Many of you have read about the on-again, off-again rulings concerning Piney Woods School&8217;s basketball team.

The MHSAA first ruled Piney Woods could not participate in the state basketball playoffs but reversed that ruling Saturday. Piney Woods is a boarding school, located about 25 miles South of Jackson on Highway 49.

Formed in 1909, it is the largest and oldest historically black boarding school in the country. Over the years Piney Woods has developed the reputation as a great basketball school, and the school actually does wonderful academic work as well, imbuing kids with not only an education but giving them a good work ethic, too.

Piney Woods has not been so successful in football or baseball. I remember several other instances in the past when Piney Woods&8217; basketball program has been called on the carpet by the MHSAA for recruiting violations.

A lot of kids want to go to school there for the basketball program, and a lot of parents want to send their kids there for the structure the school provides. Any time a high school basketball coach loses a promising youngster to Piney Woods, that coach is going to be upset and will allege Piney Woods recruited that kid. There is a fine line between recruiting a player and accepting a player regardless who is paying the tuition.

From what I understand, it all came to a head when it was found that Piney Woods had taken, or allowed, a couple of Jackson middle school students to dress in Piney Woods uniforms to get in a Jackson tournament free.

Part of the reason given the MHSAA reversed its ruling was to be fair to the students. The Piney Woods head coach will be barred from coaching in the playoffs though he can coach at practice.

Given the same circumstances, the NCAA would have almost ruined a college program. Deuce McAllister merely said hello to a couple of kids while he was watching a high school football game, and everybody hears about it.

&8220;I heard the judge (Piney Woods threatened to file an injunction) told the school and the MHSAA to work it out. I understand they will be allowed to play because they didn&8217;t want to hurt the kids,&8221; St. Andrews Coach Mike Coggins told the Clarion-Ledger.

&8220;If the association believed strongly enough to make the ruling in the first place, then that is what they should have done. Look at the kids from St. Andrews, and McLaurin, and Loyd Star and the other kids in the district. They&8217;re the ones not getting a fair shake.&8221;

The MHSAA has long had a reputation of being wimpy, and these rulings reinforce it.If the original ruling was wrong, they shouldn&8217;t have made it.

If it was right, they should not have bowed to pressure and overturned it.

And that&8217;s official.

Al Graning is a former SEC official and a former Natchez resident. Reach him at

AlanWard39157@aol.com

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