32-3A committee recommends probation for Hidalgo athletics

The District 32-3A committee recommended Monday that Hidalgo ISD’s athletic department be placed on two years probation, Rio Hondo ISD superintendent and committee member Annie McMinn confirmed.

The UIL state executive committee will rule on that penalty when it next meets on Nov. 16 in Austin. Ed Stidham, the UIL compliance director, said the state executive committee could uphold that penalty and perhaps issue additional sanctions based on the findings from the Nov. 16 meeting. Monday’s sanction will not go into effect until the state executive committee rules on them.

La Feria superintendent Nabor Cortez, who chaired Monday’s district executive committee meeting, did not immediately return phone messages or an e-mail on Monday. Hidalgo ISD referred all inquires about Monday’s meeting to Stidham.

Stidham could not comment on the specifics on the district committee’s findings because he had not seen the paperwork from Monday’s meeting. However, he did say Monday’s meeting was spurred one month ago when the state executive committee met to determine the eligibility of an athlete who had moved to the Hidalgo ISD school district.

At the Oct. 7 meeting, the state executive committee ruled the athlete had moved for athletic purposes. At that time, Stidham said the state executive committee instructed Hidalgo ISD officials to do some investigative work into other student-athletes who had moved into Hidalgo after the issue had been raised during testimony.

It’s been a turbulent school year for Hidalgo ISD so far. Last week, athletic director Albert Guerra was reassigned. Last spring, Hidalgo ISD athletics enjoyed a successful run as its girls basketball team advanced to the Class 3A state semifinals for the first time in school history in March. The Pirates also won the Class 4A boys soccer state title in April after losing in the state semifinals two years earlier.

David Hinojosa covers sports for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You may reach him at (956) 683-4442 or via e-mail at dhinojosa@themonitor.com