After review, NCS commisioner won't back O'Dowd's NorCal attempts

North Coast Section commissioner Gil Lemmon said that after more review, he can not support the efforts of Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) to gain entrance into the CIF Northern California Open Division girls basketball tournament.

The nationally-ranked and defending state Open Division champion Dragons (23-4) were barred from entering the NCS tournament Sunday for playing one over the allotted 26 regular-season games.

O'Dowd officials admitted to the error, a "clerical one" they say, but have sought Lemmon's support to nominate the Dragons into the second-year Open Tournament which is for the state's top programs and current teams. Those squads will be handpicked March 9 based on a criteria written by the CIF, the state's governing body.

The teams presented for consideration to the CIF are by each of the state's 10 sections.

After two days of deliberating, Lemmon said he could not reward a team that has failed to make its own tournament, let alone one that failed to abide by a long-standing rule.

"We have never allowed a team skip our tournament and leap directly into NorCals and doing so now would set a very bad precedent," he said by phone Wednesday afternoon. "I have read over the NCS bulletin and NorCal criteria line-by-line and I think it is quite clear you have to be a qualifier from your own section to move to the Open Division or any other division."

Asked for the specific reference and Lemmon referred to page five of the NCS bulletin, which opens: "The NCS Championship division teams will be the NCS representatives to the respective Northern California, CIF Championship." Lemmon cited further language in the bulletin.

Back fill the tournament

O'Dowd's hopes have been that "division teams," refers to Divisions I through V and not the Open. The Open criteria, written by the CIF, shows no specific language concerning teams having to play in a section tournament.

Brian Seymour, the CIF director of championship events, said Monday however that as long as O'Dowd wasn't entered into the NCS tournament, "it won't be a qualifying (NorCal) team."

Further, Lemmon noted, the NCS is allowed to back fill the NorCal brackets when its teams are pulled up to the Open Division. If O'Dowd, for instance, was invited into the Open Division instead of this year's Division III champion then another potential NCS qualifier would not get in.

He noted last year's College Park boys team that gained entrance into the Division II tournament only because Newark Memorial was pulled into the Open. College Park, the 12th seed, won the NorCal title.

"It simply wouldn't be fair to keep another team out of NorCals at the expense of a team not even in our tournament," Lemmon said.

Lemmon e-mailed O'Dowd officials a six-page letter Wednesday afternoon explaining his reasoning, BOD athletic director Mike Bowler confirmed. He wasn't pleased that Lemmon then called media members, who relayed his remarks through social media, this reporter included. Lemmon said he was simply returning calls.

"It's another case of lack of empathy for our girls who did absolutely nothing wrong," Bowler said. "They shouldn't have to learn things that way."

Bowler said he and O'Dowd administrators will meet Thursday morning to determine its next steps. O'Dowd is No. 20 nationally in the MaxPreps computer rankings.

Big picture

Bowler and assistant O'Dowd principal Kevin Cushing said Tuesday they were hoping Lemmon and the CIF would take a step back and see "a bigger picture."

"From our view, our girls have already been punished enough by not being able to defending their (NCS) championship," Cushing said, noting the Dragons have actually won five straight titles. "We think by not allowing them to defend their Northern California and state championship it only exasperates the punishment."

But O'Dowd officials wonder if the crime actually fits the punishment in the first place. The Dragons didn't go over the 29 contacts allowed during a regular season — 26 games, two scrimmages and one Foundation game. O'Dowd played 27 games, with one scrimmage and one Foundation game.

O'Dowd administrators admit fault to designate a game a scrimmage, but there was no intent to gain an advantage, they maintain. "We admit by the letter of the rule we broke it, but if you stand back and look objectively, did we really gain any kind of edge?" Cushing asked. "The section believes we did and we've accepted it. But we feel the girls have already qualified for the state playoffs. They've worked extremely hard to get to this point and deserve the right to compete."

When asked the advantage of a game over a scrimmage, Lemmon used a 100-meter dash analogy: "If you jump a little, it's still an advantage. If you get a two-yard head start, even a flinch, it's a violation and your disqualified. Fortunately or unfortunately, that's the world of sports."

Bowler said the Dragons would have no advantage if allowed into NorCal tournament, and they've met three of the four criteria to gain entrance (teams only need to meet one). The Dragons haven't practiced all week and entering NorCals without a game for two weeks could only lead to rust.

"What kind of advantage is that?" he said.

Fresh legs, scouting benefits and overall rejuvenation are possible benefits, some might deem. Bowler sees no such gain. 

"Frankly, I just see some kids who are hurting," he said. "Who is considering that?"