's Instagram account shows No. 24 leading the Lions through their pregame huddle call and response routine prior to the Nazareth game. A similar video posted to Gregory's account shows No. 4 in the same role doing the same routine Sept. 7 prior to a 27-13 victory against Lutheran North at East St. Louis.
Attempts to reach Gregory were unsuccessful.
While wearing No. 24, Jackson rushed for 109 yards and had a 56-yard touchdown run in a 32-21 win against Nazareth, the preseason No. 1 team in Chicago and the defending Illinois Class 7A champion.
After rushing for 147 yards against Lutheran North, Jackson and Gregory told STLhighschoolsports.com that Jackson sat out Week 1.
“Watching last week, it wasn't fun at all,” Jackson said. “It gave me a spark.”
Gregory said, “He earned it, he deserved it. It was his time to play ball.”
According to MSHSAA by-law 5.5.4, “games in which an ineligible player plays shall be forfeited.”
Because Jackson never served his suspension, he still could be considered ineligible, and every game he participated in would be subject to forfeit.
If Cardinal Ritter is judged by MSHSAA to have violated its by-laws, the board of directors has a wide latitude of punishments it can implement. Among those are fines, prohibition from hosting district tournaments and exclusion from the postseason for one or more years.
Cardinal Ritter is scheduled to host Granite City at 7 p.m. Friday.
https://www.stltoday.com/sports/hig...cle_995ba3b6-ef7b-11e9-a8c2-8fcc2bc3877d.html
absolutely crazy. The coach should be suspended for a long time!
absolutely crazy. The coach should be suspended for a long time!
Are you telling me a private school cheated? No way.
This is gonna get ugly. It’s crazy that it wasn’t uncovered until now. Especially, because it was the kid’ tattoos that identified him as playing in the first game against Nazareth (IL).
Idk how the AD wasn’t aware, and obviously every coach, player, and parent knew too. Forfeiting 7 games isn’t really a strong enough punishment. It’s the high school equivalent of the NCAA’s dreaded “lack of institutional control”.
Idk how the AD wasn’t aware, and obviously every coach, player, and parent knew too. Forfeiting 7 games isn’t really a strong enough punishment. It’s the high school equivalent of the NCAA’s dreaded “lack of institutional control”.
I know the coach. A little he coached at Francis Howell north we played 7 on 7 at North a lot a few summers ago. Everything I knew about him was outstanding. I remember him being very tough on his players in a good way. North was never very good when he was there. We had 2 juniors kicked there last game as juniors years ago mshsaa sent us a letter reminding us they sat out first game their senior year.
The question that needs to be added here, was the A.D. and other admins aware before the game that this was taking place. Something like that would be very difficult to keep quiet when every kid on the team would know. So you know there had to be more than just the coaching staff that knew.
He had on a different jersey. That tells the story. Everyone knew. They need to fall on the sword. No ice cream for the D1 commits for a week
After asking around, the coach, AD, players and parents were ALL aware that this was happening. The coach could have said that he misunderstood the MSHSAA rule - but he can't when he purposefully changed Jerseys of the kid and informed reporters that the kid did not play.
This would have never been caught if it wasn't for a Lutheran North parent and/or the local STL reporter that has a hard on for Lutheran North (who wrote the article) reporting the incident to the Archdiocese.
Does this really matter that a Kvidahl reported it? Or a Lutheran North parent reported it?
Does it matter how this came to light? Looks like St Louis football might be out of control.
Of course it matters. If it wasn't reported, it may have never been discovered. There are many teams that have this in the past & will do this going forward. I didn't weight any opinion on whether I feel it's right or wrong. That wasn't my intention on inquiring.
What I will say is...unfortunately negative reports keep coming out in the STL region reported by the same reporter and he always mentions Lutheran North. Seems suspicious.
I agree there is no hiding Kvidahl loves the teams that have a lot of potential D1 players. I am not a fan of his reporting, my only thought was who cares how it got reported to MSHSSA, it just was.
Just when you think you have heard it all, huh? What a story. Looking at their stats and roster, it appears that ole Marvin only played in that one game. Odd that a freshman who had over 100 yds rushing against the defending class 7 state champs in IL wouldn't play again, huh? And odd to have a freshman leading the pregame "call and response routine" with a team full of upperclassmen?
What a joke. If true, Coach Brandon Gregory should be permanently banned. If that happened would CR hire coach "Gregory Brandon" as his replacement? Obviously let the process play out to determine the truth.
What a joke. If true, Coach Brandon Gregory should be permanently banned. If that happened would CR hire coach "Gregory Brandon" as his replacement? Obviously let the process play out to determine the truth.
HAHAHAHAHA......*deep breath....HAHAHAHAHA
Serious question, how many freshman have tattoos nowadays? Obv lots of kids have them, but freshmen?
If true, and hard to believe it isn't, coach should be gone from coaching. If AD knew he should be fired also.
This is about as bad as you can get in my mind. Players and parents are not to blame. Think if a parent reported this and how their son would be treated. Coach & others in charge bare all responsibility.
This is about as bad as you can get in my mind. Players and parents are not to blame. Think if a parent reported this and how their son would be treated. Coach & others in charge bare all responsibility.
Cancel the rest of their season. Are you telling me the AD didn’t hear about the “star freshman” who suddenly disappeared after week one?
The kids and parents knew. Come on.
The HC/AD are the primary culprits in this case, but it goes beyond them, to the principal & superintendent - every admin in that school knew the ruse the HC pulled off, and "okayed" the action (by not taking action.) The school should be banned from post-season, and the coach should receive at lest a 1 year suspension from MSHSAA.
Arm sleeve anyone?
Arm sleeve anyone?
To those who shall remain nameless, here we are crying with laughter at all your defensive comments and accusations about all of us Walmart employee, trailer trash class 2 schools in SW Mo who just follow the rules.....
Yes, I'll have a large pepperoni and could you add some St. Louis MoSports Private School defender tears to just add a bit of saltiness?
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