KATY, Texas – Katy High School’s powerhouse football team will continue on into the post season, after the University Interscholastic League ruled it will not have to forfeit a recent playoff game.
The decision came during an emergency meeting in Austin Thursday morning. It only took about an hour for the three person committee to unanimously make the decision, after hearing from Katy ISD’s superintendent, athletic director and Katy High School’s head football coach.
Katy High School will still be on probation for the next year. It will also receive a public reprimand.
The controversy surrounded an ineligible player who was used in a post season game last week, where the Tigers blew away the competition with a 66-0 win.
The player had recently transferred to Katy High School from another school within Katy ISD. Due to the recent transfer, the student should not have been able to participate in any post season games.
As soon as the district learned of the mistake, it contacted the UIL.
Administrators said they filed the proper paperwork, but it's a matter of the student's timeline and enrollment in the school.
At the emergency meeting Thursday, Katy ISD Athletic Director Debbie Decker told the committee an honest mistake was made.
The UIL complimented Katy's self-reporting and good standing with the state in past situations.
UIL entertains mercy rule. Undefeated Katy will go on to play Manvel Friday in a state semi-final game.
“I’m very proud for our kids to get this opportunity,” said Head Coach Gary Joseph. “They haven’t done anything wrong in this process.”
The Katy Independent School District sent the following statement:
"On December 1, Katy ISD’s Athletic Department discovered the possibility of an ineligible student participating on the Katy High School football team. The student who was already enrolled in another Katy ISD high school, recently moved to the Katy High School attendance zone. All verification steps were taken and all proper forms were completed by the student’s parent and staff during this process. It is a matter of the student’s timeline of enrollment in the school that is in question and will be reviewed by the UIL State Executive Committee. Since being enrolled at Katy High School, the student has participated in one game against Friendswood ISD on November 27, 2015. Katy ISD’s Athletic Department has self-reported this incident to the UIL and a hearing has been scheduled for tomorrow, December 3.
This is all the information the District is able to provide at this time due to the pending hearing."