Washington state wants to be a leader in climate change, but I sense that the voters are not as concerned about that these days. However, the school often had no teachers in the classrooms; little, if any homework was ever given, and the players received full class credit. When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. "Goncharoff, the booster club at Bellevue, and many people objected said 'No, this is all inaccurate. The Bellevue High School football cheating scandal is American Greed at it worst! A talented Wolves team got out to a very fast start and never looked back, and the Wolverines found themselves on the wrong end of a running clock in the second half. In 1959, Stamford defeated Brady 19-14 in the state championship. On the shoulders of some hard running by junior Carson Rubin and sophomore Ryken Moon, a long reception by senior Ishaan Daniels, and a heaping helping of stingy defense, Bellevue took a 47-7 lead to the locker room at half time. Bellevue Wolverines | Bellevue WA - Facebook Every sport has its dark side and high school football in Texas is no exception. The community was stunned. Among those, Freeman said Goncharoff directed him to attend the Academic Institute instead of studying at Bellevue. Bellevue H.S. Finally, in the fourth quarter, Kaden Matsudaira was featured in a long drive, culminating in a 3-yard TD run to put an exclamation point on the game. 1 Bellevue back into 3A state semifinals: 4 observations, Week 11 Playoff Matchups - Bellevue 42, Lakes 21, (Nov 12, 2021), This website is powered by SportsEngine's. Next stop for the Wolverines (13-0) is the state championship game the Gridiron Classic versus Kennewick at noon on Dec. 4 at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup. You can find Art Thiel's work at Sportspress Northwest and Crosscut.com. Coach Butch Goncharoff connected to $175,000 in equipment payments in 5 Marysville-Pilchuck on Saturday in the early game of the Class 3A semifinal doubleheader at Memorial Stadium. Bellevue is a public school district. Bellevue Independent Schools announced it has canceled the rest of its high school's football season due to multiple injuries on the team. BELLEVUE, Wash. -- While the Bellevue High football scandal gets sorted out, a forgotten casualty are the players who will experience the looming sanctions and coaching shake-up firsthand.Players . Courtesy of Stephanie Ault Justus. We love to see the kids have fun and play ball. And the idea that you need to move from wherever you live Carnation, Concrete, etc. Department of Commerce officials say communities will need diverse housing options in the future as well. At least 17 Bellevue football players attended the program over the past seven years, the Seattle Times has learned. You can read the Times' entire investigation here. Michael Kneip coaches his alma mater and is bent on restoring its football greatness. The players reportedly said the refereewas using racial slurs and said they were instructed to hit the ref by their coach, Mack Breed. Bellevue High School Football Some of Bellevue football's top players came from South Sound schools 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. Bellevue High School Football BELLEVUE, Ky. (WXIX) - Bellevue police are stepping up for the high-school football team in their community after this week's news that the rest of the . Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. Kirsten Kendrick has been hosting Morning Edition on KNKX/KPLU since 2006. Brazen Family-Central Bar + Restaurant,520 Bar and Grill, The Brazens - Windermere. Goncharoff released a statement after KingCos sanctions were handed down. John Connors told supporters over the weekend that litigation may be necessary to protect the program, Seattle Times story detailed how numerous Bellevue players had taken classes at The Academic Institute, a private alternative school. It should be a Homecoming to remember! The booster club should be disbanded. No, its not something we want to teach our kids as the right thing to do, he said. From changing grades and playing ineligible players to substance abuse and violence, these five scandals marred the face of the king of all sports in Texas. I think its terrible when parents get involved and start trying to tilt the playing field for high school sports, he said. The final report did not mention the Academic Institute. Agreed with Bellevues conclusions that athletes used false addresses to gain eligibility, and that payments were made to coaches without approval from the school district. The most successful and the private schools are usually those that get accused. 5. While parents arent specifically mentioned in these allegations, ONeil says they would most certainly be involved in these violations and are also culpable. They scammed the system and stole the opportunities of hometown players, stoleplayers from schools that could have used the talent to grow their ownteams, and stole titles from teams that they played. 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. The Bellevue booster club in a statement early Tuesday expressed disappointment with the sanctions. Our guys played pretty well, its just about getting better., Then, on Monday, the LW JV made the opposite trip, visiting BHS. Bellevue's head coach and athletic director be fired immediately 2. Now lets see a similar investigation into sports programs at every private high school in the state to determine just how many of their players parents are paying full tuition. After two rigorous non-conference games, Bellevue kicked off KingCo 3A conference play this past Friday night against Liberty High School of Renton. Bellevue High School Football; Bellevue Football. Onside kick with less than 2 minutes to go to setup Scoma winning field goal (Photo credit - Pete Caster / The News Tribune), Luke Scoma converts a must-have onside kick, then boots the game-winning field goal in the reigning Class 3A champions' 22-20 state quarterfinal victory over Gabarri Johnson-led Lincoln of Tacoma, A cadre of Lincoln defenders take down Bellevue running back Blake Tests during the first quarter of a Class 3A state quarterfinal game on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, at the Lincoln Bowl in Tacoma, Wash. PETE CASTER Pete Caster / The News Tribune Read more. Its unfortunate for the kids who played therebut also hard on those who played against Bellevue, too. In its findings released a few hours earlier, the KingCo committee: Found a preponderance of evidence that Bellevue illegally recruited athletes to the school and coordinated payments for athletes, and that Bellevue failed to self-report money provided to players families. Arguably one of the best high school teams ever fielded in Texas, the 1988 Dallas Carter Cowboys were loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. Freemans parents, Yusef and Allona, wrote in a letter this week to the school district that their son lived in the Bellevue attendance area. 10 Texas Athletes Are Sentenced to Jail Terms for Robberies Bellevue football banned from postseason for 4 years Dinner and dancing may have been the order of the day on Saturday, but on Friday night, Wolverine students packed the stands to see the Bellevue High football team demolish their crosstown rival Newport Knights. At least two families of football players received tuition assistance coordinated by the teams wealthy supporters, according to interviews and documents. The win at all costs mentality, and the sad state of parents living vicariously through their childs athletic accomplishments, has put a pockmark on youth sports. SEATTLE An independent investigation into the Bellevue High football team uncovered "significant and long-standing violations" of state sports rules and extensive evidence that the team's. Blistering report alleges football recruitment violations at Bellevue Of the 24-23 loss, Coach Kneip said, Theyre a really, really well-coached, high quality program. Thiel said the complaints have been leveled at the Bellevue High School football program for years, but the scandal erupted after an investigation by the Seattle Times last year. Of those 17 boys, seven were Bellevue football players. Head coach Butch Goncharoff has been fired. Players speak out about Bellevue High coaching shake-up 1 Bellevue back into 3A state semifinals: 4 observations 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. His older brother became vice president of the teams booster club. Earlier this week, the Bellevue School District requestedan investigation of the football program by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, which governs prep sports in the state. Copyright 2023, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy, A Grip on Sports: The action, good and bad, hits a little closer to home today, ESPN analysts expect 'rocking' Kennel for GameDay show, 'heavyweight fight' in Gonzaga-Saint Mary's nightcap , 'Growing up I can say I fell victim to being a Gonzaga fan.' This is a public high school and a strong message needs to be sent that this type of practice cannot be tolerated. The deluge culminated in a 34-0 halftime lead for BHS. 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. 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. Bellevue High coach pleads: 'This has been a setup since day one do Darien Freeman had said he lived in that city during his 2009-10 freshman season. 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. 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. Ask yourself these questions while you scan the details: Where in the name of all that is right were the parents? 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. 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. 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. It's easy to be accused of fearmongering regarding crime, but Seattle residents might have good reason to be concerned for their safety. Strip them of their titles going back to 2001. It is high time to clean up this mess. These efforts were and are fully within the rules., The boosters vowed to continue to fight. 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. 9 Rainier Beach into WIAA 3A state semifinals, William Wangs career night lifts No. 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 . The Wolverines found paydirt early and often, ending the first quarter with a 280 lead, eventually taking a 35-0 lead to half. None of our business, he said. Photos: William Wang powers No. 2021 State Champs! Unfazed by the less than hospitable conditions, the Wolverine ground game got to work against a stout Panther defense. KingCo will vacate Bellevues conference titles if the WIAA determines that state championships should be forfeited. An interception by Caymus Rooney sealed the first half, 34-7 in favor of Bellevue. All Rights Reserved. Last year, after a Seattle Times story detailed how numerous Bellevue players had taken classes at The Academic Institute, a private alternative school that former teachers described as a diploma mill, the school district called for an independent investigation. "The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), which is the administrative body that governs prep sports hired two investigators who produced a 68-page report that confirmed much of what the Times discovered as well as other things. Come one, come all! The Bellevue High (Seattle) football team is reportedly aided through a diploma mill private school, according to an investigation by The Seattle Times. Earlier this year, one family complained that an assistant coach threatened to revoke their sons financial aid at Academic Institute if the student didnt continue playing football at Bellevue. KingCo will have stricter guidelines and oversight for incoming transfer student-athletes for two years. 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. More of the money went to pay for school; the kind with no real academics. 2023 Bonneville International. Comments (-1) BPS Summer STEM Camps. Im already excited for next week. JV plays at Lake Washington on Monday 9/26. Make it hurt. "They also discovered compensation to the head coach, Butch Goncharoff, of $60,000 a year that was well in excess of what the standards are for high school coaches.". Flashback: Carter High Stripped of 1988 State Title After Win Amazing game and ending for Bellevue Wolverines, Senior William Wang piled up 182 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 32 carries, and the Bellevue defense was tough as the top-seeded Wolverines laid a 27-3 licking on No. Team supporters have battled the Bellevue School Districts decisions. That leads to what the money was used for. 5. For more high school stories, stats and videos, visit http://usatodayhss.com. And the district has cut ties with longtime assistant coach Pat Jones. The WIAS must close this loophole immediately, conduct a comprehensive investigation into the 17 Bellevue High School football players who were offered a distinct advantage over other high schools in the state and should take the following action if there is one shred of evidence of chicanery: 1. School district leaders initially sought to have the booster club answer questions about its relationship with Academic Institute. With ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary What Carter Lost screening Aug. 24, audiences are primed to remember the glory and scandal that surrounded Dallas Carter High School's football team nearly 30 . Butch Goncharoff is banned from coaching in Washington State 3. 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. Other families allegedly acquired apartments within the schools boundaries, with the rent being paid by boosters. By, Its almost like a cult. 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