Skyridge High School head football coach Justin Hemm has been suspended for two weeks, including two games, by the Utah High School Activities Association after the Falcons played an ineligible player in their last two games.
The UHSAA said in a news release Wednesday night that school self-reported the violation to the Board of Managers of Region 3, which recommended that Hemm “be suspended from all activities for a period of two weeks, which would include two games.”
The UHSAA executive committee also fined Skyridge $3,000 for “lack of institutional control in the two incidences of playing an ineligible player” and put the school on probation for a year, “during which time it will take whatever steps are necessary to prevent a recurrence of these infractions. During that time, Skyridge will report to the Association the actions it has taken and the results.”
Skyridge, the reigning 6A football champion, defeated Farmington 49-14 in the second round of the 6A playoffs, then beat Pleasant Grove 37-30 in overtime in the quarterfinals.
Pleasant Grove appealed to the UHAAA executive committee to declare that win a forfeit due to the ineligible player competing, but the committee ruled Wednesday that instead, Hemm would be suspended for two-weeks, plus the fine and probation period.
Skyridge will take on American Fork in the 6A semifinals at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Nov. 10. If the Falcons were to advance to the 6A championship, Hemm would not be on the sideline for it.
Section 7 of the UHSAA rulebook, which pertains to ineligible players competing in games, reads: “Contests in which an ineligible player/participant competes shall result in the head coach being suspended for all consecutive sport activities (contests, practice, meetings, etc.) and at all team levels for the number of contests in which the ineligible player/participant competed. Suspension will carry over to the next school year where applicable. Additional sanctions may be applied to the coaching staff and/or the school by the Region Board of Managers, the Executive Committee or the Board of Trustees.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that the Board of Managers of Region 3 imposed the fine and probation period on Skyridge and heard the Pleasant Grove appeal. Those actions were taken by the UHSAA executive committee.