Storyline: FH forfeits games due to an ineligible player - Part II

[TDHelmick]

LINK: https://cumberlandsmagic.com/2025/01/22/11475/

Story is up and running. This is the father's side of the story, not mine. I am doing all I can so far to remove opinion and just telling what happened.

From what I see, this whole thing (regardless of who is right or wrong) is based on administrative issues, procedural errors and an unwritten policy employees and parents have no clue as to the details. It's like all sides are trying to put together a puzzle where all the pieces don't fit.

Apologies for the paragraph spacing. This became a platform issue with copy & paste. Other social media outlets have the spacing - which is easier on the eyes.

 

[hbpass2]

Talk about moving the goal posts and then taking the goal posts down completely at the end. What a terrible look for the BOE. It really makes you wonder if Jeff blank retiring had anything to do with how messed up this situation got.

 

[TDHelmick]

Talk about moving the goal posts and then taking the goal posts down completely at the end. What a terrible look for the BOE. It really makes you wonder if Jeff blank retiring had anything to do with how messed up this situation got.

If the procedures to re-enroll the son at Fort Hill this January were in place back in August, none of this would have happened.

But there was no procedure to prevent such, which is why it was like a puzzle with pieces that don't fit that every student, parent, PPW, principal, coach had to assemble and interpret.

 

[Lagmeister]

Finally some procedures with teeth were put in place. But why all the eventual pound-of-flesh documentation when historically you'd expect people moving into the community from out of state would want to do the right thing and be part of the community. It appears that was never the intent.

So, nobody cares about the position it puts the students... the coach... the program... the school... in fact, Cumberland as a whole - yes Cumberland... because the Fort Hill football program is probably the last crown jewel left in the city.

 

[wvbossman]

Finally some procedures with teeth were put in place. But why all the eventual pound-of-flesh documentation when historically you'd expect people moving into the community from out of state would want to do the right thing and be part of the community. It appears that was never the intent.

So, nobody cares about the position it puts the students... the coach... the program... the school... in fact, Cumberland as a whole - yes Cumberland... because the Fort Hill football program is probably the last crown jewel left in the city.

The last two sentences of paragraph one says all that needs to be said. BOE's are far from perfect but it would never had been an issue had the adult done what was right. Case closed!

 

[TDHelmick]

The last two sentences of paragraph one says all that needs to be said. BOE's are far from perfect but it would never had been an issue had the adult done what was right. Case closed!

Done what was right? What would that be?

Doesn't matter. The MPSSAA should never have been involved like countless of times the past 2 decades. He was eligIble up until Homecoming. Going back and retro actively forcing forfeits by the same group that made him eligible in the first place, even after the head coach called them out, is as stupid as it can get.

 

[wvbossman]

Done what was right? What would that be?

Doesn't matter. The MPSSAA should never have been involved like countless of times the past 2 decades. He was eligIble up until Homecoming. Going back and retro actively forcing forfeits by the same group that made him eligible in the first place, even after the head coach called them out, is as stupid as it can get.

The Dad should have done what was right. You want to play somewhere you move there or do the procedures right. He lied and got caught. The unfortunate thing was that the kids got pushished. I'm not here to argue the point of the losses just that the Dad should have done the right thing.

 

[FHHSAHS]

You don't change the mailing address of a utility bill to Cumberland for a residence in WV. He knew exactly what he was up to.

This is on the parents.

Period.

 

[FHHSAHS]

So just to clarify, are the points of these articles to try and exonerate the parent (which they do the opposite) or to show that FH shouldn't have been punished? Either way, this latest article does a good job of showing how when a parent makes the decision to lie they will get mired in bureaucracy trying to fix things...all the while causing stress and anxiety to everyone along the way. FH got caught up in it.

Probably wasn't your intention, but this last installment is a pretty strong indictment against Babo.

 

[wvbossman]

So just to clarify, are the points of these articles to try and exonerate the parent (which they do the opposite) or to show that FH shouldn't have been punished? Either way, this latest article does a good job of showing how when a parent makes the decision to lie they will get mired in bureaucracy trying to fix things...all the while causing stress and anxiety to everyone along the way. FH got caught up in it.

Probably wasn't your intention, but this last installment is a pretty strong indictment against Babo.

Time for all of us to move on from this.

 

[TDHelmick]

You don't change the mailing address of a utility bill to Cumberland for a residence in WV. He knew exactly what he was up to.

This is on the parents.

Period.

The goal was to put no opinion in these first two parts. Just tell the story of what happened. Readers can make up their own mind on who/what may have been right or wrong.

On here, most know I have no issues speaking my mind. I agree with what you stated concerning the utility bill with a different mailing address. But you also don't accept that utility bill as a decision maker. Do you not agree? Pretty ridiculous a parent would offer it and way more ridiculous the BOE would accept it. Then turn around 2 months later and punish an entire team on a bad decision you made. If I am the person in charge of approving the transfer, especially when the head coach just questioned this decision, I'm telling the father "sorry, but that bill is not acceptable." That seems like common sense. Maybe I'm off my rocker as I get old, LOL.

The people in charge originally are all good people I actually trust. I think some mistakes were made with policy (or a lack of) and it didn't get handled well when the house of cards collapsed.

Seems to me the stuff that was required to re-enroll the son the second time around was the right way to do this through policy. Show me you are paying Maryland taxes, etc. I'm assuming this may be the policy now moving forward. But who knows.

 

[FHHSAHS]

Time for all of us to move on from this.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[ravemwp]

Of course the parent was originally wrong, but that doesn’t exonerate the BOE. Remember the BOE basically approved him with no real concrete confirmation of proof of residency. When he decided to play football, and the coach, and administrators reached out to BOE for clarity on this particular student, again he was approved. My belief at this point, partly because in small town America everyone is in the know of athletic transfers, that a thorough investigation should have been done. The BOE wouldn’t grant FH an investigation, but 7 weeks later some dude named Justin, can blow this all up with a simple phone call. I will reiterate that my reason for wanting the truth to be told, was to reform the system. I think all of this could have been avoided if the original enrollment process was the same as the re-enrollment process. You can bet your a$$ had Maddox Twigg tried to enroll at FH the investigation would have been long and deep, before he even stepped foot on that campus. You do know that if a student is approved for enrollment at a particular school, and the family moves out of that school district during the school year, that the student is eligible to finish the school year at their current school. So technically once the BOE deemed him eligible to attend FH, his family could have moved to Montana, and he would have the option to finish the school year at FH provided he could get himself there. One thing I wholeheartedly agree with is that you are eligible until you ineligible. You can’t retroactively penalize. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Yes the parent was wrong, but the BOE is equally to blame.

 

[ravemwp]

The goal was to put no opinion in these first two parts. Just tell the story of what happened. Readers can make up their own mind on who/what may have been right or wrong.

On here, most know I have no issues speaking my mind. I agree with what you stated concerning the utility bill with a different mailing address. But you also don't accept that utility bill as a decision maker. Do you not agree? Pretty ridiculous a parent would offer it and way more ridiculous the BOE would accept it. Then turn around 2 months later and punish an entire team on a bad decision you made. If I am the person in charge of approving the transfer, especially when the head coach just questioned this decision, I'm telling the father "sorry, but that bill is not acceptable." That's seems like common sense. Maybe I'm off my rocker as I get old, LOL.

Seems to me the stuff that was required to re-enroll the son the second time around was the right way to do this through policy. Show me you are paying Maryland taxes, etc. I'm assuming this may be the policy now moving forward. But who knows.

I’m laughing out loud as we must have been writing the exact same thing in so many words at the exact same time. 😂😂

 

[TDHelmick]

I couldn't agree more.

Don't mean this in disrespect, but move on if you choose. It's easy. "All of us" can make up our own minds. I still have a final Part III coming out.

The story needed told. As I keep repeating...had this all went down a week later, FH has their season ended. That's a problem that deserves the attention.