Skyridge High School football is in trouble after self-reporting that it allowed an ineligible player to compete in two state tournament games.
The Utah High School Activities Association on Wednesday night announced that it suspended Falcons coach Justin Hemm for two weeks and two games, and fined the school $3,000 as a result of the violation, citing a “lack of institutional control.” The team was also put on probation for one year, during which time it will take whatever steps are necessary to prevent a recurrence of these infractions.
The Alpine School District did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The last two games for Skyridge were Friday against Pleasant Grove, and Oct. 27 against Farmington. Both of those were playoff wins.
Skyridge could have received more punishment, though. Pleasant Grove High School objected to the initial plan brought forth by the Board of Managers of Region 3, which suggested the coach’s suspension after receiving the school’s report. Pleasant Grove wanted Skyridge to forfeit the Nov. 3 quarterfinal game, which the Vikings lost to the Falcons, 37-30.
The UHSAA’s executive committee held a meeting Wednesday that included officials from Skyridge and Pleasant Grove, the association said, and eventually voted unanimously on the lesser punishment.
The UHSAA released a statement Thursday afternoon explaining its reasoning for not declaring a forfeit for Skyridge. The reason lies in a rule change passed in 2020 that states a school caught using an ineligible player would not have to automatically forfeit a game or vacate wins, awards or championships. Before 2020, the automatic forfeit was in place.
The new rule further states that if a vacated win must take place, it can only happen “when a forfeit cannot practically be applied, such as in a case where an offending team or individual has completed at least the second round of tournament and an opponent could not be advanced without additional competition.”
Skyridge’s playoff wins came in the second and quarterfinal rounds. The UHSAA said that while there has been an argument that Pleasant Grove should have advanced due to Skyridge breaking a rule, Farmington could also make that claim and argue it deserved to compete in the semifinals just as much as Pleasant Grove. Thus, the association went with the decision to suspend Hemm, which is spelled out in its new rule.
“One may object to the decision and the rule, but the Executive Committee provided due process and followed Association bylaws in making that decision,” the association said.
This isn’t the first time this season Skyridge and Pleasant Grove were at odds. Last month, after a contentious overtime home loss, Skyridge fans allegedly threw bottles of liquid at the five referees who worked the game, and one fan allegedly punched one of them. A Utah body of nearly 500 football refs threatened to boycott Skyridge games as a result.
