SAC's run at fifth junior boys title comes to a halt

(By SHAVAUGHN MOSS

NG Sports Reporter)

The St. Augustine's College junior boys basketball team was on course for its fifth consecutive Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools title. That came to a halt Monday.

Big Red Machine principal Sonja Knowles informed convenor Winston Symonette that she had to withdraw the team, because a player on the roster, Jeff Rodgers, turned 15 on Sept. 9. According to BAISS rules, Rodgers was ineligible to play on the junior team.

"Apparently it should have been the 11/9, (month then date) but entered 9/11," said Symonette about the information entered on a form for Rodgers. "It could have been an innocent mistake because sometimes you put the day or month first."

By the time the mistake was realised, it was too late.

"Ms Knowles is the chairperson for the sports committee and I know she had to swallow hard," said Symonette on Tuesday. "You have to be fair in spite of. I suspect that it was an innocent mistake because we know the kind of person (coach John) Todd is, and Todd has been around forever. I'm sure it was an oversight, but when it was brought to light, the damage was already done, and as the chairperson she then had to be the judge, and in this case she had to pass judgment on her own school."

Symonette said he did not know whether an official protest had been filed regarding Rodgers' age.

He also did not know whether SAC's junior boys would suffer any further penalties other than withdrawal for the rest of the year.

"I'm not privileged to that information at this point. The sports committee will have to meet ... and from the principal's perspective... maybe they already met, I don't know, but Ms Knowles would be the best person to say what decision if any had been made."

Prior to the withdrawal, SAC's junior boys team was undefeated at 11 and 0, had clinched the pennant and was preparing for the playoffs which start Jan. 27, at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium.

Symonette said he was concerned how Rodgers and his team would deal with the situation.

"Children see things in a different way, and I'm sure all of them trained hard. To have an oversight like that, I just feel sorry for the children. As far as the league there will always be those teams that will gain particularly in light of the fact that SAC had such an impeccable won/loss record."

With SAC gone, the St. John's College Giants move into the No. 1 spot at 9 and 0, with their only loss to SAC erased. Kingsway Academy Saints are now 8 and 2. All other teams have had their loss columns reduced by one.

Rodgers' father, Jeff Rodgers Sr., a coach at Bahamas Academy, said Tuesday that his son felt bad about the situation.

"It was an honest mistake. I spoke with him last evening and he's down about it. He will be apologising to the team and to the school."

Rodgers further said his advice to his son is to be very careful in the future.

"It's a learning lesson not just for him, but myself and other students to not allow yourself to get caught up in these types of situations. I'm probably hurting just as much as him or even more, because I don't want this kind of stuff to happen to anyone. I feel bad and hope we all learn from it."

Each school has their own way of filling in forms for their athletes. At Bahamas Academy, Rodgers said his job as coach is to check the records of students and ensure they abide by the rules.

When The Guardian arrived at SAC's campus Monday, Todd, a veteran coach at the institution, referred queries to Ms Knowles, who was in a meeting.

This is not the first time a team has discovered a player is ineligible well into the season. CW Saunders was faced with the same scenario a few years ago, when Symonette taught at the school. In that instance, the player was too old by one day.