The Wilmington morning star., 1946-03-02
New Hanover Basketball I Hearing
To Be Held Today In Chapel Hill
Delegation From Whining.
ton School Pleads Case
Before NCHSAA

A delegation Of New Hanover
High school and City County Board
Of Education officials left early
this morning for Chapel Hill and
the 1880 p. m. hearing before the
NCHSAA executive committee on
the eligibility ruling which barred
the New Hanover High school bas-
ketball team from title considera.
ton in the Eastern conference.
The heading was granted by c. r.
Joyner Of Winston-Salem after the
local school authorities had voiced
protests over the ruling of the
eligibility committee of the state
association that the use of Johnnie
McKoy, elongated Wildcat center
in a game with Raleigh's Caps on
Jan. 10 was contrary to North Caro-.
lima high school athletic rules.
The decision was made despite
the fact the c. E. Mcintosh, ex-
ecutive secretary of the NCHSAA
Fhad given permission to Coach
Leon Brogden Of MINIS to use the
boy and despite the fact that since
that game Mcintosh had certified
to the eligibility Of McKoy through
official channels and procedures Of
the state association. =
The rules Of eligibility committee
not only robbed the New Hanover
basketball team of a chance at the
state championship, but it depriv.
ed the local, school Of a bid to the
Durham High school invitational
tournament which would have given
the Wilmington cagers a chance
at national and sectional publicity
and honors.
Instead, Wilson, which was de-
feated by the Gates twice during
the regular season and Durham,
which won one and lost one game
to the Brogden coached locals will
probably gain the bid through beat
ing the western entry in the state
championships.
Because the 1916 basketball sea-
son is almost matter Of history,
decision by the executive COM
mittee that McKoy was eligible
would be nothing more than a
moral victory for the local authori-
ties.
However, local authorities want
to make it a matter Of record that
if a violation of the North Caro-
lima eligibility code was committed
by New Hanover High school, it
was made only because the school
misis1terpeted the powers of Nc
Intosh to give permission in such
cases and not through any attempt
to slip fast one over on the
Eastern conference.
Insinuatious by certain members
of the executive and eligibility
committees that the Wilmington
school has acted in bad faith in the
playing Of McKoy have grated on
local pride.
While it was a most unfortunate
series Of happenings that deprived
the best team in the stately sea-
sons records-of the chance for
the formal title, it is hoped that the
delegation may achieve one Of their
prime objects in going to Chapel
Hill this morning-a Qualification of
the NCHSAA constitution SO that
other conference schools acting in
good faith in future cases will not
be made to bear the brunt Of a
poor piece OF legislation.
If 1t is any moral satisfaction
to the MINIS cagers and coaching
staff, North Carolina editorial com
ment has been in the majority of
the same trend' the best team
in the state has been deprived of
the championship but rules are
rules"
But then Of course, newspaper
clippings can never take the place
of the title, champion of North
Carolina.