Ineligible Player Disqualifies Prairie Seeds Academy From State Tourney
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Prairie Seeds Academy of Brooklyn Park, which had been videotaped fighting with Totino-Grace during the Section 5A title game, has been disqualified from the Class A state soccer tournament due to use of an ineligible player, says the Minnesota State High School League.
During the investigation of the Oct. 18 incident, the Minnesota State High School League discovered that one of the players involved in the altercation had never initiated a Student Transfer Online Form after playing for a different team last season.
Prairie Seeds Academy was seeded No. 2 by the qualifying team coaches, and Marshall School of Duluth was randomly selected to face them on Friday. Due to the disqualification, Marshall School will advance to next week's semifinal at the Metrodome.
Totino-Grace will not replace Prairie Seeds Academy because of the uncertainty of which team may have advanced earlier in the section tournament had Prairie Seeds Academy not played.
However, punishments were doled out in regards to the post-game brawl.
"Such behavior is not condoned and should never be a part of any high school game or school activity," read the MSHSL's statement.
After a frame-by-frame review of the video, the MSHSL said that five players will be ineligible for a minimum period of four weeks; five other players will be ineligible for one game, and two will have no penalty.
WCCO stopped by Prairie Seeds Academy but soccer players there had no comment.
The Academy did release this statement: "PSA is very saddened by today's actions by the MSHSL. We will reserve any other comments until we have had an opportunity to talk with our athletes and our community."
The Academy won the state tournament two years ago and was state runner-up last year.
In addition, the full League Board of Directors will review the entire incident when they meet in regular session on Dec. 6. Additional action may be taken at that time.
