Galena appeals NIAA ruling

Galena High School and its attorney spent Wednesday appealing a Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association ruling that forced the Grizzlies to forfeit 11 Northern 4A baseball games, but no decision has been reached.

The Grizzlies made their Level 3 appeal before an independent three-member panel, the final stage of administrative appeal according to NIAA bylaws.

The panel has not rendered a decision, and it could come either today or Monday. The ruling body was made up of Larry McKay, director of athletics at Clark High and vice president of the NIAA's Board of Controls; Bill Garris, principal at Boulder City High and president of the Board of Controls; and Bob Gallagher, the athletics director at Elko High and president of the NIAA's Northern 4A Conference.

The appeal stems from a ruling the NIAA made Tuesday, declaring that Galena forfeit 11 games because it used an ineligible player, Josh Green.

Green was taking an extra course off campus, and the NIAA investigation alleges that he was failing the course. Galena has countered that it was never notified of Green's status in the class, but the NIAA cited that his progress in the class was not properly monitored by the school.

Team attorney Robert Mulligan told a Reno paper on Wednesday that nobody informed the team or Green that he was failing the class.

All 11 games Green appeared in from March 13 to April 8 were forfeited by the Grizzlies, dropping them from the second seed in conference to 10th place, effectively ending their season.

The Northern 4A playoff bracket was also thrown into chaos, with five teams moving up, including Reed, which was given the eighth spot after not qualifying initially.

Galena is trying to get a decision before the zone tournament, which starts on May 3. If it doesn't like the decision from the appeal, or if it isn't rendered fast enough, the school might seek an injunction in court.