The nationally ranked Nazareth girls basketball team’s season could be in jeopardy.
The defending New York State Federation Class AA champion is being investigated by CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens for using an ineligible player in three recent leagues games, sources told The Post. The penalty for such a violation, by league rules, would be the forfeit of those three games, the remainder of the season – including playoffs – and the dismantling of the program next year or longer.
Brittney Jackson, a freshman transfer from Mary Louis, competed in contests against Bishop Ford, Mary Louis and St. Francis Prep, sources said. Nazareth never cleared Jackson through the CHSAA Eligibility and Infractions Committee, the sources said, like it did with its four other transfers this season.
The Brooklyn school is saying it didn’t do anything wrong and that Jackson was, indeed, eligible.
According to sources, Jackson left Mary Louis the first week of November without having played a game for the Hilltoppers. A league eligibility rule states, “in order to compete, an athlete must be enrolled during the first 15 days of the semester and the first 15 days of the season,” criteria which Jackson met recently. However, the league committee never cleared her as a transfer student, sources said.
Nazareth co-coach Lauren Best maintains that her school followed everything under the league’s constitution and bylaws regarding the situation and that the rules do not read that a freshman transfer must go through the committee.
“Brittney is different because she’s a freshman,” Best said. “She’s never played anywhere else. She was never on any roster for any other school. She transferred to Nazareth before the season started. The process was different because of that.”
There is precedence to go through the committee, though. Christ the King did that two years ago when Taylor Butigian transferred from Stella Maris in October, sources said. She was cleared and allowed to play in the second semester.
Jackson’s name was erased from the scorebook before a game Saturday against Christ the King and she did not play that day. CK coach Bob Mackey said he would turn that issue over to the league, but declined comment regarding anything else.
CHSAA girls Brooklyn/Queens president Denise Hillig did not return multiple phone messages from The Post. Mary Louis coach/athletic director Joe Lewinger refused to comment, saying only that he did not file a complaint with the league about this matter. Ford athletic director Pete Goyco did not return calls for comment.
“Our athletic director, Rochelle Murphy, is very particular about rules,” Best said. “She’s very organized. She knows rules.”
In the fall, the Bishop Kearney girls soccer team had to forfeit games and the remainder of its season when a junior transfer from Notre Dame of Manhattan was mistakenly allowed to play. The league suspended the squad for its last three games and the playoffs. Kearney will be allowed to compete next year, because athletic director Anthony Troiano approached the league about the mistake, Hillig said at the time.
Jackson started against Mary Louis, but saw limited time, sources said. She played sparingly against Ford, saw significant minutes against St. Francis Prep (scoring points in that game) and competed in non-league games in January, the sources said. Nazareth is scheduled to host Bishop Loughlin on Tuesday night and face unbeaten Manasquan (N.J.) Sunday at the Mecca Challenge in The Bronx.
The investigation comes during a divisive time in the league. The Eligibility and Infractions Committee recommended Friday that Christ the King and Bishop Ford forfeit their first meetings with Nazareth, games they refused to play following Nazareth coach Apache Paschall’s death Jan. 3. Ford and CK administrations felt the games were too soon after the coach’s passing.
Christ the King also believed Paschall would be buried Jan. 7, the day of its game with Nazareth. The Ford game was slated for Jan. 5. A final ruling on this matter will be made Wednesday by the principals committee. Nazareth wanted to play both contests, because the administrations, coaches and players felt it would have been what Paschall wanted.
By rule, a forfeiture of a league game means a team will be suspended for the rest of the season, but it’s up to the Eligibility and Infractions Committee and the principals to interpret and apply the rules on a case by case basis.
Nazareth was also investigated last year by the league for alleged recruiting violations, but was eventually cleared of wrongdoing before the Lady Kingsmen went up to Albany and captured their first-ever Federation title. Naz, loaded with Division I players, was ranked No. 1 in the country by ESPN in the preseason.
“Our program has been through enough,” Best said. “You can leave these kids alone. Let them play.”