Archive: Sports

It looked like the Lansing Bobcats Boys Varsity Soccer team was finished for the season.  They had been defeated by Elmira Notre Dame (END) High School's Crusaders, who were slated to challenge Watertown's Immaculate Heart Central team Saturday in Oneanta in the State quarterfinals.  But after Lansing Coach Adam Heck filed a protest END withdrew Wednesday, putting the Bobcats back in the running for the state championship.

In addition to coaching the Bobcats, Heck serves as the IAC boy soccer coordinator and the assistant section IV coordinator.  He said that other Section IV coaches urged him, as coordinator, to file the protest alleging that an ineligible player had participated on the END team throughout the season.  That put Heck in an awkward position, because if END withdrew it would put his own team back into the running.

"As the IAC coordinator, on behalf or the IAC boys soccer coaches, a protest was filed against END for allowing an illegal player to participate throughout the season," explained Lansing School Superintendent Chris Pettograsso Wednesday in an email to local reporters and Lansing school board members.  "This protest was brought to the attention of section IV and IAC well before the sectional championship game last weekend.  We were notified today that END has self-reported that they had an illegal player and have withdrawn.  Due to the withdrawal of END, Lansing will be respresenting section IV in states this Saturday.

The protest was filed last Friday and END announced Wednesday that they would be withdrawing from the state championship.  A hearing was scheduled yesterday in Sydney, NY, the home of Section IV.

"We appreciate processes our in place that support the integrity of interscholastic athletics and the well being of all of our student-athletes," Pettograsso said.

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