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UIL State Executive Committee to Meet
Eleven San Marcos HS Football Players Appeals for Varsity Play…
AUSTIN, Texas — The State Executive Committee of the University Interscholastic League will convene at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, October 13, via teleconference to determine the eligibility of student-athletes. It will be available Live on the UIL State Executive Committee Page.
In August, the 27-6A DEC recommended that 16 San Marcos student-athletes be ruled ineligible for UIL competition — 11 of whom came from the same AAU Football team — after transferring for primarily athletic purposes, previously, handed down suspensions for San Marcos CISD head football coach John Walsh and a two-year playoff ban for the Rattlers’ football program. The UIL State Executive Committee overturned the 27-6A decision and gave Walsh public reprimand and placed him on probation and did not ban the football program from playoff contention.
Now, eleven San Marcos HS football players are appealing their cases stating that they did not transfer for athletic purposes. In Section 409 of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules states that recruiting “is not only a violation by the student who has been recruited,” but also “the school and/or school district personnel who recruited the student.”
UIL rules and regulations also state that the burden of proof regarding eligibility rests with individual students. In other words, players appealing their eligibility are considered ineligible by the UIL until proven otherwise.
Players who transfer to any school in Texas must have a PAPF participation form filled out by previous school and that coach can either sign off or deem that the player transferred for athletic purposes. According to the 27-6A executive committee, the 16 players who did transferred came from high schools like Converse Judson, Canyon Lake, Jourdanton, Schertz Clemens, San Antonio Madison, San Antonio Sam Houston, San Antonio Wagner and Wimberley. If a player is ruled ineligible because of athletic purposes, that player must then sit out 365 days from varsity play. They can still play freshmen or junior varsity sports.
The Rattlers (3-3, 1-0) opened District 27-6A with a win over Shertz Clemens last Friday and will play Cibolo Steele (6-0, 1-0) this week.
UIL issued public reprimands to Rattlers’ assistant coach Earl Anderson and San Marcos athletic director/head football coach John Walsh at a UIL State Executive hearing but were not suspended and placed on probation. However, the UIL State Executive Committee could revisit this case if other findings occurred, violating UIL guidelines. Walsh came to San Marcos HS after leading
Denton Guyer HS to two UIL State football titles in his 14 seasons at the helm of the Wildcats. In that span, Walsh compiled a 131-56 record.
A schedule of Thursday’s hearing follows:
Hearing (AA-KK)
8:30 a.m.
AA.
San Marcos High School: Appeal of District 27-6A Executive Committee Decision Regarding Eligibility of a Student-Athlete, Section 443, Changing Schools for Athletic Purposes.
9:00 a.m.
BB.
San Marcos High School: Appeal of District 27-6A Executive Committee Decision Regarding Eligibility of a Student-Athlete, Section 443, Changing Schools for Athletic Purposes.
9:30 a.m.
CC.
San Marcos High School: Appeal of District 27-6A Executive Committee Decision Regarding Eligibility of a Student-Athlete, Section 443, Changing Schools for Athletic Purposes.
10:00 a.m.
DD.
San Marcos High School: Appeal of District 27-6A Executive Committee Decision Regarding Eligibility of a Student-Athlete, Section 443, Changing Schools for Athletic Purposes.
10:30 a.m.
EE.
San Marcos High School: Appeal of District 27-6A Executive Committee Decision Regarding Eligibility of a Student-Athlete, Section 443, Changing Schools for Athletic Purposes.
11:00 a.m.
FF.
San Marcos High School: Appeal of District 27-6A Executive Committee Decision Regarding Eligibility of a Student-Athlete, Section 443, Changing Schools for Athletic Purposes.
12:30 p.m.
GG.
San Marcos High School: Appeal of District 27-6A Executive Committee Decision Regarding Eligibility of a Student-Athlete, Section 443, Changing Schools for Athletic Purposes.
1:00 p.m.
HH.
San Marcos High School: Appeal of District 27-6A Executive Committee Decision Regarding Eligibility of a Student-Athlete, Section 443, Changing Schools for Athletic Purposes.
1:30 p.m.
II.
San Marcos High School: Appeal of District 27-6A Executive Committee Decision Regarding Eligibility of a Student-Athlete, Section 443, Changing Schools for Athletic Purposes.
2:00 p.m.
JJ.
San Marcos High School: Appeal of District 27-6A Executive Committee Decision Regarding Eligibility of a Student-Athlete, Section 443, Changing Schools for Athletic Purposes.
2:30 p.m.
KK.
San Marcos High School: Appeal of District 27-6A Executive Committee Decision Regarding Eligibility of a Student-Athlete, Section 443, Changing Schools for Athletic Purposes.
The UIL State Executive Committee meeting is an open meeting, and all interested parties are welcome. (HSSMImages/San Marcos ISD)