Lots of work to be done to get where we want to be, though. A third player whose family couldnt afford the steep tuition said he attended Academic Institute for two years without knowing who picked up the tab. And a large percentage of those kids were athletes," Thiel said. An interception by Caymus Rooney sealed the first half, 34-7 in favor of Bellevue. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. The Colleyville Heritage Steroid Scandal. The scandal rocked the affluent community and brought awareness to steroid use by teens. Bellevue High School in Bellevue, Washington is one of the most successful high school football programs in the country, with 11 state titles in 15 years, a 67-game winning streak covering some of that period and a national footprint that has had them playing on ESPN . Mostly because they were too busy taking advantage of the whole in the system for their own benefit. Goncharoff released a statement after KingCos sanctions were handed down. JV Head Coach Danny Salonen was upbeat after the game, we never like to lose games like this, there are plenty of fundamentals on both sides of the ball that need cleaning up, but I cant imagine a better opportunity for our young guys and newer players to play a ton of football. Carter High in Dallas took the state championship in 1988, but this new film about the team is not all about victory. How did parents never ask how their kid had so much walking around money? Top-ranked Bellevue defeated Marysville Pilchuck, 27-3, in the 3A state football semifinals on Nov. 27 at Memorial Stadium in Seattle. Come one, come all! The booster club should be disbanded. An Auburn woman has won the $754.6 million Powerball jackpot. He can also be found on twitter @tonybruin, Unrecognizable U.S. Mens National Team Defeats Costa Rica, NBA Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers win Game 3 Convincingly over Golden State Warriors. The newspaper further documented its original article: The parents of a former Bellevue High School football player have disputed their sons account of his time on the team, calling a Sunday Seattle Times articleon the subject false and misleading.. Discretely paid for by the booster club. Agreed with Bellevues conclusions that athletes used false addresses to gain eligibility, and that payments were made to coaches without approval from the school district. Washington state wants to be a leader in climate change, but I sense that the voters are not as concerned about that these days. Rantz says he doesnt blame the parents whatsoever. At least 42 transfer students contributed to Bellevue's football team from 2008 to 2015, according to the report, for a program that has reached 13 Class 3A state championship games in the past. We hear stories about competing schools. The train wreck at Bellevue may be symbolic of much that is wrong with high school and college athletics and the creation of the entitled teenager and the grotesque flow of money into amateur sports. When I saw the David Horsey cartoon, light rail ambassadors inviting a fentanyl-smoking passenger to leave, I lost it, says a listener. Freemans parents, Yusef and Allona, wrote in a letter this week to the school district that their son lived in the Bellevue attendance area. A video of Bellevue East High School's You depend on KNKX for trusted, in-depth local news, music by knowledgeable hosts and enlightening NPR programs. KingCo will vacate Bellevues conference titles if the WIAA determines that state championships should be forfeited. The players reportedly got the steroids from a dealer named Big Mike who was a fitness trainer. Bellevue High's football squad completed an undefeated season by winning the 3A state championship with a 17-13 triumph over Kennewick High on Dec. 4 at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup. At the crux of the scandal is a well to-do family that made their money in the trash/waste management industry. I have known athletes who have told of offers made by colleges.
Bellevues head coach and athletic director be fired immediately, 2. Bellevue High is an extremely successful football program. Fire them all immediately.. The players reportedly said the refereewas using racial slurs and said they were instructed to hit the ref by their coach, Mack Breed. Bellevue Superintendent Tim Mills says the district will appeal. BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Bellevue High School football coach Butch Goncharoff told the school board Tuesday that an investigation of the football . Who do these kids think they are? What makes them think they are so deserving? You know what? The No. As reported by the Seattle Times, which has led the investigation of the Bellevue scandal throughout, the Bellevue program made at least $175,000 in payments to on leave head football coach Butch . Courtesy of Stephanie Ault Justus. The second half once again belonged to the youngsters and up-and-comers, who finished strong to the tune of a 56-14 victory. The players were ejected from the game, suspended and an investigation launched. Armstead is also in the New York Giants Ring of Honor. It starts with having no sports-specific booster clubs and school administrators having the courage and will to take responsibility for sustaining integrity rather than empty victories. The defense continued their stifling business, while the offense added a 27-yard Lucas Razore-to-Hogan Hansen TD, and a 39-yard Daniels TD run, leading to a comfortable first quarter lead. Amazing game and ending for Bellevue Wolverines,
And the idea that you need to move from wherever you live Carnation, Concrete, etc. A KingCo committee came down hard on Bellevue football Tuesday, banning the program from postseason play and prohibiting outside donations for four years. Despite the short week, the Wolverines came out fast against a spirited Islander squad, thanks to TDs from Ishaan Daniels, Carson Rubin, and Kaden Matsudaira, culminating in a 35-0 halftime lead. Yes, they broke the rules to get them on the team. Coach Salonen said, We feel incredibly lucky to have the numbers to support a JV program this year, we love seeing the additional reps these players are getting, and the improvement that comes with those reps.. And we wonder where entitled athletes come from? Butch Goncharoff is banned from coaching in Washington State, 3. If youre a Pac-12 talent, you are going to jump off the page at recruiters, he said. Just one play into Hazens opening drive, senior Joel Schneider made an acrobatic interception, which moments later led to a sight thats become the terror of KingCo 3A: an Ishaan Daniels long run and touchdown this time from 63 yards. An investigation into the allegations by the Dallas Morning News led to the school investigating the claims as well. Varsity takes the field this Saturday (10/8) at Juanita, at 7pm, while the JV will face Juanita at home the following Monday. "This issue with Bellevue has been around for many years. Dinner and dancing may have been the order of the day on Saturday, but on Friday night, Wolverine students packed the stands to see the Bellevue High football team demolish their crosstown rival Newport Knights. Embattled Bellevue High School football coaches took another hit Friday as an executive board made up of high school principals increased penalties for the head . Instead, athletes became eligible to play for the football powerhouse by traveling to a Bellevue office park for classes at an obscure, 40-student private school: The Academic Institute, Inc. However, the victory only lasted five months when the school became the first in the state to have their title taken from them. Any booster associated with this mess be banned from any financial or booster club membership for two years. Sat Nov 26 L . This isnt a player finding $100 cash in his locker. Editors note: The following is an excerpt from the Seattle Times article of Aug. 23 detailing alleged improper practices within the Bellevue High football program: Bellevue High School has established itself as one of the premier prep football programs in the nation with 11 state titles in the past 15 years. The second half would be spent in running clock, ending in a final of 54-13. Probation: Bellevue athletic department is on probation for four years. Members of the booster club have criticized the investigation, which was conducted bytwo former federal prosecutors hired by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). Bellevue High School offered a Physical Education program (football) not offered by this sham institution. These are the kinds of challenges we look for., Then, this past Friday, the Wolverines made the long drive up to Lake Stevens High School, home of the preseason 4A #1 Vikings. When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. The schools don't want to arm the WIAA with investigatory powers. Bellevue Highs football squad completed an undefeated season by winning the 3A state championship with a 17-13 triumph over Kennewick High on Dec. 4 at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup. During that conversation on Sunday, Freeman reaffirmed the other aspects of his account. The donors and contributors to this school should be identified. An independent investigation found a series of violations at the powerhouse football program, including that coaches directed athletes to attend the school, that boosters paid for athletes tuition, that false addresses were used to gain eligibility and that coaches coordinated tuition payments for athletes. Bellevue can appeal the sanctions to KingCo principals within five school days, then can appeal to the executive board of the SeaKing District and ultimately to the executive board of the WIAA. In 2012, Freeman was among 17 boys pictured in the sophomore, junior and senior pages of an Academic Institute yearbook reviewed by the Times. "They said four years of probation for the entire athletic department, a four-year ban for football on postseason play, and also non-conference play, as well as inviting any out-of-state opponents to play Bellevue High School. That probe confirmed some of the problems that The Times found and also detailed other issues, including families that had used false addresses to gain eligibility, a school district that had obstructed the investigation and evidence that Goncharoff had been paid beyond the bounds of WIAA rules. Of the 24-23 loss, Coach Kneip said, Theyre a really, really well-coached, high quality program. They scammed the system and stole the opportunities of hometown players, stoleplayers from schools that could have used the talent to grow their ownteams, and stole titles from teams that they played. The movie portrayed the girls as ruthless in their quest to run the school. Our guys played pretty well, its just about getting better., Then, on Monday, the LW JV made the opposite trip, visiting BHS. Next stop for the Wolverines (13-0) is the state championship game the Gridiron Classic versus Kennewick at noon on Dec. 4 at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup. Bellevue will be on bye this week, ahead of a Week 9 home game against Hazen to finish off the regular season. Records reviewed by the Seattle Times, however, show that Freemans father has had a home address in Auburn. They said Goncharoff never gave the family money to pay for rent. A native of Southern California, now living in North Carolina, he has been working in broadcast, print and digital media for nearly 30 years. Sophomore Ollie Sharp, and freshmen Max Jones also found the end zone, en route to a 46-7 Bellevue win, capping their first JV tour in years. Jessie Armstead, played for Miami and was the 207th pick in the 8th round of the 1993 NFL draft. Final score: Wolverines 53, Panthers 12. Now lets see a similar investigation into sports programs at every private high school in the state to determine just how many of their players parents are paying full tuition. This has been, I dont want to say an open secret, but Im not surprised by the investigation, ONeil told Seattles Morning News. What is your main job as a parent? Bellevue High School Football Share this Team > Regular Season . One family complained their son was told his scholarship at the Institute would be revoked if he stopped playing football at Bellevue. Copyright 2023, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy, A Grip on Sports: The action, good and bad, hits a little closer to home today, ESPN analysts expect 'rocking' Kennel for GameDay show, 'heavyweight fight' in Gonzaga-Saint Mary's nightcap , 'Growing up I can say I fell victim to being a Gonzaga fan.' I have been watching professional and college sports for more than 40 years, and have been covering college football for Last Word on Sports for two years. Nobody is talking about the kids who lived in-district whose spots were taking by athletic carpetbaggers., Sothe investigation found that, among other things, Bellevue boosters paid tuitionfor some players to attend an alternative school (just like many kids do) in order to receive instruction, compatible with their learning styles,that they needed to improve their academic standing. All told, a 42-0 first half lead. Staff reporter Mike Baker contributed to this report. Tacoma WA 98418. ", "Pretty serious stuff," Thiel said. Food, Drink, and Coastal Christmas Anacortes has it all. (Image courtesy Bellevue Wolverines Facebook), (Image courtesy Bellevue Wolverines Facebook). Or that they never had homework from that school? But the programs remarkable success has depended, in part, on players who werent actually Bellevue High students. Im so happy and proud of all of them. We love to see the kids have fun and play ball. Led by senior running back William Wang as the wrecking ball of destruction in Bellevues vaunted Wing-T rushing attack, the Wolverines dogged Rainier Beach all night on the ground in a 56-22 triumph on Friday night in Class 3A state quarterfinals at Bellevue High School, Highlights of Bellevue's 56-22 win over Rainier Beach in the quarterfinals of the 3A State Playoffs. Bellevue High School has the most successful football program in state history - winning 11 titles in the last 15 years. She has worked in news radio for more than 30 years. He is now on administrative leave while this is adjudicated.". Usain Bolt defeats Justin Gatlin, defends 100-meter title. School District officials are planning to fire the head coach, Bellevue coaches clearly violated eligibility rules for years, Clemson gets commitment from 4-star North Cobb RB David Eziomume, Vermont HS girls basketball team forfeits rather than face transgender opponent, USA TODAY Sports Super 25 high school basketball rankings, week of Feb. 27, 2023, Sierra Canyon 4-star small forward AJ Swinton commits to Virgnia Tech, Imhotep Institute CB Kenny Woseley names top 4 schools, commitment date, Centennial boys basketball 3-peats as champions with buzzer-beater dunk, 'The Last of Us' actor, deaf youth hockey player meets Alexander Ovechkin in heartwarming video, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He's not going quietly.
Final score, 59-0, BHS. KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel says it's a symptom of a much bigger problem.Media Probe The Times uncovered 17 instances. The investigation was prompted, in part, by an exposure in the Seattle Times last summer that found an underbelly of fraudulent academics, illegal recruiting and of course, money. Bellevue is a public school district. 2023 Bonneville International. All the coaches involved should lose their jobs and be required to return any money they received that was above the amount they were legally entitled to. 9-0 on the season, BACK ON TRACK! Updated: 7:13 PM PDT July 8, 2016. And oh, by the way, how is it fair that a public school has limits on the geographic locations of its players homes,but private schools players can live anywhere? Head coach Butch Goncharoff has been fired. The Bellevue High School administrators who allowed this to happen should also face the loss of jobs or demotions. "This is the most successful athletic program in state history and it's being torn down. By, Its almost like a cult. Activists shout down rural renewable energy projects, Amazon pauses construction in Virginia on its second headquarters, Dam owner guilty in field turf pollution of Puyallup River, First auction held for licenses to pollute in Washington, How this year's Selma Bridge Crossing could mark a community renaissance, Russia's foreign minister gets laughed at over Ukraine remarks at a global conference, Students learn lessons on climate change, pollution through raising salmon. The Academic Institute was briefly involved in a athletic district investigation after the family complaint, but no one from the school spoke to investigators. Department of Commerce officials say communities will need diverse housing options in the future as well. Other families allegedly acquired apartments within the schools boundaries, with the rent being paid by boosters. PF 497 PA 185 STREAK 1L. John Connors told supporters over the weekend that litigation may be necessary to protect the program, Seattle Times story detailed how numerous Bellevue players had taken classes at The Academic Institute, a private alternative school. Goncharoff built Bellevue into a football dynasty. Part of Darien Freemans account, however, is corroborated by documents reviewed by the Seattle Times. Yusef Freeman did not return a call Friday seeking comment on his letter. A committee of athletic directors from KingCo cited in its report a preponderance of evidence that violations had occurred. And the district has cut ties with longtime assistant coach Pat Jones. 5. Players attend the school for academics but are allowed to play football at Bellevue if they live in the proper district. Saint Mary's guard Logan Johnson knows both sides of the Zags-Gaels rivalry, 35-year-old loved his dog, the outdoors and his mother who is accused of killing him, Accused killer returns to Spokane to face murder charge in 40-year-old South Hill cold case. Darien Freeman has not returned multiple messages left for him last week. Which spelled out who could live in certain neighborhoods. If that wasnt enough, the main boosters involved are discussing suing the conference over the penalties and coach Goncharoff says he has been set up. Now we have to keep the focus going next week for playoffs.. The Bellevue grads on staff are Jake Hiller (2010, offensive line coach), Morgann Richey (2014, offensive line), Ryan Gilbert (2015, defensive backs), Jack Michael (2015, defensive backs), Matt Gilbert (2012, defensive coordinator), AJ Kneip (2016, offensive line/strength coach), Miles Carlson (2016, defensive back), Quinn Sullivan (2018, linebackers), Joe Razore (1997, offensive coordinator), Cam Johnson (1999, wide receivers), Peter Nguyen (2009, wide receivers) and Jojo Connor (2010, quarterbacks).