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From Mirror reports
The Bishop McCort varsity wrestling team was placed on probation on Oct. 6 for a period of three years, and the fallout from an investigation into allegations of recruiting continued Thursday.
The District 6 committee met and suspended Crushers head coach Bill Bassett for one year, beginning Thursday, on a unanimous 17-0 vote.
In addition, a motion passed 16-1 to suspend Bishop McCort wrestling from competing in District 6 or PIAA individual and team wrestling championships for a period of no less than 20 months and no greater than 36 months.
Bishop McCort plans to appeal the district's decision to the PIAA.
Mason Gibson, a sophomore at McCort, wrestled in the Class 2A 120-pound individual state championship match last season. The Crimson Crushers have several other wrestlers, both newcomers and returnees, that were expected to compete for district and state titles this season.
Bishop McCort released a statement Thursday afternoon stating 88 students had transferred into the school due to "the school's pandemic response with regard to in-school instruction."
Bishop McCort principal and chief administrative officer Tom Smith made the following statement.
"We vehemently disagree with the outcome of this hearing and will appeal the decision with the PIAA Board of Directors in Harrisburg," Smith wrote. "We have adhered to the rules and have followed protocol in admitting all students to our school. Our main goal is, and always has been, to provide a well-rounded and quality education for the students that attend Bishop McCort."
The McCort football team was also ineligible for football postseason this year due to a co-op with Bishop Carroll that pushed the Crushers up from Class 1A to Class 2A.
Teams that move up in the middle of a two-year cycle were deemed ineligible for the postseason by the PIAA before this year's football season.