Earle Coach A.C. Coleman told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Monday he’s uncertain whether he and the school district will file an injunction to attempt to regain eligibility for the Class 2A playoffs. The Arkansas Activities Association announced Thursday that Earle was forfeiting the remainder of the Class 2A playoffs for use of an ineligible player. Earle, the No. 1 seed from the 3-2A Conference, was scheduled to play Foreman in the Class 2A semifinals Friday, but Foreman is now set to host Salem on Friday.
Coleman said if Earle were to file an injunction, it would do so by Thursday.
“At this point, as far as the school’s standpoint, we’re sitting back and doing our research,” Coleman said.
Coleman said the ineligible player in question transferred to Earle from Marion before the 2016-2017 academic year. He declined to name the player, but said he was a senior this season for Earle.
A football coach from the Marion School District, Coleman said, coached the player before and contacted Foreman, Earle’s semifinal opponent, that Earle may have been playing with an ineligible player.
Coleman said the AAA notified Earle that the player’s transcript showed this is his ninth semester. A student who plays a sport in Arkansas can play up to eight semesters, per the AAA handbook. Earle claims the transcript shows the student in his eighth semester.
The Bulldogs coach expressed disappointment with the situation.
“People know how I operate,” Coleman said. “We wouldn’t do that. I’m about the kids. It’s about the kids. I’m a phone call away. I’m 15 minutes away from Marion. Give me a courtesy check if you see it. If something is not right, say it from your standpoint. We would have sat the player out.”
Along with Salem-Foreman, Mount Ida is at Camden Harmony Grove in the other Class 2A semifinal game scheduled for Friday. The Class 2A state championship game is Dec. 15 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
— Jeremy Muck
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
SCHEDULE
At War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock FRIDAY’S GAME CLASS 3A
Rivercrest vs. Junction City, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY’S GAME CLASS 4A
Arkadelphia vs. Warren, noon
FRIDAY, DEC. 15
Class 2A, teams TBD, 7 p.m.
STATE SEMIFINAL SCHEDULE
FRIDAY’S GAMES CLASS 2A
Salem at Foreman, 7 p.m. Mount Ida at Camden Harmony Grove, 7 p.m.