High school football: UHSAA to reveal decisions on East, Timpview cases

MIDVALE — The East football team battled for its season in its second disciplinary hearing in two days, and then the top-ranked 4A team lost its first game to last year's champion Logan.

A panel made up of executive committee members representing the Utah High School Activities Association deliberated for nearly 41/2 hours Wednesday before adjourning without revealing their decision on two different cases — one regarding top-ranked East and the other in reference to second-ranked Timpview.

The panel plans to release a decision regarding both East and Timpview football programs, and their admission that they used ineligible players this season in writing on Thursday morning, according to UHSAA attorney Mark Van Wagoner.

The hearing was convened so the disciplinary action taken by each school's region could be discussed. The panel has the option of affirming or altering the penalties imposed by the regions.

The panel heard the details of the East case first, and Woods Cross principal John Haning, the Region 6 chair, reported on the disciplinary action taken and what the rationale was for the punishments. The penalties included a two-game suspension for head coach Brandon Matich, a $1,500 fine, one-year probation and training for all East coaches and administrators. Matich was allowed to coach Wednesday night as the case was under review, said Van Wagoner.

In that hearing, East athletic director Kathy Butler took responsibility for the mistakes, explaining each one and her rationale. She also announced that she'd resigned her position at the school, something not previously announced.

"I did make the mistakes," Butler said. "It's my fault. There is a lot of gray area. I will be resigning."

After that presentation, Willie Penrod, the chairman of Region 8 board of managers, reported on two cases involving ineligible players at Timpview. The first was a player who played at Westlake and then transferred to Timpview without submitting the proper transfer paperwork. In that case, the region decided to vacate every region win from last season and to strip the school of its 2011 region title.

The second case was presented to the board of managers on Oct. 16, and it involved a player who moved to Utah from Hawaii in January 2012. He enrolled at Timpivew and then transferred to Independence High, the district's alternative school. He then re-enrolled at Timpview and never filled out transfer paperwork because he failed to indicate that he'd played at another high school in the paperwork he submitted to Timpview officials.

"This was also debated, including forfeitures, and a final decision was to (deny) this player eligibility and fine the school $1,500," Penrod said.

Timpview principal Todd McKee said the school had been through three athletic directors in three years, and Penrod pointed out that this would never have come to light if McKee hadn't gone back and double-checked every single player on the team.

"We were led to believe he was living with his parents when he wasn't," said McKee.

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