Durango could challenge decision in court

Spencer Patterson

Monday, May 22, 2000 | 8:57 a.m.

Three weeks ago, Nevada's prep baseball playoffs began in court, as several Reno-area schools battled over the issue of academic eligibility.

Now, it appears the postseason will also end with legal maneuverings.

According to Durango baseball coach Mike Gomez, his team has hired an attorney to look into the possibility of trying to reverse Friday night's double forfeit that ended his club's season.

"Right now, I'm still looking at all our options from a legal standpoint," Gomez said. "The decision hurt a lot of people, and our parents are in an uproar. For the sake of the kids, I think they deserve to have a battle brought forth on their behalf.

"Can something be done? I don't know," Gomez said. "It's probably doubtful, but we're looking to explore those avenues as quickly as possible. Our kids are totally confident they could have come back and won two the next day. They did it the weekend before."

On Friday, with Durango leading Reno High 8-2 in the top of the seventh inning of their loser's bracket contest at Henderson's Burkholder Field, a home-plate collision triggered an incident that sent players from both sides onto the field.

Umpires on the field ejected both head coaches, along with a pair of Reno players. Soon after, Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Executive Director Jerry Hughes ruled the contest a double forfeit, declaring Silverado the 2000 4A champion.

Hughes based his decision on NIAA regulation 2080-5, which states: "Regardless of his/her intentions, an athlete who leaves the bench, sideline or other area which is outside the actual field of play and enters into the field of play in response to an incident such as an altercation or a fight, commits an unsportsmanlike act and must be suspended for the remainder of that contact."

The rule goes on to say, "If a majority of the members of a team or teams leaves the non-playing area, the contest must be ruled as a forfeiture or a double forfeiture, as appropriate."

The NIAA also sent out a packet on April 4 to teams participating in this year's prep playoffs, reminding coaches that regulation 2080-5 would be "strictly enforced" during the tournament.

Although Gomez admitted that Durango players came out of the dugout, he asserted that mitigating factors should be taken into account.

"We understand the rule and everything, but Chris (Kelly) is getting pushed and shoved by two guys at the plate and we've got a group of 15-18 year-olds in the dugout," he said. "It's hard to have kids not react at all while one of their teammates is taking the abuse Chris was taking.

"As soon as the kids came (out of the dugout) our coaches shut them down and got them back in," Gomez continued. "The kids were nowhere near the plate, nowhere near the Reno kids. None of our kids responded with blows or pushes."

On Sunday night, Reno coach Pete Savage insisted his players left the dugout only after Durango's players left their dugout.

"Basically, our players are taught to defend their teammates," Savage said. "Our kids responded to Durango coming out. I'm not proud of the way it ended, but it's impossible to say, 'You kids stay on the bench and do nothing.' "

Savage also took offense at earlier suggestions by Gomez that the Huskies did what they did intentionally to take the Trailblazers out of the tournament with them.

"Coach Gomez insinuating that we tried to do it is ludicrous and not close to the truth," Savage said. "It was nothing intentional. It was just something that happened."

But Gomez said he saw Reno players celebrating in their dugout after the double forfeit was announced.

"After the game they're over there high-fiving. You'd have thought they won the game," Gomez said. "It could happen again. If a team is out of it they could take a cheap shot and try to take the other team out with them."