European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 9, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Sports no shame at Rockdale High b William new York times i or i h i i ii nil Irinel Mil in1 Liu Eldoi n Xvi i i asian j 1 and live limes u a ii but tall my h. The ram m Onie inn behind my inv ill till lie . Hut Linn the in1" i Las in Iphy outside tlii1 Luth m Linzil us is Bare. In , the Georgia i huh i Hrmel Ash nation stripped Rockdale county do tin1i liter school officials i Annii ssi d thai .1 player who was Diolas totally ineligible had played 15 seconds in the first of the s Hool s live postseason games. We did t know he was ineligible at the time i did t know it until .1 new weeks ," Stroud said. Some people have said we should have just kept Quiel about i thai in was just 45 seconds and the player was t an Impact player. But you 8" 10 do whal s honest and right and the Rule say. I Lold my team hat people forget inc scares of basketball games they Don t Ever forget what you re made Many students and fans and merchants in Conyers .1 town of Aboul 7,000 people 25 Miles cast of Atlanta spoken Oul angrily about the s decision to like the title away saying it was unfair especially Ince school officials were the ones u to disclosed the infraction. Al the same Lime the town has rallied behind the Hool and Stroud. Just As it did fail Winter when 1 ii Wiuli in a know i ii a i Hirv support to Dinul tin t ii . Allier in in i on u am a i i wrote Vuki and Hill i to till to Oil ill "111.ink go in Koi Dalf no ill where Honor ,1111 of till ill Kion in it ii lip. Id t i ital Al Iii Prill in 1 Giitl. Lii ii ii Kiln Nolc rely Aro j i � Hundred in i from trader in i buy the St nil .1 new trophy to it p i the inc the wants returned anal medallion or each of the players to Iligir w nning season it d so much Money in had Losi i some of in Back these Days when the integrity Oia lol of people in sports has come into question w the people in the school system did was really something said Elizabeth Staples the publisher of the Rockdale Citi in. For i Lenry l. Cibbs the principal at Rock Riale county there is ,1 special irony to the situation last , when inc season was half Over and the bulldogs had so far loss Only one game he ordered five regular players be dropped from the team because of poor grades during the first semester. The team loss four of its next games and Sorouri had to bring up substitutes from the Junior varsity near the end of the season to fill Oul his Bench. One of those was a 15-year-old Sophomore who the school discovered later had passed Only four of six classes last All. Under state rules student athletes must pass five of six classes to compete in Pii Zapil Henry l Cibbie it sending the trophy bid. Interscholastic sports. In the tournament he played in Only the first game going in for the final 45 seconds when Rockdale county was leading by 23 Points. This Spring school officials discovered he had been ineligible in a routine review of grades for Spring football practice. My heart hit the floor when coach Stroud Lold me Cibbs said. But there was never any question about what we had to do. We were wrong Ond we had to i urn ourselves after writing a Letler to the stale association and informing the local school Board he went on the school s Public address system to Tell the students they were probably going to lose the state title. I Lold them in was a disappointment but we Hod nothing to be ashamed of we All knew we had won those games he said. Then i hurried out of there. I did t want them to see me the memories Are still there the framed from Page of the Rockdale citizen with the headline bulldogs King of aaa on the Wall behind Cibbie desk the autographed Leam basketball atop a file Cabinet and on the door in the Corner the official told my team that people forget the scores of basketball games they Don t Ever forget what you re made coach Cleveland Stroud stale championship trophy half hidden inside .1 Brown bag. I Haven l gut ii fund to resuming it yet the principal said. Down in the gym is mud is is ill proud t be Lias in Vii a they can hike i the Lac i thai in i Nelly Narm d Fri lilt1 Yir by till1 of rat curve Lintl if ouch Loo pm Frant Loac Licitr with 2l-5 i l we lid " 76 flip i Nii Givine july 9,
