Archbishop Murphy High School's football team has been ordered to forfeit three wins after the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association upheld an eligibility ruling tied to a player who transferred from Woodinville over the offseason and had ties to a 7-on-7 football program. Despite the penalty, the defending Class 2A state champion Wildcats remain eligible for the postseason and have advanced to the Round of 32.
What the WIAA Decided
According to heraldnet.com, the WIAA Executive Board determined that an individual from a 7v7 football program's involvement in a student transfer was sufficient to apply WIAA Handbook 18.12.5, upholding the forfeitures on October 29. The forfeited contests include wins over Bellingham, Sehome and Burlington-Edison, while the team's loss to Anacortes remains on the books as a loss. Published reports disagree on the final record: heraldnet.com reports it moved from 6-1 overall and 5-1 in the Northwest Conference 2A to 3-4 and 2-4, while cascadiadaily.com reports the record dropped from 7-1 to 2-4.
The Wesco Conference first found the Wildcats guilty of breaking the eligibility rule on September 30, cascadiadaily.com reports. The ineligible player transferred to Archbishop Murphy from Woodinville during the offseason, and the forfeitures affected the four games in which that player took part, per the same heraldnet.com account.
Probation and Compliance Training Ordered
Beyond the forfeitures, the WIAA placed Archbishop Murphy's athletic department on probation for one year, running through October 29, 2027, according to heraldnet.com. The school's athletic director must also complete WIAA-approved compliance training before the end of the current school year, the same report states.
Despite the sanctions, the Wildcats remain eligible for the postseason and will advance as one of District 1's five entries, heraldnet.com reports. The team reached the state Round of 32 playoffs after finishing in the top five of the standings, the outlet notes.
A Broader Pattern at Private Schools
The episode arrives amid longstanding scrutiny of the gap between public and private school athletics in Washington state. The Seattle Times has described debate over athletic advantages between public and private schools. The outlet also notes that WIAA rules allow private schools to draw students from within a 50-mile radius, a policy that has fueled debate over recruiting advantages for years.
Archbishop Murphy entered the season as the reigning Class 2A football champion looking to defend its title, according to varsitywanews.com. The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association's eligibility guidance states that when an athlete is ruled ineligible after competing, all contests in which that athlete participated must be forfeited, and the same rules apply whether a school fields 11-player or 8-player football, according to wiaawi.org. The Wisconsin association's guidance also notes that schools found to have deliberately circumvented an eligibility rule can face penalties ranging up to suspension of membership.
The WIAA did not name the parties involved in the matter in the accounts reviewed. Whether Archbishop Murphy or its representatives will pursue any further appeal following the Executive Board's ruling remains unaddressed in the available reporting.
