The administration and the board of education at Richfield Springs Central School offered the varsity football team a compromise that allowed the team to play Saturday’s game against Oriskany. The Indians had to forfeit a game against Waterville, Friday, Sept. 7, because they did not have 16 eligible players required by New York State law. With 21 players on the roster, six could not play. Three players were injured and three players violated the extra-curricular/athletic contract. There was some confusion among players, parents and coaches who thought the suspension for the Waterville game for the contract violators met the arrangement’s requirements. However, it was ruled by the administration and board of education that since this game was not played, those three did not serve their suspension. Without those three athletes in uniform, Saturday’s game against Oriskany was a big question mark. The Indians may have been forced to forfeit another game. Recognizing this, RSCS officials offered to stagger the suspensions so the team could still compete on the field. The intention was to have one or two players sit out the game against Oriskany with the other one or two players left to sit out the next game against Dolgeville. “We did not want to punish the entire team again,” said RSCS Superintendent Robert Barraco at last Wednesday’s school board meeting. Barraco earlier said that if the contract needs clarification, a committee could look at rewriting some of it. Jerry Manning, head coach of the RSCS boys soccer team, was on the contract committee and feels it doesn’t need revision. “I wouldn’t rewrite this at all,” Manning said. “It’s all very clear to me.” Manning then held the contract in the air and said, “Immediate suspension for two weeks, and that must include one game.” For violation of rules 2, 3 and 4 of the contract, which prohibit use or possession of tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, or stimulants, depressants, steroids or drugs not prescribed by a doctor, the contract states: “Immediate two week suspension from all athletics and activities. If there are no competitions or activities in that two week period, the student will be suspended from the next two contests in a sport or activity that is longer than ten events or suspension from one contest or event if the ‘season’ is fewer than ten events, whichever is longer. Students will be required to continue to practice and will attend any contests or events, dressed in school clothes (not uniforms) and sitting with the team or the advisor. He/she may be required to participate in educational activities related to alcohol, tobacco, and drug issues.” Manning said it was the intent of the committee to have athletes sit out at least one immediate game played and that he was unhappy that school officials would compromise anything for anyone. “For you to give them leeway, I think you’ve overstepped your bounds and I’m very disappointed,” Manning said. The contract states that appeals can be made to suspensions under “extraordinary circumstances.” Although an appeal was not requested, the superintendent and the board of education are the final two, respectively, in the appeals chain of command. The football team was at the board meeting, but senior Brad Lindsay, one of the four captains of the squad, was the only one to speak. Lindsay said the three players who violated the contract had learned from their mistakes, and the forfeit should count as their suspension. “No where in (the contract) does it say it has to be a game played,” Lindsay said. “The game counted; we lost. You don’t think they learned their lesson when 20 guys came down the field and looked at them and said, ‘this is your fault?’” “I’m not going to debate whether they learned their lesson or not,” Barraco replied. “We are going to uphold the policy. We’re not going to find a loophole.” Assistant Principal and Athletic Director TheriJo Climenhaga said it is standard procedure to not count a forfeit toward a suspension. “If you talk to other coaches, if a forfeit or snow day happens, that suspension doesn’t count for that game,” Climenhaga said.
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