Warren Central

[Dark Horse78]

This is a recipe for disaster!

[Bear3]

WCHS has had several players attempt to transfer to other Warren Co schools. The KHSAA has declared some ineligible and as appeal hearings have started, Warren County schools and administrators are on opposite sides of the table at the hearings. Very strange that the district failed to negotiate a "settlement" for their student-athletes and schools instead of having them travel to Lexington to argue over eligibility. Another example where strong leadership would have benefited the Warren Co. schools.

[DragonFire]

I would assume that is Frosh, SO, JRs and Srs. There are rules on how many quarters a player is legally allowed to play per week, I believe. Usually that does not come into play but on occassion. However in this situation, it would be a real issue I think when you are talking fielding 3 team (varsity, JV and Freshman) who will all play during a week's time.

 

I can't say with authority, but for starters, I would say they won't even have a freshman team. If memory serves, they didn't have one last year. This freshman group could not field a team on their own as 8th graders, so there was no reason to expect they'd be able to as freshmen. My guess is they would likewise do without a JV team. What would be the point of JV when they're all playing varsity?

[DragonFire]

Dragonfire, what are your thoughts on playing that brutal schedule with 20-25 kids?

 

It's a terrible situation that will be exacerbated by that. If this could have been predicted far enough in advance, perhaps they could have dropped out of district play and simply played a softer schedule. But to do that midstream through the scheduling process AND of course with all of this having developed after May 6th, I don't even know how that would have been remotely possible. But scrubbing the schedule altogether? I don't see how that would be a positive step. I've laid it out before, but when they can't field a freshman team, they are having troubles at the middle school level, if they dropped varsity, what reason is there to believe that they'd be able to reestablish? Are the types of kids who just dropped Central like they were a bad habit this offseason really going to stick around when it looks like they may have an extended time of being unable to play football? I think it would be the shuttering of the program for them to drop their varsity schedule. They're really in between a rock and a hard place on that.

[DragonFire]

Honestly, I wonder if there's a precedent for this type of thing having happened. Has anyone ever seen a school/program implode in this fashion to where so many tried to jump ship at the same time? I can't even fathom how even one of these kids would be eligible at another school given that it's clear why they've left. In particular, these two restrictions that would nullify an exception such as moving to another school would seem to discount each and every one:

 

e) If the change in schools is motivated in whole or part by a desire to participate in athletics at the new school;

f) If the satisfying of one of the exceptions is used or manipulated for the purpose of gaining athletic eligibility;

 

Can there seriously be any doubt that all of these players who participated on the team during spring up to the day of Stephens' dismissal left for the express purpose of playing somewhere else? Example, the father of one of the players posted a comment "one of many good player WC will loose this season because they can't get there *crap* together..........we out....good luck!" alongside a video of his son's highlight film.

 

One of the waivers that would result in all players being eligible would be if Central did not participate in a varsity schedule, which would release them. Which is a catch-22 really. The only reason they might not participate in a varsity schedule is BECAUSE they are transferring.

 

I have mentioned more than once that I am not unsympathetic, and that I see where these parents and players are coming from. They're frustrated. We're all frustrated. But the dilemma that Warren Central faces is that if they simply release these players, there will be nothing to stop others, and it will be impossible for them to restart the program under those circumstances. Why would you ever bother going to Central when you wanted to play football and couldn't guarantee they'd even be able to play it?

[Adopted Purple]

Stuck between a rock and a hard place. If the administration is in charge of the decision, then you might as well lock the doors right now. Every decision they have made has been the wrong decision or at least not favorable to Warren Central. It's a comedy of errors and its not funny!

[Purple Nation]

I still can't get over the fact that the administration and probably even the Board of Education (what principal can dismiss a head coach without the head cheese at the board knowing about it?). Here is the kicker: even with them knowing this was coming down the pike they put turf on the football field, spending all of that money. I'm afraid I agree with Dragonfire that it has about gotten to a place of no return. It will be a LONG time before they are truly competitive again. Crazy