No decision made on eligibility of Timber Creek football player

ROBBINSVILLE, N.J. - An emergency meeting of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association's Eligiblity Appeals Committee on the matter of a Timber Creek football player lasted nearly four hours Friday but ended without a resolution.

"I'm not aware of any decision," Dan Long, attorney for the Black Horse Pike School District, said Friday night.

Long said it was his understanding that the NJSIAA would email the decision to the school district in the near future.

NJSIAA assciate director Larry White, who handles eligibility issues, declined to comment on the meeting.

White said it was the organization's policy not to comment on eligibility matters.

The appeal was made by a Timber Creek student after the Black Horse Pike district self-reported two transfers of questionable circumstances to the NJSIAA in early September and declared both students to be ineligible for the start of the football season.

One of the students was ruled ineligible by the school district for the first four games. He is expected to be eligible to play for Timber Creek in its Oct. 14 game against Camden.

The other student was ruled ineligible by the school district for the school year. He appealed the decision to the NJSIAA, creating Friday's hearing.

In early September, White said, the Black Horse Pike district had self-reported that one student had transferred "without a bona fide change of address" and was ineligible for four games and the other student had transferred for "athletic advantage" and was ineligible for the school year.

Long and Brian Repici, the Black Horse Pike school district superintendent, attended the meeting at the NJSIAA's headquarters.

The Timber Creek student, whose name is being withheld because he is a minor, attended the meeting along with his parents and an attorney who was presenting their case.

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@PhilAnastasia