Jesuit’s Harrell still waiting for approval

Posted Sep 3, 2010 by Nick Williams

Updated Sep 3, 2010 at 02:14 PM

Jesuit athletic director Terry Rupp said he has yet to hear from the Florida High School Athletic Association regarding the eligibility of senior linebacker/fullback Anthony Harrell.

On Thursday, the school administration issued a statement detailing it would withhold Harrell from playing in tonight’s season opener against Lakeland Kathleen “based on a rule involving transfer students for which the Athletic Department awaits clarification from the Florida High School Athletic Association.”

That rule is FHSAA bylaw 9.3.5.3, which states “a student who transfers to a school within one year of the relocation of any member of the coaching staff of the student’s sport(s), on any level regardless of which level the student participated, will not be eligible to participate in the sport(s) coached by that coach until the student has been in attendance for one calendar year if said coach is in any way affiliated with the athletic program at the new school.”

Harrell transferred from Freedom High to Jesuit this summer, months after his father, James Harrell, resigned from his head coaching position at Freedom to be Jesuit’s new head coach.

“They have 10 [business] days to review what we sent,” Rupp said.

If Jesuit does not hear from the FHSAA before the 10-day waiting period and decides to keep him off the field until then, Harrell, who has close to two dozen offers, could also miss the second game of the season against Sarasota.

“We hope to hear back before then,” Rupp said.