MIDDLETOWN — The North Coast Section has reinstated one of two forfeited victories by the Middletown High School varsity football team.
Middletown appealed both forfeitures — a 21-14 season-opening victory over Salesian and a 35-0 win the following week over Healdsburg — with the section office. Middletown”s failure to properly file paperwork with the section office regarding a transfer student led to the forfeits. Middletown discovered the error and immediately reported itself.
While the section reinstated the win over Healdsburg, it ruled against Middletown in regard to its appeal over the Salesian forfeiture, according to Middletown High principal Bill Roderick.
“We have one last appeal with a three-person section panel,” Roderick said of the forfeited game to Salesian. “We need to do it, we”re excited about it. At least we got one of the wins back.”
Middletown placekicker Allman Lichtendahl, who has since been reinstated by the section and who participated in the Mustangs” 67-0 win over Willits on Friday night in Willits, played in only two plays in the Salesian game, kicking extra points in the first and second quarters.
According to Middletown coach Bill Foltmer, the section rule is that if an ineligible player participates in more than 49 percent of the game, a team has to forfeit. Because Lichtendahl was on the field for two of the four quarters — albeit for only one play in each — that counts as 50 percent of the game, according to the section.
“The NCS wants things to be black and white. The bottom line is they (section officials) don”t want to do appeals,” Foltmer said. “It”s a poorly written rule. He (Lichtendahl) played in two plays. Even the Salesian coach (Chad Nightingale) said he didn”t decide the outcome of the game.”
Nightingale actually sent a letter to the section office saying exactly that, according to Foltmer. “I read a copy of the letter.”
The paperwork error likely would have gone unnoticed had Middletown not reported it to the section office, according to Foltmer.
“I don”t think it sends out a good message,” Foltmer said. “We found the mistake, we reported the mistake and the penalty is just the same had someone else turned us in. It might be easier to keep your mouth shut.”
Foltmer, now in his 29th year at the school, has never had to forfeit a win in his 28 previous seasons as the Mustangs” head coach.
“We”ve run a clean program here,” Foltmer said.
Regardless of what happens with the school”s final appeal regarding the Salesian game, Foltmer said he has moved on and so has his team.
“I”m over it however it turns out,” Foltmer said. “We won those games. Our kids know that.”
Added Roderick, “We want to fight for our kids and what our kids have earned.”
