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Pa. soccer team's state title in question after using ineligible player

A Pennsylvania high school soccer team that recently won the state title self-reported a violation, calling the championship into question.

Wilson High School (West Lawn, Pa.) fielded an overage player on its Class 4A state-title winning team, the school district’s superintendent shared in an announcement Thursday, PA Prep Live reports.

The school and Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association are investigating, but Wilson discovered that it used a 19-year-old player in its final vs. Radnor (Wayne, Pa.), which is against state association rules.

“On Tuesday, we discovered a discrepancy between records regarding the age of a student athlete on our Varsity Boys Soccer team,” Wilson superintendent Dr. Richard H. Faidley wrote, per PA Prep Live. “Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) rules clearly prohibit a student athlete from participating if they have reached 19 years of age before July 1 of the immediately preceding school year. Upon further review, we found that the student and his guardian failed to disclose his correct date of birth on several required documents, including the PIAA Comprehensive Initial Pre-Participation Physical Evaluation. The District’s internal inquiry, assisted by its solicitor, revealed that the student knowingly entered an incorrect date of birth, and his actual date of birth renders him ineligible to participate in interscholastic activities.

“The Wilson School District recognizes that we have an obligation to report the infraction to the PIAA. We are also taking corrective actions to ensure against a recurrence. Once the PIAA has reviewed our situation, we will provide an update to our community.”

Per PA Prep Live, Faidley contacted Radnor’s administration about the issue as part of the disclosure process. According to PIAA rules, a student can’t play if he or she turns 19 before July 1 of the preceding school year.

As PA Prep Live reports, the 1-0 final already had a controversial finish. Wilson’s Victor Vottero won the game with 17 seconds left, when his shot was judged to have fully crossed the goal line in the eyes of a trailing ref before being swept away by Radnor defender Josh Savadove.

Per PA Prep Live, while the use of an overage player can force Wilson’s forfeiture, it is unlikely to hand the trophy over to Radnor.

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