By Mitch Vingle

Sports Editor
Nitro High quarterback Michael Scott has been given a waiver by the Secondary School Activities Commission to
participate in athletics in his senior season, according to his father Mike.

The younger Scott’s eligibility was in question because he repeated eighth grade. Scott, his father and lawyer took the
appeal before the SSAC’s Board of Directors Monday night in Parkersburg.

“Common sense won,’’ said Mike Scott. “It was close — by a 5-4 vote — but common sense won.’’
Michael Scott was the first-team all-Mountain State Athletic Conference and second-team Class AAA all-state quarterback
after a prolific 2006 season. He threw for 2,925 yards and 25 touchdowns in leading the Wildcats to the quarterfinals of the
Class AAA playoffs.

However, rule 5.3.1. of the SSAC handbook says a “student held back in the sixth, seventh or eighth grade without failing
shall lose one of the four years of high school eligibility for each year the student is held back.’’

Scott repeated the eighth grade when he moved from Andrew Jackson Middle School to Cross Lanes Christian.
“My wife and I had separated and it started showing in Michael’s school work and his actions,’’ said the father, who has
since reconciled with his wife. “It was chaos and my wife thought Cross Lanes Christian would be a good place for Michael.

“We didn’t want him to go to high school with those problems.’’

The elder Scott, an assistant football coach at Nitro, said he remembers the CLC headmaster meeting with his son, who
had completed the eighth grade at Andrew Jackson.
“[The headmaster] discussed his school’s standards and placed him [back] in the eighth grade,’’ said Mike Scott.
The assistant coach said he appeared before the SSAC’s Board of Directors Monday evening.
“They asked me if I sent [Michael] to Cross Lanes to redshirt,’’ he said. “I said, ‘No. Without a doubt, no.’ At that time he

was 5-foot-6, 130 pounds. We couldn’t make a determination like that back then.’’
The elder Scott said four years ago he heard whispers his son couldn’t compete during his fourth high school year.
“I didn’t care,’’ he said. “We did it for family reasons.’’
The assistant coach said there were no formal complaints concerning his son’s status. The family simply decided to meet

the issue head-on.

“We wrote to [SSAC executive director] Mike Hayden and he said Michael was not eligible,’’ said Mike Scott. “So we
appealed to the Board of Directors. He was given a waiver by the hardship rule.’’
He added the son was relieved by the decision.
“It was a cloud over his head,’’ said the father. “He’s very happy.’’
To contact sports editor Mitch Vingle, use e-mail or call 348-4827.

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6/15/2007