Possible ineligible player may cost Cardinal Ritter its win against Helias

Helias running back Ryan Klahr breaks into open field on his way to the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Crusaders' Homecoming game against Cardinal Ritter on Sept. 21 at Ray Hentges Stadium. Cardinal Ritter won the game 48-14, but may have to forfeit the victory due to using an ineligible player.
Helias running back Ryan Klahr breaks into open field on his way to the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Crusaders' Homecoming game against Cardinal Ritter on Sept. 21 at Ray Hentges Stadium. Cardinal Ritter won the game 48-14, but may have to forfeit the victory due to using an ineligible player.

The Helias Crusaders came up on the short end of a 48-14 decision to the Cardinal Ritter Lions earlier this season at Ray Hentges Stadium.

But Helias may be getting a forfeit victory after Cardinal Ritter used a player who may have been ineligible to play in the game. According to a story Tuesday night by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cardinal Ritter may have to forfeit all seven of its victories so far this season, including the Sept. 21 win against Helias.

Bill Jackson, a senior running back, was ejected from the 2018 Class 3 state championship game against Trinity Catholic. According to guidelines by the National Federation of State High School Associations, that meant Jackson had to sit out his next game. That should have come in the first game this season against Nazareth Academy from Chicago.

The Post-Dispatch reports a player who appears to be Jackson wore No. 24 against Nazareth Academy, but was identified as another player. Jackson should have been eligible the next week and did wear his usual No. 4 in a game against Lutheran North.

Photographs of the player who wore No. 24 in the game against Nazareth Academy and then of Jackson wearing No. 4 later in the season show the player having similar tattoos, David Kvidahl of the Post-Dispatch reported. There are also videos that appear to show similar tattoos from the season opener and games later this season.

According to MSHSAA by-laws, "games in which an ineligible player plays should be forfeited."

When reached for comment by the Post-Dispatch, Cardinal Ritter athletic director Preston Thomas said, "We have initiated an investigation and are working with the state to take the appropriate next steps."

Jackson, wearing No. 4, ran 11 times for 64 yards in the game against Helias.

Helias (6-1) would get a boost in the Class 4 District 5 standings if Cardinal Ritter is forced to forfeit the game. The Crusaders enter this week No. 3 in the eight-team district with 47.38 points. Camdenton (7-0) is first with 51.81, with Lebanon in second with 47.64.

A forfeit would mean a 13-0 win for Helias and the Crusaders would not only get points for the victory but also the maximum plus-13 margin of victory. However, Helias would lose points in the strength of schedule column if Cardinal Ritter forfeits all of its wins. The Lions' record would go from 6-0 to 0-6 against non-Helias opponents.

District play begins Nov. 1. Helias wraps up the regular season with a home game Friday night against Rock Bridge before going to St. Louis to face De Smet, the No. 1 team in Class 6, on Friday, Oct. 25.