If you can’t beat ‘em on the field, beat ‘em in the boardroom?
That’s not a sentiment Valley Husker head coach Tyson St. James would subscribe to, but it worked in his favour this week.
The BC Football Conference overturned his team’s week one result, giving the Huskers an unexpected win over the Okanagan Sun.
On the field, the Sun smacked the Huskers 65-10 July 27 at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna.
The Huskers are now being credited with a 1-0 win.
The reason? The Sun apparently registered and dressed an inelligible player.
Curtis Kelly suited up that day.
The Ontario native played for the Hamilton Hurricanes of the Ontario Football Conference in 2012, and was never granted his requested release.
Therefore, he was still ‘property’ of the Hurricanes.
According to rule 4.2 (b), “Should the player be ruled ineligible due to a major breech of eligibility rules (overage, suspension, unregistered and/or other similar situation) the offending team shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $3,000 and forfeit game/s in which the ineligible player is on their roster.”
The Sun do have the option of appealing the decision.
In the meantime, the Huskers suddenly find themselves ‘undefeated’ at 2-0-1, good for second place in the six team circuit.
The Sun slip to 2-1 and third place.
“It was a decision not taken lightly by the BCFC,” said league president Gord Johnson. “We are working with the CJFL on ways to prevent such situations in the future.”