Edcouch-Elsa(4A) to forfeit 2012 season

[Roughneck93]

Saw this on Twitter...

For violating the UIL's eight-hour practice rule.

32-4A DEC: Edcouch-Elsa to forfeit 2012 football season
Dennis Silva II
2012-09-25 13:58:21

Following a win that many labeled as Edcouch-Elsa’s “coming out party” last week against Laredo Alexander, the lights were all but shut off on Tuesday when the 32-4A District Executive Committee said the football program would forfeit its entire 2012 season.

The motion was approved 5-1 by the District 32-4A principals. Prior to that motion, the regional governing body voted unanimously that Edcouch-Elsa did violate the University Interscholastic League’s eight-hour practice rule.

Edcouch-Elsa coach Joe Solis said he disagreed with the decision without admitting whether his team broke the rules.

“It was very unfair, and we will appeal,” Solis said. “Our kids shouldn’t have to suffer the whole season for one thing that happened, if it happened. It’s not fair for a team or anybody that has a violation to have to forfeit the whole season. That’s not what it’s about; that’s not what the UIL rules are about.”

Residents share disappointment on E-E football vote
Edcouch-Elsa and Mercedes, since it is the district chair, abstained from voting in regard to the motion for Edcouch-Elsa to forfeit games. Valley View voted in favor of Edcouch-Elsa.

Response to the decision was one of shock. The mood following the announcement of the motion’s approval was little more than still surprise.

Several coaches would not speak on or off the record about the decision, wanting to maintain their distance from the situation. One fellow 32-4A coach called the decision a “steep” punishment.

“When stuff came up with Hidalgo last year, a lot of the talk was that they didn’t want to punish the kids for a coach’s mistake,” the coach said. “I had a feeling (the meeting Tuesday) may not go down so good. I don’t know how I feel, but I do feel bad for the community.”

Last season, the DEC suspended then-Hidalgo coach Robin Kirk one game when he conducted a padded practice one day too early in August 2011. Later that season, when the Pirates self-reported using an ineligible player, the DEC only issued a UIL-mandated one-game forfeiture for the oversight.

In its meeting at Tony Roma’s restaurant in South McAllen, the DEC also ruled that the State Executive Committee further review 7-on-7 allegations involving Edcouch-Elsa in which there was participation by school personnel. That motion passed 5-0, with Edcouch-Elsa, Mercedes and Valley View abstaining.

The committee also issued a public reprimand that includes a probationary period of two years in which Edcouch-Elsa must comply with UIL guidelines and rules. That motion passed 5-0 as well, with the same three schools abstaining.

“It’s a very difficult time when you make decisions that involve individuals,” said DEC chairman Michael Uribe, head football coach at Mercedes High. “But the District Executive Committee has to take action on the information presented, and that’s what happened.”

Solis met with the DEC for two hours Tuesday morning to present his response to allegations made by a parent with a son on the team that his program practiced more than 16 hours in Week 0, the first week of the season.

What was presented, which took place behind closed doors in executive session, was not enough to avoid severe discipline.

“What was presented today by him … the outcome was determined on the information,” Uribe said.

Solis was disappointed with that result.

*“Going in, I thought we were going to be able to justify what the accusations were,” he said. “But, hey, that’s the committee and they voted like that and that’s fine, but we are going to appeal.”

When a coach asked Uribe during the open portion of the meeting how the decision would affect his team and future game against Edcouch-Elsa this season, Solis abruptly offered the following: “Basically what they’re saying is if you have an ineligible player, you have to forfeit the entire season. It’s not just the contest. That’s the message I got today, and it’s very, very unfair, and we’re going to appeal.”

Uribe said business as usual will go on for Edcouch-Elsa until its appeal is reviewed. The DEC will submit the necessary paperwork to the school, which then must process it. There is no set timetable for when the matter could be resolved.

“The games will go on, and it’s part of the process,” Uribe said. “If the appeal is won in their favor, then all victories will be reinstated accordingly.”

The Yellowjackets are 2-1 this season, with victories over Weslaco and Laredo Alexander. They open 32-4A play by hosting Roma on Friday.

http://www.themonitor.com/articles/elsa-64159-season-football.html

[zeeman]

Wow, that's a little harsh. Sounds like some of the coaches on the dec had an ax to grind with EE. Gotta love the Valley.

[bigcat8]

this has to set a new precedent. has to be more to this than we are hearing

[Maroon87]

Wow, that's a little harsh. Sounds like some of the coaches on the dec had an ax to grind with EE. Gotta love the Valley.

E-E has dominated that district for many years. I'm sure they weren't gonna pass up a chance to take them out of contention. That's gonna make some of those games even more of a grudge match than they already are....

[raider red 2000]

sucks for the kids, but if the school is already on probation, what should be next????

double secret probation?

[Bull Butter]

What makes it all the more interesting is that the "whistleblower" is former La Villa HC Gene Garza, who is employed at EE as a math teacher. Garza, who has a son that plays for La Maquina is a former E-E assistant who has had many issues with HC Joe Solis, especially when Garza was at La Villa and Solis would deny transfers to nearby LV.

1. Revenge against Solis?...................... Likely
2. Trying to create a HC opening at E-E that could be filled by Garza?.............. Perhaps

[Matthew328]

http://www.themonitor.com/sports/high_school/prepsports/football/article_07705528-092d-11e2-9b20-0019bb30f31a.html

Here's the latest, I know Coach Garza pretty well he strikes me as a man of integrity...I dont think he has eyes on the E-E job because if he did he never would have made this so public

[SintonFan]

Those in the Valley know that you can't keep a secret...

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

There is a lot more to this than what is here in this thread.

Being a moderator over at the 956 boards has it's perks, for sure. But yeah, EE is in a gigantic heap of trouble.

[1stnurseryman]

I work in the valley a lot and according to everyone I've talked to it was just a matter of time for the hammer to come down on them.

[Roughneck93]

Update on the Edcouch-Elsa season...


UIL SEC suspends Solis, orders E-E forfeit non-district games

RGVSports.com | Posted: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 9:53 am
AUSTIN — Once there were no more appeals he could launch — and with very little, if any, support in his defense — Edcouch-Elsa head football coach Joe Solis was left speechless, no longer a coach for the rest of this school year, and possibly longer, after he was dealt a stiff punishment by the University Interscholastic League on Wednesday morning.
Having expressed strong displeasure with Solis throughout the 80-minute session in hearing the coach’s appeal of the 32-4A DEC’s ruling that his program forfeit the entire season for violating the UIL’s weekly eight-hour practice rule in Week 0, the UIL’s State Executive Committee voted unanimously to suspend Solis as coach for the 2012-13 school year and as athletic director for the remainder of the football season.
The SEC also issued a public reprimand, forfeiture of Edcouch-Elsa’s two non-district wins against Weslaco and Laredo Alexander, a three-year probation for Solis, and demanded that superintendent Frank Perez require Solis to follow-up on 7-on-7 summer allegations that E-E involved school personnel and report the findings to UIL compliance director Ed Stidham in 30 days.
“Obviously we understand what the State Executive Committee and how they ruled … we’re disappointed with respect to the actions taken against Coach Solis,” said Gus Acevedo, attorney for Edcouch-Elsa’s school district. “We felt from the very beginning there was this issue of whether these practices were truly voluntary or not, and there’s not a lot of guidance within the rules.
“Coach Solis felt he was operating within the rules. Obviously the state did not feel that way. We respect their decision, and we are pleased we do not have to forfeit our district games. That’s important for the kids.”
Perez, Solis, Solis’ lawyer Daniel Ortiz and Stidham all refused comment afterward, huddling up to discuss matters before walking off briskly to start what would be a longer journey than usual back to the Valley. In regard to who will serve as head coach of Edcouch-Elsa for the time being, nothing was known Wednesday afternoon. Joe Garcia is the program’s defensive coordinator. Solis’ son, Brandon, is its offensive coordinator.
In regard to Solis’ suspension, Acevedo said, “They (the SEC) felt that was fair, and we’ll respect that. Obviously the state committee felt strongly, and we do too.”
Acevedo said the administration and the school board will sit down and decide what to do next in regard to handling Solis.
“The 7-on-7 issue, when we respond to the SEC in 30 days, could affect the long-term employment issue,” Acevedo said.
The SEC on Wednesday went into the meeting focused on two things: whether the infractions actually happened, and the scope of those consequences. By the end of the session, there was no doubt in the committee’s mind violations of the eight-hour rule had been committed.
For days leading up to Wednesday’s meeting, Solis spoke optimistically about the situation because he thought the UIL would be “fair” and “for the kids.” He was essentially correct.
The SEC’s ruling was indeed fair to the Yellowjackets’ student-athletes. They are playoff eligible and still in contention for a district championship with their 4-1 league standing, but now 4-4 overall record.
Solis’ future, however, is not quite as clear.
In session
One by one on Wednesday, the involved parties spoke to the SEC, which consisted of six members of administrators from various school districts throughout the state.
The committee expressed disappointment in Perez handing the initial investigation to Solis, the accused. Perez talked to no coaches, students or parents about the matter, but the committee seemed lenient in dealing with Perez since he has been superintendent for only a few months, though one member did state that Perez “did a woefully poor job of investigating this.”
The committee also was interested in knowing why Gene Garza — the parent who first brought these violations to Solis’ and Perez’s attention in September before taking them to the DEC — brought this up now instead of 2006, when he was aware of these violations in his fourth and final year as an assistant on Solis’ staff. Garza said he did not understand then the protocol in handling the violations, but did say he brought it up to Solis at that time, who reportedly told him it was in his control, not Garza’s.
Garza’s real reason for bringing this up this year was because his son, a junior, is a student-athlete on the team, as well as No. 1 academically in his class. Garza’s argument was the extra hours on the field prevented significant time for studies.
Michael Uribe — 32-4A chairman of the DEC that ruled on Sept. 25 that Edcouch-Elsa forfeit this entire season, which E-E appealed, resulting in Wednesday’s meeting — received praise from the SEC and was told a few times of how “well-stated” his answers were and how thankful it was for his committee’s diligence through the process.
When asked to explain to the SEC the reason behind the significant punishment handed by the DEC, Uribe said: “They (the school principals who voted) felt this was an institutional problem. There was no accountability for guidelines, and principals feel anytime there’s an eligibility issue, or game situation … 100 percent of the time in my four years as athletic director, they’ve been self-reported to the committee.
“In this case, with documentation and questions and discussion, there was no accountability whatsoever.”
One of the committee members, San Antonio ISD athletic director Gil Garza, said he received on Tuesday a very detailed practice schedule from Stidham given by Solis. It was a primary question of Gil Garza’s why Solis chose to present such detailed documentation now instead of not doing it earlier to the DEC, to which Solis presented no practice schedules or outlines when given 10 days to respond to Gene Garza’s allegations.
“That’s what my lawyers told me to take to the (DEC), and then to answer questions from then on,” Solis told the SEC.
Solis still never admitted to wrongdoing on his part. When asked if he felt his team gained an unfair advantage, Solis said “No, we’re doing everything everybody else is doing.”
“If there was anything (violations) that was done, it was done unintentionally,” Solis said more than once.
The SEC didn’t buy it, particularly when Solis went into detail saying athletes in the morning watched film or did weights on their own intention to pass time until 8 a.m. practice, time Solis considered voluntary because those moments were not directed by coaches.
“I find it very difficult to believe that all of this is student-led,” said committee member James Colbert, West Orange-Cove superintendent. “Kids are not going to sit and lead themselves in watching video or doing weights without them being led to do so.
“I’m having a difficult time believing kids are doing this; I think we have to have some ownership.”
When asked, in closing, why he could stand there and tell the SEC there have been no violations, Solis said: “Because, sir, I believe in myself and what I’ve done. I enjoy what I’m doing. If anyone says there have been violations, it was done unintentional.”
Decisions, decisions
When discussing the appropriate consequences for what was presented, the SEC’s thinking was clear.
“In reality, we need to focus our attention on the gentleman who broke the rules, broke the laws,” said committee member Mike Motheral, who acted as a moderator for the session. “There’s no doubt advantage was gained, and some forfeiture is appropriate. I question whether it needed to be throughout the year (as the DEC ruled).
“I believe Coach Solis is the one who needs to receive the brunt of this.”
Motheral’s fellow committee members agreed. There was no dispute in what would serve as the ultimate ruling.
“I have a major issue of kids being penalized for the infractions of an adult,” Colbert said. “Some games forfeited, yes, but an entire season is harsh.
“I’m bothered by the gross negligence of professional duties by the head coach and athletic director.”


http://www.themonitor.com/sports/high_school/article_c77f17d0-236a-11e2-9e63-0019bb30f31a.html