UPDATE: WPIAL Rules Transferring Seneca Valley Student Cannot Play Football at North Catholic

The WPIAL’s board of control has ruled that a Seneca Valley High School student who is transferring to  is not eligible to play football in the fall.

Under the ruling, rising senior Lucas Wildman is allowed to play any sport except football at North Catholic, according to Davy Wildman, Lucas Wildman's father.

Davy Wildman said the family planned to the appeal the decision to the PIAA. He does not know of the date for the new hearing.

He added that his son was very upset at news of the board's decision.

"He's taking it really hard," he said.

On Tuesday, athletic league officials conducted a hearing in Green Tree to review Lucas Wildman’s transfer from Seneca Valley to North Catholic and to determine if he would be eligible to play sports at his new school. The hearing was closed to the public at the request of Seneca Valley and North Catholic officials.

The Evans City teen’s parents -- his mother, Mary Wildman, is a longtime teacher in Seneca Valley High School's business department -- were with him at the hearing. Joining the family was Seneca Valley school board member , who represents their region in Evans City.

Seneca Valley  Principal Mark Korcinsky, Athletic Director Greg Caprara and Dave Holl, head coach of the Seneca Valley varsity football team, also attended the hearing. North Catholic High School President Frank Orga and North Catholic’s athletic director, Jason Lucia, represented the private school.

After obtaining the official paperwork this morning, Orga said North Catholic would abide by the ruling. He said he was aware of the Wildman family's plans to appeal the athletic league's decision. 

"It's a difficult situation," he said. "We’ll support them in any way we should from the school's standpoint."

Linda Andreassi, Seneca Valley's director of communications, also released a statement on behalf of the district regarding the outcome of Tuesday's hearing.

“The WPIAL is the authority on matters such as this, and as the ruling body, we respect their decision," she said. "We wish Lucas well in his future endeavors.”

The WPIAL reviews transfers of student athletes and in some cases may hold hearings to ensure that athletics are not the sole motivation for school transfers. In Lucas Wildman’s case, Caprara and Korcinsky had not signed off on the student’s request to play sports after transferring to North Catholic, Scalamogna said. Such approvals by district officials typically pave the way for student athletes to transfer uncontested to other schools.

Caprara and Korcinsky declined comment Tuesday, saying they were awaiting the outcome of the hearing.

Davy Wildman said his son, a 5-foot-10 offensive lineman who does not start for Seneca Valley, is transferring to North Catholic for academic rather than athletic reasons and should be allowed to play football while he attends the private school. He said his son has a 4.1 grade point average and hopes to attend an Ivy League college after high school.

“It’s for academic and religious reasons, and Seneca Valley is not up to the ethics and morals of our family.”

Davy Wildman in the past has taken issue with Seneca Valley’s head football coach.

After the 2010 football season ended, Davy Wildman said he spoke publicly at a Nov. 1 school board meeting about Holl, whom the school district hired in 2009 to replace Ron Butschle.

According to minutes posted on the Seneca Valley School District’s website, Superintendent Donald Tylinski at the Nov. 8 school board meeting read a statement regarding an investigation into Davy Wildman’s allegations about Holl's behavior.

The investigation determined Holl did not act inappropriately toward Lucas Wildman, according to the district's meeting minutes. Principal Alan Cumo and Virgil Palumbo, a football coach, spoke in support of Holl at that meeting, according to the minutes.

The following week, Holl filed a civil lawsuit in Butler County Common Pleas Court saying Davy Wildman slandered and libeled him in the comments he made and a letter he distributed at the school board meeting. In his response to the lawsuit, Davy Wildman acknowledged writing and submitting a letter to the school board, but said he did not make false statements about Holl, according to court records.

Scalamogna, who said he attended Tuesday’s hearing at the Wildman family's request, said he didn't understand why Lucas Wildman’s eligibility to play for North Catholic is an issue.

He said Lucas Wildman was transferring from a Class AAAA school to a smaller school with a team that does not compete with Seneca Valley. He said he believes Lucas Wildman is not a Division I prospect or a player whom colleges will heavily recruit.

He noted that the testimony from the Wildman family Tuesday was very emotional.

“It's not a nice situation. I just don’t understand why our district doesn’t say ‘Go ahead and leave,’ ” he said. “I think people are letting their emotions take over.”

Tim O’Malley, executive director of the WPIAL, said the league’s bylaws forbid students to transfer because of conflicts with a coach. He did not return calls requesting comment Wednesday afternoon.