BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
When James Monroe's football team was forced to forfeit six games and a playoff spot because of the use of an ineligible player last week, Rich Serbay said he would resign as athletic director.
But after an emotional 10-6 win over Courtland on Nov. 16, Serbay, who is also JM's football coach, said he might have a change of heart.
Still, JM principal John Gordon wanted to review Serbay's job performance following the violation.
Serbay met with Gordon on Tuesday to discuss his future as athletic director. It was decided he'll keep the position, a job he's held the past 13 years.
"I'm in the practice of reviewing my athletic director at the end of every year," Gordon said. "But this caused us to definitely have to have a discussion sooner."
The ineligible player is in his ninth semester of high school, but Virginia High School League rules call for eligibility to be completed within eight semesters.
Gordon said the player wasn't a key performer.
Serbay reported the violation to Gordon, Fredericksburg City Schools Superintendent David Melton and the VHSL after he received a call from someone in the community and confirmed it with JM's guidance department.
Gordon said it was an honest mistake and an isolated incident.
"I think the main thing is when it comes to athletics you can never discount experience," Gordon said. "Coach Serbay has 13 years of experience [as A.D.], which was a major factor in my decision [to retain him]."
There has been one change at JM, however.
Gordon said the school will now have "increased levels of verifying the eligibility of all students who participate in extra-curricular activities."
Gordon said there will be more involvement from the school's guidance department and the administration when determining eligibility.
"Coach Serbay designed his own plan to make sure this type of problem doesn't happen again," Gordon said.
FOLEY STEPS UP
Chancellor senior cornerback Drew Foley has been thrown into the fire, and he's responded well.
Foley (5-foot-8, 140 pounds) stepped into the Chargers' starting lineup after 2008 all-Region I cornerback Diamante Kelly was ruled academically ineligible prior to the next-to-last game of the regular season.
Foley made the game-clinching interception for Chancellor (9-2) with 32 seconds left in its 28-21 Region I, Division 4 playoff victory over Smithfield this past Saturday.
Foley will be in the starting lineup again when the Chargers visit Powhatan (11-0) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. for the regional championship game.
"People have tried to pick on him, and he's made the plays," Chancellor head coach Bob Oliver said. "He's a scrappy player."
GONZALEZ PICKS COLLEGE
Stafford senior golfer Nina Gonzalez has received a scholarship to compete for Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pa. Gonzalez qualified for the Northwest Region tournament this past season.
Taft Coghill Jr.: 540/374-5526
Email: tcoghill@freelancestar.com