From Deseret News archives:
High-flying player grounded after transfer to Copper Hills
W. Jordan coach is blamed as John Mahe sits out senior year
John Mahe is practicing with the Copper Hills team but is prohibited from playing in the games by Utah High School Athletic Association rules. He and his family say the boy's senior year of football was stolen by a disgruntled West Jordan coach.
West Jordan coach Mike Morgan says rules are rules if you switch schools because of athletics, you have to sit out a year.
"I just wanted to play football," says John Mahe from his home near the foot of the Oquirrh Mountains. "We didn't move here because of football, but I really wanted to play my senior year."
With the state's open enrollment policy for high schools, any student can transfer schools. Controversy can arise when a young person changes schools and tries to play sports at the new venue.
The process for transferring eligibility is straightforward: the student must be enrolled at the new school for a transfer to be considered. The UHSAA evaluates the application. If it has nothing to do with athletics, eligibility is usually approved, says UHSSA director Evan Excell. "Our system is pretty good about giving kids a chance," he says.
But if anyone objects to the transfer as happened in John Mahe's case a full panel is convened to consider the request. If the panel decides the student's transfer was not due to athletics as the Mahe family alleges the student can play sports. If the panel decides the student athlete did move for athletics, he has to sit out a year.
Mahe's was one of six football transfers considered by UHSAA since May, according to Excell.
And there are two very different sides to the story about why Mahe transferred into the Copper Hills boundaries.
Mahe says his parents bought a house two blocks from the school and that the family moved for financial reasons. "We decided I can walk to school and walk back home," his application states.
Meleane Mahe, affirmed finances, not football, were at the root of the reason for her son's new address. "We didn't know it was going to go this bad for him," she said.
Comments
John Mahe is the nephew of former BYU star Reno Mahe, currently an NFL player. After transferring from West Jordan, John Mahe is a senior at Copper Hills High School this year. The Utah High School Activities Association rejected his transfer, saying that it was for athletic reasons. Therefore, he isn't permitted to play this year.
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