|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Editor’s note: Dennis Miller is a contributing sports writer for Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. To contact him about his Pleasanton Preps column, email acesmag@aol.com.
Sitting around Friday night, I got this letter sent to me that the Amador Valley High School boys basketball team was hit with what is basically called a “death penalty” by the North Coast Section.
The worst part? I wasn’t surprised. That there were issues regarding transfers to Amador was the worst kept secret I have ever seen in prep sports locally.
People knew but were unwilling to say anything.
There were people with no past connection to Amador blatantly circumventing the rules to bring in players from outside the area to make an Amador roster with players not from Pleasanton.
It was criminal and these adults who destroyed the basketball program have now moved on with no penalties, while the program gets decimated.
I will have a lot more to say in my column this week, as there are many layers to this story and it’s time to lay it all out.
Following is the letter Amador Valley principal Malcolm Norrington sent out to the Amador Valley community.
Norrington deserves the credit for being willing to look at the entire situation and self-report the violations to NCS. More schools need this type of leadership if this garbage that is ruining high school sports is to be stopped.
Following is the letter:
Dear Amador Valley High School Community,
I am writing to share an important update about our boys’ basketball program and to ensure our community receives this information directly from Amador Valley High School.
Earlier this year, concerns were raised about aspects of our boys’ basketball program. In response, Amador Valley High School and Pleasanton Unified School District conducted an investigation. Our review identified violations of CIF and North Coast Section requirements related to student-athlete eligibility, residency, and recruiting practices. Consistent with our responsibility to act with transparency and integrity, we self-reported those findings to the North Coast Section.
The North Coast Section has now completed its review and issued its determination. As a result, contests from the 2025-2026 season in which an ineligible student-athlete participated will be forfeited, and the team’s official record will be adjusted accordingly.
In addition, the boys’ basketball program has been placed on a two-year probationary period and is currently ineligible for NCS/CIF postseason competition during the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 seasons. The North Coast Section has indicated that it may reconsider the second year of postseason ineligibility if we successfully implement the required corrective measures and no additional violations occur this school year.
Additionally, the AVHS athletic department has also been placed on probation for two years. All other AVHS teams remain eligible for postseason participation during this period; only boys’ basketball is currently ineligible. However, any new eligibility or recruiting violations during that period could result in additional penalties for the sport involved.
These consequences are significant, and we accept full responsibility for addressing the violations and strengthening our practices and systems to prevent them from occurring in the future.
We have already begun implementing enhanced safeguards, including annual CIF/NCS compliance training for coaches and administrators, stronger procedures for verifying residency and transfer eligibility, additional administrative review of eligibility documentation, and a more clearly documented athletic-clearance process.
These measures will ensure that our practices consistently reflect the standards expected of Amador Valley High School.
Our commitment moving forward is clear: we will continue building a boys’ basketball program in which our student-athletes can compete at the highest level while conducting ourselves with honor, integrity, accountability, and purpose. Athletic excellence cannot be separated from ethical leadership. How we achieve success matters as much as the success itself.
I also want to be clear that our student-athletes deserve our encouragement and support. They will continue to practice, compete, represent Amador Valley High School, and pursue excellence. Our responsibility as adults is to learn from what happened, strengthen the systems around them, and provide an environment where they can grow as students, athletes, teammates, and young people.
I recognize that members of our community may have questions or feel disappointed about this outcome. We share that disappointment. However, we will not allow this moment to define the future of Amador Valley boys’ basketball. We will let our response show who we are. We want to offer an opportunity to hear any questions and concerns you may have, and we will share details with you soon.
Thank you for your continued support of our students and our athletic programs. We remain committed to moving forward together with transparency, humility, and an unwavering expectation of excellence.
Go Dons!
With Gratitude,
Malcolm Norrington, Ed.D.
Principal
Amador Valley High School
The principal’s letter was perfectly written. While disappointing for the Amador community, it also shows that integrity and excellence, in all aspects of high school activity, remains at the forefront. Support the athletics at your local high school and you’ll be richer for it.