[Hoot Gibson]

After dropping Raceland from their football schedule, now Russell drops Ashland from their basketball schedule per Zack Klemme.

https://mobile.twitter.com/zklemmeADI/st...2123670529

I guess Russell is taking a stand against all schools who get transfers by not playing them anymore.  I think this is a shame for the area to lose these games of interest.  I understand Russell’s frustration, but they are taking some good rivalry games away by doing this.  Yes, there will be periods of time where one school gets the best of the other for whatever reason, but the pendulum always swings.  Russell beat Raceland 3 years in a row in prior to this season when Raceland won.  Russell actually beat Ashland in basketball the last time these 2 teams met last season.  That was the most exciting game of the year for Russell.

I remember when Ashland forfeited district basketball games against Rose Hill after accusing the school of recruiting. Ashland"s basketball team has been caught recruiting red handed. Actively recruiting players is clearly against the rules. Accepting transfers is not against the rules, in the absence of evidence of recruiting. Apples and oranges.

Hoot, your post is implying a double standard by the administration at Ashland that doesn't exist. We are talking about two different administrations. Even if they were the same it's fairly safe to say they're not happy with the actions of Coach Mays. Since we haven't heard any public comments from the "Rose Hill era" administrators regarding Russell's decision it's difficult to say whether or not they have a problem with it. Also, Coach Mays was caught recruiting a player, not players, and the recruited player is not enrolled at Ashland. To assume that the other players were recruited, until there is evidence, would also be a stretch. Since the Russell administration hasn't produced evidence that any active players were recruited we have to assume that their decision to drop Raceland and Ashland is due to transfers and/or holdbacks, not recruiting. In no way am I condoning the actions of Coach Mays but if Russell's decision to drop Ashland is based on recruiting a player that did not transfer, then this Russell school tax payer does not support their decision.

The recorded phone call makes it clear that not only did Coach Mays attempt to recruit a player, he did so with the full knowledge that what he was doing was a serious violation of the rule against recruiting. The fact that he is still the head basketball coach at Ashland and their mischaracterization of the phone call suggests that Ashland's administration is more upset that he got caught cheating than they are at the cheating itself.

The names have changed since Ashland boycotted Rose Hill over recruiting but the actions of the previous board were hypocritical at the time. The statements made by Ashland administrators after they self reported the violation implied that it was some sort of minor technical violation. It was no such thing. Different facers, same kind of okay for me but not for thee environment. 

If this was Coach May's first rodeo, then he was born with some natural talent.

Hoot, I think you are off on this one a bit.  Ashland did report the issue, and is waiting for KHSAA to confirm its a violation.  Until then what action can Ashland take?

Ashland is not waiting for the KHSAA to confirm that there was a violation. Did you listen to the recording of the call? Recruiting occurred and the fact that the effort failed does not make the violation disappear.

I am in favor of doing away with most restrictions against transfers. I would support bans on transfers during a season but otherwise, parents should be able to send their children to different schools every semester if they think it is in their children's best interest. But, if a school agrees to be bound by the rules of the KHSAA, then that school should abide by those rules and exercise institutional control over their coaches and other employees to ensure that the rules are followed.