PIAA rules Gateway QB Brad Birch eligible, returns Seton LaSalle appeal to WPIAL
Jun. 2—The PIAA overturned one big WPIAL decision and told the WPIAL board to reconsider another.
Gateway freshman Brad Birch, a football standout who transferred from Jeannette, was ruled eligible Wednesday following an appeal hearing with the PIAA, reversing a WPIAL decision that would've made Birch ineligible for one year.
Separately, the PIAA was scheduled to hear an appeal from Seton LaSalle regarding suspended football coaches Mauro Monz and Jason Pinkston, but that hearing didn't happen Wednesday. Instead the issue was sent back to the WPIAL for another hearing at the district level, PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said.
The five-person panel that heard Gateway's appeal voted unanimously to make Birch eligible, reversing the WPIAL decision from May 3. At issue was whether Birch's participation in a 7-on-7 football team or his desire to take private quarterback instruction from Gateway's coach led to his transfer.
Birch is a quarterback who already has a scholarship offer from Oregon.
"There were some concerning issues for the appeal board, but there was no hard evidence offered that supported the (WPIAL finding of an) athletically motivated transfer," Lombardi said.
As a result, Birch is fully eligible. Because he transferred prior to his 10th grade year, the PIAA's postseason rule doesn't apply, making him eligible for the playoffs in the fall.
In the other case, Seton LaSalle coaches Monz and Pinkston are facing year suspensions for potential recruiting violations. The WPIAL handed down the discipline after a hearing March 30, during which multiple schools brought allegations against the first-year coaches.
Their appeal was scheduled for Wednesday before Seton LaSalle asked to present new evidence.
"The appeal board took that into consideration and remanded it back to District 7 (WPIAL) at the request of the school, for a rehearing and additional evidence to be presented," Lombardi said.
This story will be updated.
Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review Staff Writer. You can contact Chris by email at charlan@triblive.com or via Twitter .
