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SALT LAKE CITY — A Skyridge administrator called Wednesday's suspension of its head football coach for the remainder of the 2023 state playoffs the result of a "clerical" error while parents of a rival school protested in front of the Utah High School Activities Association offices Thursday morning.
Skyridge assistant principal Joseph Atwood said in a statement from the school that the suspension of head coach Justin Hemm from all football-related activities for two games, as well as a $3,000 fine and one-year probation, were the result of a clerical error in the calculation of a player's GPA.
"The athletic department at Skyridge High School made a clerical error in a GPA calculation of a student-athlete," Atwood said. "The athlete was mistakenly cleared to participate. When the error was discovered, the school immediately reported the violation to Region 3 leadership and the UHSAA.
"The UHSAA policy and ruling includes the suspension of the head coach, but we take responsibility as an athletic department. The school administration has already instituted systematic changes to prevent future mistakes."
The Region 3 board of managers then submitted the self-reported violation to the UHSAA's executive committee, which approved the recommendation of the board of managers to suspend Hemm and fine the school pursuant to Section 7 of the association's bylaws.
Under Section 7, the suspension would be carried over to ensuing seasons, if applicable.
Skyridge athletic director Jon Lehman, the head football coach at the school through last season when he accepted his current position, told KSL Newsradio that the player was a rotational defensive player, who played in two playoff games — a 49-14 win over Farmington on Oct. 27 and a 37-30 win over Pleasant Grove in last week's quarterfinals.
Pleasant Grove parents argued that the Vikings should be the ones to take Skyridge's place in the 6A state semifinals Friday against top-seeded American Fork at Rice-Eccles Stadium, with several holding signs outside the UHSAA offices in Midvale with phrases like "Let PG play" and "PG got robbed."
This morning @GroveVikings protesting the @UHSAAinfo after @skyridgefb played a ineligible player… pic.twitter.com/7A2xCpJZtf
— Derek Petersen (@Derek_Photog) November 9, 2023
Several parents cited a similar eligibility ruling towards Lone Peak in 2019, when the Knights vacated eight games during the regular season due to the use of an ineligible player, prior to a change in association bylaws. A similar ruling was made against East and Timpview in 2012, when the top-rated Leopards were dropped to 1-4 in Region 6 play overnight to miss the playoffs entirely.
In those rulings, the association acknowledged the severity of the ruling.
"There is no doubt that forfeiture is a harsh penalty," the association said in a decision that levied a vacating of wins and a $1,500 fine against the Thunderbirds, per the Deseret News. "Nevertheless, the association has repeatedly affirmed and enforced such a penalty for the use of ineligible players. Indeed, the association recognizes that most, if not all, governing organizations of sports regularly impose forfeiture of games in which ineligible players participate."
The defending 6A champion Falcons (10-2) will face top-seeded American Fork (11-1) in a 6A state semifinal Friday at 11 a.m. MST at Rice-Eccles Stadium. No. 2 Corner Canyon (11-1) and No. 3 Lehi (10-2) will contest the other semifinal at 2:30 p.m.
