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Oct 22, 2008 2:31 pm US/Central
Mansfield Pee Wee Team Must Forfeit Season
MANSFIELD (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
They didn't start off looking like champions but the Mansfield Jaguars worked hard to earn their undefeated record.
With practice three nights a week and "big hearts," the pee wee football team hoped to make it to the Pee Wee Super Bowl.
As they practiced Tuesday, they knew they wouldn't even be able to make it to the playoffs.
On Sunday, the Brazos Valley Football Association voted to strip the team of its wins for the entire season.
"It makes me feel horrible," one player said.
"It just made me cry all day long," another admitted.
Player Braxton Murphy is confused. "I didn't know what to do about it."
Turns out the forfeiture occurred after two players missed two different weigh-ins, which means
they were never certified.
Ryan Miller was one of the players that missed the events because he was out of town.
The Jaguars could have had the opposing team sign off on its roster at the first game, but coach Don Weatherby says he wasn't aware of the regulation.
"If you miss weigh in on any other league they just put an x on the helmet. That means you can't run or catch the ball. So that's what I did," he said pointing to the tape adhered to players' helmets.
Weatherby said when he heard of the association's ruling, he immediately tried to correct the situation but he didn't get anywhere after talking to at least two officials including one labeled the town representative.
Eventually, other teams started protesting the Jaguars wins and on Sunday 13 town representatives from the association voted to make the team forfeit the entire season.
Board president Darrell Lewis said he was not available to go on camera Tuesday, but said in a phone interview that the "decision was made because they flagrantly continued to play those players knowing what the result would be."
"We've been out here busting our butts and they try to take our wins away," said frustrated player Blake Venable.
The team hopes the decision can be reversed. In the meantime, they are going to continue to play even if their wins don't count.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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