More of the money went to pay for school; the kind with no real academics. State District . The team should have to forfeit the championships it won. "The report then went to a panel of KingCo Conference athletic directors. The Times uncovered 17 instances. Published: Oct. 14, 2022 at 6:55 PM PDT. Bellevue High School, Wolverine Way, Bellevue, WA, USA Sat Nov 19 W 22-20 @ Lincoln High School "Abes" Lincoln Bowl, Tacoma, WA, USA - 701 S. 37th Street. "I would say the rules are loose. Many would perhaps have fallen through the cracks had it not been for the help they received when it was obvious to coaches they needed a little boost. "They also discovered that there was a small school within the school called the Academic Institute, which was privately funded by a lot of the boosters to give educations to students who were struggling. The blatant efforts by school and district officials to obstruct the investigation demonstrate their complicity in cheating, their utter disregard for the truth and their complete lack of integrity. We only care where they live., They are not our students, he said. The players reportedly got the steroids from a dealer named Big Mike who was a fitness trainer. BELLEVUE REBOUNDS AT HOME VS LIBERTY, TOUGH START FOR WOLVERINES AGAINST TOP RANKED OPPONENTS, Former UW Lineman Is Lead Blocker in Returning Bellevue High to Prominence, Yelm goes length of field to end Bellevue's state championship reign, 28-27, PHOTOS: Yelm edges past Bellevue, 28-27, to earn title shot, VIDEO Game Highlights from Lincoln Playoff Game, 3A Quarterfinal, Bellevues 43-yard field goal breaks the hearts and playoff hopes of Lincoln Read more at: https://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/high-school/article2, With Bellevue in need of a season-saving spark, Luke Scoma delivers - with his foot, Bellevue tops 400 yards rushing to beat Mead in 3A state football playoffs, Bellevue football team defeats Snohomish in non-conference game. While the Institute touts its focus on education at a full-time cost of $1,750 per month two former teachers label Academic Institute a diploma mill that doesnt adhere to basic educational standards. Bellevue High School offered a Physical Education program (football) not offered by this sham institution. Jones began coaching at . Pull yourself up by your bootstraps is the traditional American response to anyone who complains about his lot in life. In both games, seniors Ishaan Daniels and George Kruger were standouts. Of those 17 boys, seven were Bellevue football players. Weve seen a couple of surveys about Seattles happiness rating, one shows us near the top for happiness, and one has us closer to the bottom. Top-ranked Bellevue defeated Marysville Pilchuck, 27-3, in the 3A state football semifinals on Nov. 27 at Memorial Stadium in Seattle. There are plenty of opinions during the aftermath of an investigation that found the Bellevue High School football team engaged in potentially illegal recruiting tactics, but one common thread is a lack of shock. The Wolverines will look to build on their learning from week 1 and 2 as they start KingCo 3A conference play against Liberty High School this Friday. Court records from an eviction case also show a Yusef Freeman was renting an apartment in Sammamish in 2009. These efforts were and are fully within the rules., The boosters vowed to continue to fight. As reported by the Seattle Times, which has led the investigation of the Bellevue scandal throughout, the Bellevue program made at least $175,000 in payments to on leave head football coach Butch . The silver lining from one of the biggest scandals in Texas high school football history is the number of players who went on to continue their football careers in college. Come one, come all! A KingCo committee came down hard on Bellevue football Tuesday, banning the program from postseason play and prohibiting outside donations for four years. Any booster associated with this mess be banned from any financial or booster club membership for two years. All Rights Reserved. This has been, I dont want to say an open secret, but Im not surprised by the investigation, ONeil told Seattles Morning News. Therevelation is not a product of bias or envy. Theyre going to find you. The Academic Institute was briefly involved in a athletic district investigation after the family complaint, but no one from the school spoke to investigators. The sanctions are the latest chapter in the saga of investigations, appeals and denials concerning one of the most successful prep-football programs in state history. This begins the discussion of the penalty phase of the violations, and there are several steps working through that process, said Mike Colbrese, WIAA executive director. Plenty of things we need to clean up for next week, though. Rantz says he doesnt blame the parents whatsoever. KingCo will have stricter guidelines and oversight for incoming transfer student-athletes for two years. A high school state football championship in Texas is arguably about more than just temporary bragging rights. We love to see the kids have fun and play ball. Bellevue High is an extremely successful football program. Brick by brick!. I am old enough to remember corruption being the norm in the old Southwest Conference: fake jobs, hundred dollar handshakes and far, far worse. And I think the only thing that can be a positive is major reformation. Im typical Bellevue fashion, the JV Wolverines matched Bothells two big plays with long, methodical drives and stifling defense. In the second half, Bellevue let their young guns get a taste of the MI rivalry under the big lights, and played out the remainder of the game under a running clock. Teen football player tackles suspected shoplifter, Ross: The latest attempt to undo a national embarrassment, Ross: Changing the climate of mental health is a bill away, Ross: A national divorce isnt the solution, but some people should move, Ross: If the American system rewards hard work, cancel student loan debt, Ross: Fentanyl-smoking passengers on light rail present huge danger, Ross: Two less crooks to worry about in downtown Seattle. At least 42 transfer students contributed to Bellevue's football team from 2008 to 2015, according to the report, for a program that has reached 13 Class 3A state championship games in the past. He is now on administrative leave while this is adjudicated.". In all, six players were connected with 21 robberies that occurred in Carter neighborhoods. The Wolverines found paydirt early and often, ending the first quarter with a 280 lead, eventually taking a 35-0 lead to half. I think its terrible when parents get involved and start trying to tilt the playing field for high school sports, he said. It should be a Homecoming to remember! But the program's remarkable success has. Edwards was sentenced to 16 years and never played another down of football. During one of the meetings with the Times, Freeman said he no longer had a relationship with his father. Brazen Family-Central Bar + Restaurant,520 Bar and Grill, The Brazens - Windermere. The players were ejected from the game, suspended and an investigation launched. Bellevue High School in Bellevue, Washington is one of the most successful high school football programs in the country, with 11 state titles in 15 years, a 67-game winning streak covering some of that period and a national footprint that has had them playing on ESPN. But the programs remarkable success has depended, in part, on players who werent actually Bellevue High students. But KingCo officials saw Bellevues problems as requiring more severe sanctions. The KingCo Conference report, released earlier this week, said that while players were illegally recruited to play for Bellevue, some used false addresses to be eligible within Bellevues residential district. Carter High in Dallas took the state championship in 1988, but this new film about the team is not all about victory. Lets be reasonable., The wrong-headed parts of the Bellevue High Schoolfootball program continued for far too long. ', "The Bellevue School District said only one charge was valid and that was the compensation to Goncharoff, and so they recommended his firing. Good kids and families participated in Bellevuefootball, but there were also some people who stepped over the line. I think that theres a lot of different layers to understanding exactly what is going on., Related: Teen football player tackles suspected shoplifter. It hid and manipulated scientific and medical research and evidence to hide the price their players were paying on the field due to head injuries. It was a back and forth affair from the beginning that saw the Wolverines take a 21-17 lead into the locker room at halftime. On Thursday, the Bellevue High School self-imposed sanctions on its football program and head coach for violations of WIAA rules. Bellevue High School has the most successful football program in state history winning 11 titles in the last 15 years. It was so one-sided and evident that something was different about this team in comparison to the other nine teams Liberty played against., For every year they won the state championship, that should be the number of years they are not qualified to compete in theplayoffs. Department of Commerce officials say communities will need diverse housing options in the future as well. The defense continued their stifling business, while the offense added a 27-yard Lucas Razore-to-Hogan Hansen TD, and a 39-yard Daniels TD run, leading to a comfortable first quarter lead. 1. Bellevue can appeal the sanctions to KingCo principals within five school days, then can appeal to the executive board of the SeaKing District and ultimately to the executive board of the WIAA. A judge has sentenced 10 current and former high school athletes to prison terms of up to 25 years for their roles in numerous armed robberies in the Dallas area over the past year. Courtesy of Stephanie Ault Justus. Under ominous clouds and heavy winds, the Wolverines took the field in their electric yellow uniforms, to face the visiting Snohomish Panthers in a Week 10 crossover game. Dubbed The Fab Five, McKinney North High Schools Fab Five became the focus of a made for TV movie when photos of the cheerleaders drinking, scantily clad and engaging in risque behavior landed them in hot water with the cheer sponsor. Despite the short week, the Wolverines came out fast against a spirited Islander squad, thanks to TDs from Ishaan Daniels, Carson Rubin, and Kaden Matsudaira, culminating in a 35-0 halftime lead. We asked readers for their thoughts on what repercussions the Bellevue football program should face, as well as what the scandal says about high-school sports. Some prominent college football players are named in the report as having been cycled through The Academic Institute. We love the playoffs, Coach Kneip said postgame, this is the best time of the year, and were ready to get after it!. 1 Bellevue back into 3A state semifinals: 4 observations Freemans parents, Yusef and Allona, wrote in a letter this week to the school district that their son lived in the Bellevue attendance area. Bellevue High School Football; Bellevue Football. This booster club raised more than $427,000 in 2013 according to the Seattle Times investigation. In Q2, senior Ishaan Daniels added his own long TD run, and quarterback Lucas Razore added not one, but two, TD passes to fellow junior Blake Teets (one for 19 yards, one for 43). Members of the booster club have criticized the investigation, which was conducted bytwo former federal prosecutors hired by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). 5. (Image courtesy Bellevue Wolverines Facebook) His older brother became vice president of the teams booster club. It's not a state agency. Bellevue has 12 buildings taller than 25 stories, 10 of them built since 2005. Along the way, competitors have complained that Bellevue was bending the rules. Goncharoff built Bellevue into a football dynasty. There's just too much 'go along, get along' over the years. Playoffs: No postseason games for four years, Boosters: No donations to program for four years, Games: Only KingCo 3A opponents for two years; no out-of-state opponents for four years, Transfers: Stricter guidelines, oversight for incoming transfer students for two years, Championships: Vacate Bellevues conference titles if WIAA determines that state titles should be forfeited. During that conversation on Sunday, Freeman reaffirmed the other aspects of his account. A third player whose family couldnt afford the steep tuition said he attended Academic Institute for two years without knowing who picked up the tab. The Bellevue grads on staff are Jake Hiller (2010, offensive line coach), Morgann Richey (2014, offensive line), Ryan Gilbert (2015, defensive backs), Jack Michael (2015, defensive backs), Matt Gilbert (2012, defensive coordinator), AJ Kneip (2016, offensive line/strength coach), Miles Carlson (2016, defensive back), Quinn Sullivan (2018, linebackers), Joe Razore (1997, offensive coordinator), Cam Johnson (1999, wide receivers), Peter Nguyen (2009, wide receivers) and Jojo Connor (2010, quarterbacks). A series of three books describing the storied history of the Bellevue High School Football program, and the investigations that surrounded the team from 2006 to 2018. November 4, 2022. The most successful and the private schools are usually those that get accused. However, the victory only lasted five months when the school became the first in the state to have their title taken from them. Team supporters have battled the Bellevue School Districts decisions. %link% Coach Kneip said, after the game, What an awesome night to celebrate a group of guys who have given so much to this program! There are many changes that should be made but they will never happen because our society places much more value on their teams winning than they do on oureducation system., This incident underscores what happens when booster clubs are permitted for specific sports and when those clubs put their own egos and insecurities above the appropriate life lessons to be gained and promoted from participation in school activities. They happen to go to a private school that doesnt offer a (football) program.. The SHIBA program part of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner is ready to help with your Medicare open enrollment decisions. "It's not just Bellevue. June 29, 2022 Posted in&nbspkawasaki monster energy jersey. Tony has been with Last Word on Sports for six years covering college football around the country. The state high school governing body, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), is looking into whether state titles need to be stripped and further sanctions imposed. KingCo will vacate Bellevues conference titles if the WIAA determines that state championships should be forfeited. The first loss came at the hands of back-to-back Oregon 6A state champions, Central Catholic, on a field goal as time expired, which gave CCHS the first lead theyd had since early in the second quarter. The Times found at least three instances in which families of players attending the school were either given financial assistance by the team's boosters or didn't pay for the tuition themselves, a violation of state athletic rules. Part of Darien Freemans account, however, is corroborated by documents reviewed by the Seattle Times. Among those, Freeman said Goncharoff directed him to attend the Academic Institute instead of studying at Bellevue. Bellevue will host Mead High School in the 3A Round of 16, this Saturday at Noon. Teaching young impressionable minds to cheat is criminal! One son married a runner-up from The Bachelor TV show and became an assistant football coach at Bellevue. And a large percentage of those kids were athletes," Thiel said. Sophomore Ryken Moon took the opening kickoff back for a TD, junior Colin Miller had an interception, junior Luke Soma added a field goal, and junior Cal Zimmerman had his own pick-6. After the game, Coach Kneip said, Our job is to put our kids in the best position to win a state championship, and that means challenging ourselves against the best opponents we can possibly find for our non-conference games.. The uproar began and a legal battle quickly ensued. The long-running nature of the corruption uncovered by this investigation could only have occurred with the explicit or tacit approval of Bellevue High Schooland Bellevue School District administrators, as the reportvividly details. That was released a few months ago. And the district has cut ties with longtime assistant coach Pat Jones. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. The KingCo Conference is a 16-team conference [and] their athletic directors decided some fairly draconian punishments. Goncharoff got a slap on the wrist, just a two-game suspension for providing cash to a player when he should have been suspended for the season and the school banned from post season play. With the pregame celebrations and hugs finished, the Wolverines wasted no time getting down to business. Darien Freeman had said he lived in that city during his 2009-10 freshman season. The investigators report and your editorial finally nailed it.. Nobody is talking about the kids who lived in-district whose spots were taking by athletic carpetbaggers., Sothe investigation found that, among other things, Bellevue boosters paid tuitionfor some players to attend an alternative school (just like many kids do) in order to receive instruction, compatible with their learning styles,that they needed to improve their academic standing. That leads to what the money was used for. The second half saw more of the same stingy Wolverine defense, and scores being added by another long Daniels run, and a 30-yard TD connection from Razore to junior TE, Hogan Hansen. The parents confirmed in their letter that they received financial support, but said they properly requested aid from the school. Brick by brick!. Senior running back William Wang rushed for 243 yards and two touchdowns to lead Bellevue to a 3A state championship win over Kennewick on Saturday afternoon at Sparks Stadium. If youre a Pac-12 talent, you are going to jump off the page at recruiters, he said. Bellevue High School in Bellevue, Washington is one of the most successful high school football programs in the country, with 11 state titles in 15 years, a 67-game winning streak covering some of that period and a national footprint that has had them playing on ESPN . All told, a 42-0 first half lead. I have been watching professional and college sports for more than 40 years, and have been covering college football for Last Word on Sports for two years. The No. ONeil, however, says its misguided to think playing for Bellevue will be a ticket to free higher education, even if its a slightly more noble idea than parents creating super teams to win high school championships. Found a preponderance of evidence that Bellevue boosters paid the tuition of athletes at The Academic Institute. 710 ESPN Seattles Danny ONeil thinks the parents are misguided. Brady rolled through the playoffs that year up until the state game beating Belton (66-8), Taylor (30-8), Jasper (24-0) and Palacios (22-0). Its a disgrace that this has gone on as long as it has. Records reviewed by the Seattle Times, however, show that Freemans father has had a home address in Auburn. Bellevue (Wash.) School District officials are planning to fire the head coach of the Bellevue High School football team, according to a letter sent to the coach by a top district official and . I found John Harrisons (former Mercer Island High School principal and now Executive Director of Bellevue Public Schools) comments to be cavalier; aiding and abetting a serious flaw in the system and, just plain very disappointing given his stellar career as a Mercer Island principal. The players reportedly said the refereewas using racial slurs and said they were instructed to hit the ref by their coach, Mack Breed. I think the idea behind high school sports is pretty genuine if you get together and you play sports with the kids you grew up with.. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. Due to state-wide ref shortages, the Wolverines trip to the jungle at Mercer Island High School was moved from Friday night to Thursday. Just one play into Hazens opening drive, senior Joel Schneider made an acrobatic interception, which moments later led to a sight thats become the terror of KingCo 3A: an Ishaan Daniels long run and touchdown this time from 63 yards. An independent investigation found a series of violations at the powerhouse football program, including that coaches directed athletes to attend the school, that boosters paid for athletes tuition, that false addresses were used to gain eligibility and that coaches coordinated tuition payments for athletes. Bellevue school officials have previously told Bellevue head coach Butch Goncharoff that the district will seek to terminate him for violations of district policies. According to the findings, 17 players were funneled to a for-profit private school for extra classes and academic help. If you would like to share your thoughts or experiences in relation to this story, please email the reporter or. Any booster associated with this mess be banned from any financial or booster club membership for two years. Jessie Armstead, played for Miami and was the 207th pick in the 8th round of the 1993 NFL draft. Touchdowns from Sharp, Jones, Reed, and freshman Trevin King kept the Bellevue offense on top, for a 49-22 win. The team won 11 state championships in 15 years, including a 67-game winning streak. When I saw the David Horsey cartoon, light rail ambassadors inviting a fentanyl-smoking passenger to leave, I lost it, says a listener. Here is a selection of the responses we received: Bellevue High Schools titles need to be removed. Students at AI a school derided as a diploma mill by two former teachers are still allowed to play on the Bellevue football team. Often it would be well past dark by the time he returned home. "This is the most successful athletic program in state history and it's being torn down. Strip them of their titles going back to 2001. Maybe there is some truth to some stories, and maybe it is just random speculation, but it is out there, usually in the private school arena. Medicare open enrollment is here and SHIBA can help! Following the varsitys team lead from Friday night, the Wolverine JV got things going quickly with several big runs by sophomore Matt Reed, and the race was on. After the half, the BHS offense really got rolling, including a 44-yard TD run from junior Blake Teets, a 24-yard TD run from sophomore Ryken Moon, and a screen pass from Razore that junior Cal Zimmerman took 21 yards to pay dirt. WA State 3A Champs '83, '01, '02, '03, '04, '06, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12,. This will essentially kill the football program. In the second quarter, junior Carson Rubin got on the board with an thrilling 80 TD run, Razore completed his second TD pass of the day (once again to Hansen, of course), and senior DB Caymus Rooney took an interception 40 yards to the house. Yesterday Kendall Alston, age 31, was sentenced in federal court to five years for selling fentanyl pills in downtown Seattle. An interception by Caymus Rooney sealed the first half, 34-7 in favor of Bellevue. Back to work tomorrow!. If youre retired or getting ready to retire and looking for new ways to stay active, becoming a SHIBA volunteer could be for you! They recently had a 67-game win streak snapped in the state championship game last December. Come celebrate Anacortes 11th annual Bier on the Pier! Saint Mary's guard Logan Johnson knows both sides of the Zags-Gaels rivalry, 35-year-old loved his dog, the outdoors and his mother who is accused of killing him, Accused killer returns to Spokane to face murder charge in 40-year-old South Hill cold case. Led by senior running back William Wang as the wrecking ball of destruction in Bellevues vaunted Wing-T rushing attack, the Wolverines dogged Rainier Beach all night on the ground in a 56-22 triumph on Friday night in Class 3A state quarterfinals at Bellevue High School, Highlights of Bellevue's 56-22 win over Rainier Beach in the quarterfinals of the 3A State Playoffs. BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Bellevue High School football coach Butch Goncharoff told the school board Tuesday that an investigation of the football . Like many expectant mothers, Miranda Kekauoha had a plan. Bellevue can appeal for that sanction to be reduced one year early. The Bellevue booster club in a statement early Tuesday expressed disappointment with the sanctions.