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Ineligible player costs Lawrence four football wins

Nov 13th, 2008 by Hector Longo

The Cape Ann League Large race, once thought of as a Masconomet lock, is now still up for grabs.
The use of an ineligible player will cost Lawrence High four of its victories, including those over North Andover, Wilmington and Triton.
“We self-reported the problem as soon as we discovered it,” said Lawrence High AD Tim Finn, who noted the player, senior halfback Anthony DeJesus, is in his fifth year of high school, having started his career at Haverhill High, which Lawrence plays this week.
Finn said the school contacted the MIAA but there probably won’t be any appeal process.
DeJesus has been a tremendous success story for the school and the program, going from near high school dropout to an A/B student over the last quarter.
It’s a shame to see the rules detract to a great season overall for the Lancers, who went 3-2 against CAL competition, only to see those wins taken away.
DeJesus has run for 237 yards on 46 carries and caught 19 passes for 290 yards. He has five touchdowns.
Apparently, Lawrence will only forfeit for of its five wins because DeJesus did not play in the victory over Newburyport.
The forfeits now keep the slim title hopes of North Andover (now 2-1) and Wilmington (now 3-1) alive.

North Andover has games with Pentucket and 4-0 Masco left.
Wilmington still has to play Triton.

The first tie-breaker is head-to-head.

In a three-way tie, the second tie-breaker is points surrendered against the other two tied teams.

An updated look at the Cape Ann Large
Masconomet%4-0%6-3
Wilmington%3-1%8-1
North Andover%2-1%4-5
Pentucket%1-2%5-4
Triton%1-2%5-4
Lawrence%0-5%1-8

Posted in Football, Hector Longo, Uncategorized | View Comments

  • Scott

    Shame on you Pete Shanahan! Your inept Guidance Department sends over a a transcript that has him as a junior and you wait until the week you play the Lancers to say he is ineligible. Shame!, Shame!, Shame!

  • Scott

    Shame on you Pete Shanahan. Your school reports that he is a junior then the week before you play the Lancers you report that he is ineligible. Shame! Shame!

  • TJ

    Does anyone even care about the poor kid who has turned his life around? Obviously no one is thinking about Anthony DeJesus!!! If Haverhill didn’t have their heads in their ass then maybe the transcipts would of been correct last year when Anthony transferred. Don’t try and bring down a program that is on the rise, just because Haverhill’s football program is on the outs!! Lawrence has a football coaching staff that has put their hearts and souls into turning this program around by running a speed camp, holding study halls, having a weight program, and working to get scholarships for college, for their players (maybe that should be recognized). Who would wait to the week before the Lawrence – Haverhill game to bring this up, but COWARDS from Haverhill. Things will never change!!! Maybe Haverhill should start worrying about their own program before they start worrying about others.

  • Randy

    I agree with the idea that there is some malice here on the Hillies part.

    If it smells like a rat and looks like a rat, it’s a rat.

    I’ve heard rumors (before I read it here) that his transcripts were wrong. If so, SHAME ON HAVERHILL. Maybe they should forfeit their wins … oh wait, I guess that means they have to giveup their win over Malden, a glorified pop warner team.

    Great job Hillies — here’s to hoping you NEVER WIN ANOTHER GAME!

  • Sean

    Timmy Finn has to step up and defend the school on this one. I know he is new and is trying to play the company role but, sometimes you can make a mark by defending your self. I think if enough people deemand the facts the real truth will come out.

  • Jimmy G

    “Scholarship here, no scholarship there. Who the hell gave you that kind of power? Your’re not God, Nickerson. You’re just a high school typing teacher!”

  • Dave

    What about the player himself?
    Did he not remember playing his Fr season or even going to school that year? I don’t have a dog in the fight but it seems pretty petty to blame on the other school when he knows he is in his 5th yr of HS.

  • Not Surprised

    Are all you people CRAZY! He was a Senior transfer – RED FLAG, RED FLAG!!!!- It is the AD’s job (one of his only besides scheduling buses) to check eligibility. NO ONE ELSES. If a SENIOR transfers you need to triple check everything. Here we go again it is not Lawrence’s fault, lets point the finger somewhere else. HAVERHILL IS NOT(I must stress IS NOT) RESPONSIBLE FOR LAWRENCE ATHLETES. The Lawrence AD and coaches are! How does the tribune write an arcticle three weeks ago about the kid and know he is a fifth year senior but the AD and coaches where he plays don’t know it. Look in the mirror Lawrencians. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AND YOUR FAULT THE SEASON TURNED OUT THE WAY IT HAS. But I bet in typical Lawrence fashion no-one is held responsible. That is why Lawrence is Lawrence and will always be Lawrence.

  • Hector Longo

    Please folks, remember, this is an 18-year-old kid and a fairly sensitive subject.
    State your case, but keep it classy and above-board.
    The kid has turned his life around and football helped him for the future.
    This whole thing is a shame, because it clouds the strides a kid like this has made.
    Yes, the timing of this coming out is putrid.
    But it’s a rule. All will suffer.
    And to Jimmy G. I bring up my favorite quarterback, the Rifleman.
    “He always wanted to go to West Virginia.”
    Best sports movie of all time.

  • Not Surprised

    I hope thats not for me Hector. I feel bad for the kid. If the person or people who were supposed to do their job, DID IT. the kid would be playing. Lawrence never gets a waiver rejected. That could be a topic for another time.

  • Scott

    Haverhill provided a transcript that stated he was a junior. He got into trouble and spent time in a Department of Youth Services program for a good 8 months and when he got out he transferred to LHS. Haverhill contacted Lawrence this week and said oh by the way you must count the time in DYS as educational time (5 years of high school). If you don’t report we will was the ultimatum. What Lawrence did with this information is another deal.

  • carlos

    Hey scott how do you know all this information do u have to do anything with this and anyways the score was 46-12 and that all that counts they didnt want Anthony to play to he didnt and look they got the worst out of it

  • Jimmy G.

    Rumor has it Brian Riley was going to go to USC if he could maintain his 2.0 GPA. It’s a shame he had to settle for a Pittsburgh honeymoon instead.

  • not surprised

    “You can take away our wins but you can’t take away our pride.”
    THEY DON”T GET IT!!! They screwed up, not Haverhill! Why not be role models and show young men that when you make mistakes you step up to the plate and take responsibility. Nope not in Lawrence, point your fingers, dance in the endzone and get a fifteen yard penalty. Awesome! And the AD who at least has taken a little responsibility for the debacle doesn’t even tell his coach to keep his mouth shut and not embarass the CITY any more. What goes on there? TheCape Ann league must be doing cartwheels that this is Lawrence’s last year in the league. They have not been competitive, they bring no crowds to their games, and now, when they manage to win a few games, we find out they did it with an illegal player and screw up the leagues Super Bowl bid. It was a nice experiment but don’t let the door hit you on the backside. MVC AD’s must be sick to their stomachs that they are coming back. Where is the tribune’s editorial board on this?

  • good fan

    not surprised go screw urself how does lawrence not bring crowds. were you there at the haverhill game when lawrence had more fans that haverhill. also lawrence destroyed haverhill and coach yameen is a better coach than briggs from haverhill who is a coward along with the city and the players. 46-12

  • granitom

    As a fan of neither Haverhill nor Lawrence I must side with Dave. I’ve witnessed the coaches at Lawrence doing great work with these kids, but at some point kids need to take some responsibility for themselves. There are meetings held before every season where all the eligibility rules are spelled out along with consequences for violations. I’m sure this is a good kid and it clearly is a nice story, but wouldn’t every coach love to have fifth-year seniors?

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