bellevue high school football scandal

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. After their work in the back half of the Friday night game, the Bellevue JV made the Monday drive to the Sammamish Plateau, to face off against KingCo 4A opponent Eastlake Wolves. Final score: Wolverines 53, Panthers 12. Photos: William Wang powers No. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. It hid and manipulated scientific and medical research and evidence to hide the price their players were paying on the field due to head injuries. You cheat, you steal, you lie. 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.. Maybe there is some truth to some stories, and maybe it is just random speculation, but it is out there, usually in the private school arena. At the crux of the scandal is a well to-do family that made their money in the trash/waste management industry. football coach makes appeal after ban. Thiel said Goncharoff has been quite vocal about his innocence. 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 . Published: Oct. 14, 2022 at 6:55 PM PDT. All rights reserved. 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. It feels quaint to sit back and watch an old rerun of Friday Night Lights and see some rally girl doing Tim Riggins homework, or a star player finding a mysterious envelope with cash in it. You do what you can to give your kid a leg up because you want him or her on a path that maybe you werent on.. 2023 Bonneville International. Kirsten is also a sports lover. 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. 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. Final score, 49-6, Eastlake. On the shoulders of some hard running by junior Carson Rubin and sophomore Ryken Moon, a long reception by senior Ishaan Daniels, and a heaping helping of stingy defense, Bellevue took a 47-7 lead to the locker room at half time. Every sport has its dark side and high school football in Texas is no exception. In all, six players were connected with 21 robberies that occurred in Carter neighborhoods. November 4, 2022. The second half once again belonged to the youngsters and up-and-comers, who finished strong to the tune of a 56-14 victory. Onside kick with less than 2 minutes to go to setup Scoma winning field goal (Photo credit - Pete Caster / The News Tribune), Luke Scoma converts a must-have onside kick, then boots the game-winning field goal in the reigning Class 3A champions' 22-20 state quarterfinal victory over Gabarri Johnson-led Lincoln of Tacoma, A cadre of Lincoln defenders take down Bellevue running back Blake Tests during the first quarter of a Class 3A state quarterfinal game on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, at the Lincoln Bowl in Tacoma, Wash. PETE CASTER Pete Caster / The News Tribune Read more. "The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), which is the administrative body that governs prep sports hired two investigators who produced a 68-page report that confirmed much of what the Times discovered as well as other things. The families of two other players have described how supporters of the football program had a role in coordinating scholarships for the players. HOME 5-1 AWAY 4-1 NEUTRAL 0-1. In both games, seniors Ishaan Daniels and George Kruger were standouts. Earlier this week, the Bellevue School District requestedan investigation of the football program by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, which governs prep sports in the state. 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. Now, we cannot be completely naive. GSBA, Comcast, and other partners are working to address disparities in access to financial resources with the Ready for Business fund. The scandal rocked the affluent community and brought awareness to steroid use by teens. In 1959, Stamford defeated Brady 19-14 in the state championship. Department of Commerce officials say communities will need diverse housing options in the future as well. But the program's remarkable success has. Junior Carson Rubin was the first to take the spotlight two long runs and two TDs got BHS on the board in Q1. Final score: 48-14, Bellevue. Its no surprise that we tend to have a lot of conversations about entitled young athletes. Or, at the very least, put on administrative leave along with the schools athletic director until a thorough investigation is has been completed into the financial records (who paid what) and academic record of Academic Institute Inc., in Bellevue. KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel says it's a symptom of a much bigger problem.Media Probe. And a large percentage of those kids were athletes," Thiel said. An anonymous tip led the UIL to investigate claims Carters star player, Gary Edwards had failed Algebra and had violated the states No Pass, No Play policy. The events took place under the watch of school district officials who conceded that discounted tuition for athletes would constitute a violation of state athletic rules, a district document shows. Its unfortunate for the kids who played therebut also hard on those who played against Bellevue, too. Bellevue football players worked hard thats how they won. Bellevue has also been the subject of a nearly year-long investigation by the KingCo Conference, the league governing body for high school athletics in King County. After the half, the BHS offense really got rolling, including a 44-yard TD run from junior Blake Teets, a 24-yard TD run from sophomore Ryken Moon, and a screen pass from Razore that junior Cal Zimmerman took 21 yards to pay dirt. Goncharoff got a slap on the wrist, just a two-game suspension for providing cash to a player when he should have been suspended for the season and the school banned from post season play. This was wealth gone greedy., Bellevue football report put asterisk on winning record. A video of Bellevue East High School's 710 ESPN Seattles Danny ONeil thinks the parents are misguided. 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. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps is the traditional American response to anyone who complains about his lot in life. Mind you, this is not the kind of booster club that has bake sales to pay for road trips. Of those 17 boys, seven were Bellevue football players. Many would perhaps have fallen through the cracks had it not been for the help they received when it was obvious to coaches they needed a little boost. 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. Fire them all immediately.. The most successful and the private schools are usually those that get accused. Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. The deluge culminated in a 34-0 halftime lead for BHS. Back to work tomorrow!. From changing grades and playing ineligible players to substance abuse and violence, these five scandals marred the face of the king of all sports in Texas. Video Highlights of State Championship New coaching staff of young alumni lead Bellevue back to state football championship glory OVERALL 9-3 0.75 Win % DISTRICT 6-0 1st3A KingCo. Later, a traffic citation was issued to a Yusef Freeman with an address in SeaTac. Bellevue High is an extremely successful football program. The long-running nature of the corruption uncovered by this investigation could only have occurred with the explicit or tacit approval of Bellevue High Schooland Bellevue School District administrators, as the reportvividly details. Bellevue's head coach and athletic director be fired immediately 2. The Wolverines got off to their usual fast start, with a whopping three rushing touchdowns from Ishaan Daniels, another from Carson Rubin, and a passing TD from Lucas Razore to Hogan Hansen. KingCo reviewed sanctions that Bellevue had proposed for itself in the wake of a 68-page independent report that found wide-ranging rules violations within the program. There are many changes that should be made but they will never happen because our society places much more value on their teams winning than they do on oureducation system., This incident underscores what happens when booster clubs are permitted for specific sports and when those clubs put their own egos and insecurities above the appropriate life lessons to be gained and promoted from participation in school activities. What sanction to impose if they will not resign in disgrace? Bellevue Superintendent Tim Mills says the district will appeal. New coaching staff of young alumni lead Bellevue back to state football championship glory, Back on top: Bellevue beats Kennewick to win 3A state title behind William Wangs 243 yards, Bellevue runs over Marysville-Pilchuck to return to state football championship game, William Wangs career night lifts No. These findings only corroborate what is probably the worst kept secret in the history of high school sports. They were outlandishly gravy training on their 17 or 18 year old kids football ability. Dubbed The Fab Five, McKinney North High Schools Fab Five became the focus of a made for TV movie when photos of the cheerleaders drinking, scantily clad and engaging in risque behavior landed them in hot water with the cheer sponsor. 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. These efforts were and are fully within the rules., The boosters vowed to continue to fight. Found a preponderance of evidence that Bellevue boosters paid the tuition of athletes at The Academic Institute. I think the system is prone to corruption. "The schools want it that way. BELLEVUE, Wash. -- While the Bellevue High football scandal gets sorted out, a forgotten casualty are the players who will experience the looming sanctions and coaching shake-up firsthand.Players . NEWSLINE 425-453-4270. With ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary What Carter Lost screening Aug. 24, audiences are primed to remember the glory and scandal that surrounded Dallas Carter High School's football team nearly 30 . Students at AI a school derided as a diploma mill by two former teachers are still allowed to play on the Bellevue football team. Hogwash! Brick by brick!. For more high school stories, stats and videos, visit http://usatodayhss.com. Fire and fine all involved. The Bellevue High football team is reportedly aided by a diploma mill private school. They say proposed project will negatively impact Minidoka internment camp site. After finding steroids in her sons athletic bag in September of 2004, a Colleyville Heritage mom approached school administrators after verifying the contents through a local drug store. Along the way, competitors have complained that Bellevue was bending the rules. Two former teachers told the Times the Academic Institute doesnt adhere to basic educational standards. Players need a 2.0 GPA with no more than one failing class to compete athletically. Or that they never had homework from that school? All Rights Reserved. This fake news reporting in the media hammered down on the program until the program was literally ripped apart at the seams. As crime increases, our safety measures must too, GSBA is closing the disparity gap with Ready for Business Fund. PF 497 PA 185 STREAK 1L. During one of the meetings with the Times, Freeman said he no longer had a relationship with his father. 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. Police plan football game to send off Bellevue seniors after season An investigation into the allegations by the Dallas Morning News led to the school investigating the claims as well. The ref denied any use of racial slurs during the game. We hear stories about competing schools. Bellevue football banned from postseason for 4 years Coach Kneip said, after the game, What an awesome night to celebrate a group of guys who have given so much to this program! Coach Kneip said after the victory, Amazing atmosphere tonight!! 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. 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. 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. Thanks to state-wide referee shortages, the Wolverines had to reschedule their weekly Friday night appointment to Saturday. The Academic Institute was briefly involved in a athletic district investigation after the family complaint, but no one from the school spoke to investigators. Really? 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. 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.. Hopefully something like that will come out of this mess.". There's just too much 'go along, get along' over the years. There are plenty of opinions during the aftermath of an investigation that found the Bellevue High School football team engaged in potentially illegal recruiting tactics, but one common thread is a lack of shock. The final score is simply listed as Brady 1 Stamford 0 in the states record books. The Times uncovered 17 instances of Bellevue players who attend the Academic Institute, a small private school which does not offer football, in the last seven years. "They also discovered compensation to the head coach, Butch Goncharoff, of $60,000 a year that was well in excess of what the standards are for high school coaches.". A series of three books describing the storied history of the Bellevue High School Football program, and the investigations that surrounded the team from 2006 to 2018. Last year, after a Seattle Times story detailed how numerous Bellevue players had taken classes at The Academic Institute, a private alternative school that former teachers described as a diploma mill, the school district called for an independent investigation. The investigators report and your editorial finally nailed it.. It was so one-sided and evident that something was different about this team in comparison to the other nine teams Liberty played against., For every year they won the state championship, that should be the number of years they are not qualified to compete in theplayoffs. Usain Bolt defeats Justin Gatlin, defends 100-meter title. Bellevue Wolverines Varsity - Bellevue High School Football Tony has been with Last Word on Sports for six years covering college football around the country. McKinney North Principal Linda Thret was the mom of one of the Fab Five and eventually resigned due to mounting pressure over her lack of discipline with the group. Bellevue will be on bye this week, ahead of a Week 9 home game against Hazen to finish off the regular season. I correct you Sir they are in your charge as Student Athletes at Bellevue High School taking a physical education class, thereby bound by all the rules and regulations attendant to participating in any WIAA competitive sport which includes providing financial aid. It was a reminder of the Wolverines glorious past that got them fired up this week thanks to comments from Marysville-Pilchuck star running back Dylan Carson that fueled them for Saturdays matchup. After starting the season in Sports Illustrateds SB Live Top 25, the Wolverines found themselves on the wrong end of two tightly contested losses to start their 2022 campaign. Yes, the Catholic schools do recruit, but they are not funded through public money. Yusef Freeman did not return a call Friday seeking comment on his letter. The Bellevue High (Seattle) football team is reportedly aided through a diploma mill private school, according to an investigation by The Seattle Times. He's not going quietly. Tornados drive 94 yards on 16 plays, capped by Damian Aalona's 1-yard quarterback keeper for a touchdown, to win action-packed Class 3A semifinal game at Art Crate Field. An investigation released Tuesday revealed significant and long-standing violations by the Bellevue High School football program. In 2012, Freeman was among 17 boys pictured in the sophomore, junior and senior pages of an Academic Institute yearbook reviewed by the Times. That's as many as Milwaukee, two more than Indianapolis and Tampa, and six more than Oklahoma City and San Antonio.. The KingCo Conference is a 16-team conference [and] their athletic directors decided some fairly draconian punishments. Bellevue High football: Team reportedly aided by diploma mill - Sports Their punishment is that they will never be remembered well. Final score 42-0. The silver lining from one of the biggest scandals in Texas high school football history is the number of players who went on to continue their football careers in college. The Real Story of The 1988 Carter High Football Team I found this story on USA TODAY High School Sports and wanted to share it with you: While the Institute touts its focus on education at a full-time cost of $1,750 per month two former teachers label Academic Institute a diploma mill that doesnt adhere to basic educational standards. Flashback: Carter High Stripped of 1988 State Title After Win Final score, 59-0, BHS. We asked readers for their thoughts on what repercussions the Bellevue football program should face, as well as what the scandal says about high-school sports. In its report to KingCo, the Bellevue School District acknowledged several violations of rules while disputing other aspects of the independent investigation. I think its terrible when parents get involved and start trying to tilt the playing field for high school sports, he said. Bellevue High School football is banned from postseason play for two years 4. Now we need to do it again! In addition to prohibiting the Bellevue football program from receiving donations, the KingCo committee said: Bellevue is not allowed to play any nonleague football games and will be limited to Class 3A league games for two seasons. I am old enough to remember corruption being the norm in the old Southwest Conference: fake jobs, hundred dollar handshakes and far, far worse. By: Logan Newman, https://usatodayhss.com/2016/bellevue-wash-expected-to-fire-coach-butch-goncharoff-cheating-scandal, Bellevue (Wash.) expected to fire coach at center of alleged football cheating scandal. Im so happy and proud of all of them. Come celebrate Anacortes 11th annual Bier on the Pier! Cheerleaders capture the crowds attention during the game, but one group of Texas high school cheerleaders captured the attention of the entire nation due to their outlandish behavior. Good kids and families participated in Bellevuefootball, but there were also some people who stepped over the line. to Bellevue so college recruiters will notice you; its absurd., An independent investigation found a series of potential violations on the Bellevue High School football program. The Times found at least three instances in which families of players attending the school were either given financial assistance by the team's boosters or didn't pay for the tuition themselves, a violation of state athletic rules. Sports news, analysis, opinions, and rumors. In response to allegations against the Bellevue booster club, KingCo ruled that the Bellevue football program cannot receive any donations for four years, including money, equipment and products from outside entities. Texas HS Football State Champions: 1920-2022, 2022 3A Fan Vote All-Texas High School Football Team, TXHSFB Podcast Championship Edition: Benjamin Mustangs, 2022 2A Fan Vote All-Texas High School Football Team, Texas HS Football Fan Vote Player Of The Year. 5 seeded Wolverines (8-2) walloped No. They said Goncharoff never gave the family money to pay for rent. Touchdowns by Daniels, Hansen, Rubin, Moon, Smith, and Matsudaira. Tacoma WA 98418. The Times uncovered 17 instances. 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. Go re-read this story, and you will have your answers. The Wolverines will face Snohomish High School, at home this Friday, in the Week 10 Crossover round. "This is the most successful athletic program in state history and it's being torn down. KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel says it's a symptom of a much bigger problem.Media Probe Of the 24-23 loss, Coach Kneip said, Theyre a really, really well-coached, high quality program. KingCo will have stricter guidelines and oversight for incoming transfer student-athletes for two years. The team has won 11 state championships in the last 15 seasons. 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.

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bellevue high school football scandal