Northwestern Player's Appeal Rejected Published February 22‚ 2006
COLUMBIA - By an 8-2 vote, the appeal of Northwestern soccer star Natan Arroyo was turned down by the executive committe of the South Carolina High School League on Wednesday.
Arroyo, a senior at Northwestern, was declared ineligible because he is in his 10th semester of high school. He began the ninth grade at the Greater Atlantc Christain School but did not play sports. He repeated the ninth grade in at Atlanta public school and began playing soccer his freshman year.
High school league rules state that once a student enters the ninth grade, he or she has eight consecutive semeseters of athletic eligibility.
Arroyo's appeal was presented by principal James Blake and director of athletics Jimmy Wallace. Arroyo was allowed to speak on his behalf. Arroyo was the Class AAA player of the year last season and the Trojans are one of the favorites to win the state championship this spring.
Arroyo also punted for the football team last fall, after quarterback and punter Bart Blanchard was injured and missed 11 games. Because Arroyo was ineligible, the school must forfeit its four wins and the school's record will drop to 0-12.
The football matter was ruled on separately, and the decision to forfeit the games came on a 9-0 vote, with some abstentions. The football program could have been placed on probation, but Blake said the team will receive only a warning.
