High School

Split Eligibility Ruling for Bishop McCort Football Transfers Sparks Controversy in Pennsylvania

Three players ruled eligible, three declared ineligible at Bishop McCort in a contentious hearing centered around recruiting allegations and transfer rules
Gary Adornato|
Bishop McCort football earned a split decision in a case revolving around the eligibility of six transfers, three of which have been ruled ineligible for the 2025 season. The school plans to appeal that decision.
Bishop McCort football earned a split decision in a case revolving around the eligibility of six transfers, three of which have been ruled ineligible for the 2025 season. The school plans to appeal that decision. | Bishop McCort athletics

Split Decision Follows Nine-Hour Hearing

According to a report by the Tribune Democrat in Johnstown, PA, the PIAA District 6 Committee, in collaboration with a regional committee composed of District 5 and 6 representatives, delivered a split eligibility ruling on six student-athletes who transferred to Bishop McCort Catholic High School, after a nearly 10-hour hearing last week.

Three football players were declared eligible, while three others were ruled ineligible for the 2025 season, including highly recruited prospects from Greater Johnstown and Windber Area.

McCort to Appeal Ineligible Rulings

Bishop McCort principal and head football coach Tom Smith, alongside attorney Art McQuillan, confirmed the school will appeal the rulings that declared Zymir Reed, Julius Reed, and Dominick Chippie ineligible for football.

McQuillan argued there was no substantiated evidence of recruiting and called the decisions against the Reeds and Chippie “irresponsible.”

Read the entire story at Tridem.com
District 6 delivers split eligibility decision on McCort football transfers from Greater Johnstown, Windber

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Gary Adornato
GARY ADORNATO

Gary Adornato is the Senior VP of Content for High School On SI and SBLive Sports. He began covering high school sports with the Baltimore Sun in 1982, while still a mass communications major at Towson University. In 2003 became one of the first journalists to cover high school sports online while operating MIAASports.com, the official website of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. Later, Adornato pioneered market-wide coverage of high school sports with DigitalSports.com, introducing video highlights and player interviews while assembling an award-winning editorial staff. In 2010, he launched VarsitySportsNetwork.com which became the premier source of high school media coverage in the state of Maryland. In 2022, he sold VSN to The Baltimore Banner and joined SBLive Sports as the company's East Coast Managing Editor.

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