Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies

Gibbs must forfeit its 10 hoop wins

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 8, 2002

Gibbs has forfeited all of its basketball victories this season and will probably have to forfeit some football wins for using an ineligible player. Gibbs first-year athletic director Julius Wynn said Thursday that starting forward John Mells was a fifth-year senior, making him ineligible. Wynn said school officials were unaware of Mells' status. According to Florida High School Activities Association rules, a player has three years to complete his eligibility after his freshman year.

Mells attended Gibbs for three years from 1997-2000. Last year Mells attended Tomlinson Adult Center to complete credits he failed to earn at Gibbs.

"It hurts," said Mells, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound forward. "I just have to deal with it and move on. I played all this time and nothing was said to me."

Mells was told at practice Monday he was no longer on the team. Mells said he made no attempt to hide his fifth-year status and was unaware of the eligibility rules. He said he assumed if he was ineligible, coaches would let him know. But Al Davis allowed him to play football, and Arian Odom did the same for basketball. Both said they had no idea Mells was a fifth-year player.

Boca Ciega reported the offense to Wynn and Pinellas County athletic director Bob Hosack.

Wynn then reported his school to the FHSAA and volunteered to forfeit all 10 basketball victories, making the team 0-22 and the last seed in next week's district tournament.

Wynn said he was looking into whether the team would forfeit football games. Asked how many football games Mells might have played in, Davis said he couldn't "speak on that. I really don't know what's happening."

Mells said he played six or seven games, and the FHSAA said if so, it's likely any victories will be forfeited.

As for the basketball team, "it slipped by me, I don't know how," Odom said.

"I thought him playing football meant he was eligible and could play basketball, too. Everyone's pretty shocked."