Bylaws preventing West Greene’s Thompson from playing soccer
Kevin Thompson knows with every passing day his opportunity to play soccer this season slips further past him.
Thompson, a West Greene freshman, has the talent, ability and passion to play. Having a team to play for, well, that鈥檚 the problem.
West Greene doesn鈥檛 have a team. And Waynesburg Central, the team Thompson played for throughout middle school, chose to end its co-op in boys soccer.
Now, the waiting game Thompson has been playing will have an end game Oct. 2. That is when the PIAA Board of Directors will decide if bylaws can be bypassed in Thompson鈥檚 situation. West Greene has exhausted all options within the WPIAL.
鈥淗e feels abandoned,鈥� said Thompson鈥檚 father, Phil Moyers. 鈥淚 understand the rules perfectly. I鈥檓 stuck. I have to wait for the vote. I can鈥檛 do anything.鈥�
Moyers and West Greene followed PIAA rules by reaching out to West Greene鈥檚 bordering schools and asked if they鈥檇 be willing to do a co-op. After both McGuffey and Trinity declined, West Greene finally found a taker in Albert Gallatin. However, Albert Gallatin and West Greene don鈥檛 share any borders and PIAA bylaws prevent schools from doing a co-op if they don鈥檛 share a common border.
鈥淭his is an issue (West Greene) has requested from the board. We have a policy to follow and that鈥檚 what we are doing,鈥� PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi explained. 鈥淚t is an active appeal.鈥�
But that appeal won鈥檛 be heard by the PIAA until the meeting in October. If approved, Albert Gallatin would only have four regular-season games remaining.
鈥淎 rural kid was left hanging out to dry without a team,鈥� Moyers said. 鈥淚 wanted this determined in July but every school we went to came back negatively. That鈥檚 what led us to go beyond bordering schools.鈥�
West Greene took the issue to the WPIAL last month but Thompson was declared ineligible to play for Albert Gallatin.
鈥淭he WPIAL has no authority to alter the bylaws of the PIAA,鈥� WPIAL executive director Tim O鈥橫alley said. 鈥淭he district committee doesn鈥檛 have any authority for the PIAA. We acted within the bylaws and confines that we have.鈥�
O鈥橫alley said he encouraged West Greene to appeal to the PIAA.
Thompson has instead taken up the placekicking duties for the Pioneers鈥� football team to fill his time.
Moyers said he spoke to the PIAA in April and was given no direction. Lombardi questioned why it took until August to reach the WPIAL for a hearing.
鈥淲est Greene is not in a position (geographically) where they can ask several schools to do a co-op,鈥� Moyers said. 鈥淚 did what I could by going to these schools. West Greene did what they could do. All we need is the PIAA鈥檚 OK.鈥�