Portsmouth coaches fired after assistant suits up, plays in JV girls basketball game

Jami Frankenberry, The Virginian-Pilot
Updated ·2 min read
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The junior-varsity girls basketball coach and an assistant coach at Churchland High School have been fired after the assistant participated in a regular-season JV game, Portsmouth Public Schools confirmed Tuesday.

The team was short on players and the assistant coach, Arlisha Boykins, played in a game Jan. 21 against Nansemond River in Suffolk. Rumors of the coach’s participation — and a video — were circulating on social media for the past week, but school officials had been mum until Monday.

Lauren Nolasco, Chief Communications Officer for Portsmouth Public Schools, said Monday the division investigated the incident last week.

“While I cannot discuss specific details of the investigation since this is a personnel matter, I can confirm Arlisha Boykins is no longer an employee of Portsmouth Public Schools,” Nolasco said. “In addition, the head coach of the junior varsity is no longer an employee of the division.”

Nolasco, who did not identify the head JV coach, added there were “no changes to the girls varsity coaching staff.”

During a meeting with parents and players for the junior-varsity and varsity teams, “players expressed they did not want to continue this season,” Nolasco said. “The teams’ remaining opponents and officials have been notified.”

Churchland’s varsity team — winless this season — was scheduled to host Lake Taylor on Tuesday night and had four other remaining regular-season games on the schedule. The Truckers averaged just 10 points per game and didn’t score more than 15 this season.

Jordhan Peterson, in her first season as the Truckers’ varsity coach, declined to comment, and attempts to reach Churchland athletic director Mike Whittington were unsuccessful.

“We are aware of the incident, and we’ve spoken to the school,” said Mike McCall, a Virginia High School League spokesman. “It’s a school and personnel issue and doesn’t come under our VHSL rules.”

Staff writer Nour Habib contributed to this story.

Jami Frankenberry, 757-446-2376, jami.frankenberry@pilotonline.com. Twitter @JamiVP.