An undefeated high school lacrosse team in Massachusetts saw its championship dreams dashed this week after school officials declared nine players ineligible, leading Ipswich High School to forfeit its state semifinal game.
The decision has ignited controversy, as the players maintain they did not breach the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s tobacco policy, asserting that the cigars they smoked during a graduation celebration were tobacco-free.
On Tuesday, Ipswich was forced to forfeit its MIAA Division 4 semifinal against Cohasset High School due to an insufficient number of eligible players.
As reported by Boston.com, senior Christian Gianakakis, along with several teammates, engaged in a graduation tradition on Sunday by smoking homemade cigars. Gianakakis claimed these cigars, crafted by his father, contained no tobacco after online-ordered fake cigars failed to arrive in time for the celebration.
This incident unfolded at Ipswich High School in Ipswich, Massachusetts, where the boys’ lacrosse team had to forfeit a crucial state semifinal following the ineligibility ruling post-graduation festivities.
The controversy escalated after a photo of the students was reported to school officials, who believed the cigars were real, according to the report.
Gianakakis told Boston.com that he and several teammates later recovered one of the cigars and presented it to school administrators as evidence that it did not contain tobacco. He also told the outlet that Principal Jonathan Mitchell initially informed him and his father that the players would be allowed to participate in Tuesday’s semifinal before the decision was reversed roughly four hours before game time.
“It felt like a punch in the face. It was like we were being called liars,” Gianakakis told Boston.com.
Ipswich High School said in a statement that the team and coaching staff decided to forfeit because of a shortage of available players.
“Ipswich High School was very excited to have its boys lacrosse team advance to the Division 4 State Semifinals that was scheduled for Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.,” the school said in a statement on its website. “The team and coaching staff decided that due to the shortage of available players that it was in the best interest of the team to forfeit the game. We congratulate all of our players and coaches on a great season and for advancing to the Final Four.”
MIAA Executive Director Bob Baldwin told WEEI that the organization was aware of the situation but did not participate in determining whether the students could play.
A lacrosse stick and ball rest on a field. Ipswich High School forfeited its MIAA Division 4 state semifinal after nine players were ruled ineligible following a graduation celebration. (iStock)
“We did not rule in that. We were just made aware of it,” Baldwin said. “It’s a local decision; we did not get involved at all in that decision.”
Baldwin pointed to MIAA rules governing alcohol, tobacco and controlled substances, noting that such investigations are typically handled at the local level.
The MIAA handbook states that when a principal determines a student-athlete has violated rules governing alcohol, tobacco or controlled substances, the student loses eligibility for the next consecutive contests totaling 25% of that sport’s season.
The circumstances surrounding the eligibility decision remain unclear. According to Boston.com’s reporting, Gianakakis believes the final determination was made by Superintendent Brian Blake.
News Media reached out to Superintendent Brian Blake, Principal Jonathan Mitchell and Athletic Director Tom Gallagher for comment.
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