Titan Hoops Forefeit all Victories of the Season

Photo by Local Kicks In 2008, the Titans of T.C. won the state basketball championships. More than a year later, the boys varsity squad was forced to forfeit all victories this season and witnessed their record drop from 12-3 overall to 0-15, merely 23 months after winning the State Title in March 2008. The Titans were found in violation of Virginia High School League rules by having two players currently on the squad that were in their fifth year of high school.

ALEXANDRIA, VA. - The Titans of T.C. Williams have been found in violation of Virginia High School League rules by having two players currently on the squad that were in their fifth year of high school.

By virtue of that fact, the boys varsity squad was forced to forfeit all victories this season and witnessed their record drop from 12-3 overall to 0-15 (merely 23 months after winning the State Title in March 2008).

Whereas, certain private schools in Virginia (Fork Union, Hargrave, Oak Hill and the like) regularly employ the services of fifth-year high school student athletes - it is spelled out in no uncertain terms that the public schools of Virginia's four Regions (Central, Eastern, Northern and Northwest) prohibit fifth-year student athletes.

Regarding T.C. Williams's current '09/'10 situation: Both Billy Rowland (6'6" post) and Darrius Porter (6'4" forward) are in their fifth year of high school as reported by the Alexandria Gazette.

Rowland, stated the Gazette, matriculated at Surratttsville H.S. (Prince Georges Co. Md.) in the '05/'06 school year and also attended there in '06/'07.

Rowland, who along with Ryan Yates were leading the Titans in scoring this season, then transferred from Surrattsville to Bishop Ireton for the '07/'08 school year.

While at Ireton (only 20 months ago) he was re-classified as a sophomore for academic purposes.

Upon transferring to T.C. Williams in August 2008 for the '08/'09 school year, it was presumed that Rowland was a junior and was in his third year of high school (when in actuality he was in his fourth year of high school via the Ireton decision to reclassify the teenager as a sophomore one year earlier).

Thus, during the ''08/'09 school year, when T.C. knocked off Hayfield for the Northern Region Title and advanced to the State Tournament, Rowland was at that juncture four years past his 8th grade graduation.

Thus, in terms of the '09/'10 school year, when one cuts to the chase - Rowland is in his fifth year of high school and is ineligible according to the aforementioned Virginia High School League rules.

A somewhat similar situation applies to Porter.

The teenager, according to the Alexandria Times, commenced his high school career in the State of North Carolina in '05/'06.

For academic purposes, Porter repeated his 9th grade year ('06/'07) at the unnamed high school in the Tar Heel State - before transferring to T.C. for the '07/'08 school year.

Thus, arriviving at T.C. in August 2007, Porter was already in his third year of high school.

Consequently, the '08/'09 academic year would have been Porter's fourth year of high school and consequently, the current '09/10 academic year would constitute the teenagers fifth high school year.

Both the Alexandria Gazette and the Alexandria Times devoted a decent amount of space to this story in their February 4th edition.

This writer is a graduate of Ireton as well and is wondering whether it was clearly communicated by Ireton to T.C. that Rowland was indeed about to start his fourth year of high school when he transferred in for the '08/'09 school year.

Ireton athletic director Bill Simmons had come on board in the summer of 2007 when Rowland had transferred from Surrattsville to Ireton.

Making matters even more complicated was the fact that the summer of 2008 witnessed the changing of the guard in the T.C. athletic department.

Former T.C. athletic director Kerry Donley stepped down at the completion of the '07/'08 school year and new T.C. athletic director Bob McKeag was set to take the proverbial reins.

It was reported in the February 4th edition of the Alexandria Gazette that McKeag (a former UVA basketball player) was willing to take the blame for the current situation.

"I'm going to take full responsibility. It's the athletic office's responsibility to coordinate the eligibility or non-eligibility of an athlete...I'd like to assure the folks in the City of Alexandria that we're going to close the gaps existing in our method of doing business [and assure] a situation like this doesn't occur again" said McKeag in early February.

The Titans (0-15) instead of 12-3 were hoping that there would be five games to be played in the regular season schedule prior to the start of the District Tournament - in order to get acclimated with their trimmed down roster.

However, the recent snowstorms did not help head coach Julian King's cause one little bit in that regard - the Titans will soon host the Patriot District Tournament with four of the five games snowed out.

King recently commented (as reported by the Alexandria Gazette) - "We want to see how we can make the best of a situation and hopefully get the ship righted by the Tournament."

T.C. does not have a whole lot of time to right the ship.

The final regular season contest before the Tournament will witness the Titans travelling to Lake Braddock (Feb. 16th) and squaring off with the Bruins.

In the other final District contests before the Tournament: R.E. Lee will travel to West Springfield, South County will travel to W.T.

Woodson and West Potomac will travel to Annandale.

After a 71-game Patriot District win streak (spanning the past five seasons), can the current Titans regroup and make a run in this years District Tournament - with 12 players on the roster as opposed to 14?
 
The recent scourge of snow has really played havoc with the winter high school sports schedule.

As of this writing, the 32 teams in the Northern Region will attempt to complete the Regional Wrestling Tournament by the evening of Feb. 17 at Fairfax High School.

The top four in each of the 14 weight classes will advance to the State Tournament (Tidewater area) - which is scheduled for Feb. 19 and 20.
Some local sports writers are in agreement that they have not seen anything this chaotic; namely, the deluge of snow in recent memory.

One Arlington County sports editor recently commented that not even the notorious "sniper incident" of 2002 caused this much havoc in the schedule at that time.

Regarding basketball, the four Districts will attempt to complete their tournaments February 22nd.

Both the boys and girls tournaments in the: Concorde, Liberty, National and Patriot Districts are hopeful that the weather forecast over the next several days does not bear any similarity to the weather of recent days.

Steinbacher's Scorecard

The recent scourge of snow has really played havoc with the winter high school sports schedule.

As of this writing, the 32 teams in the Northern Region will attempt to complete the Regional Wrestling Tournament by the evening of Feb. 17 at Fairfax High School.

The top four in each of the 14 weight classes will advance to the State Tournament (Tidewater area) - which is scheduled for Feb. 19 and 20.

Some local sports writers are in agreement that they have not seen anything this chaotic; namely, the deluge of snow in recent memory.

One Arlington County sports editor recently commented that not even the notorious "sniper incident" of 2002 caused this much havoc in the schedule at that time.

Regarding basketball, the four Districts will attempt to complete their tournaments February 22nd.

Both the boys and girls tournaments in the: Concorde, Liberty, National and Patriot Districts are hopeful that the weather forecast over the next several days does not bear any similarity to the weather of recent days.