Undefeated lacrosse team's championship dreams end in controversy after players punished over fake cigars

An undefeated Massachusetts precocious schoolhouse lacrosse team's title hopes came to an abrupt extremity this week aft schoolhouse officials ruled 9 players ineligible, forcing Ipswich High School to forfeit its authorities semifinal matchup.

The determination has sparked contention due to the fact that the players importune they ne'er violated the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association's baccy policy, claiming the cigars they utilized during a graduation solemnisation contained nary tobacco.

Ipswich forfeited its MIAA Division 4 semifinal against Cohasset High School connected Tuesday aft the squad was incapable to tract capable eligible players.

According to reporting by Boston.com, elder Christian Gianakakis and respective teammates participated successful a graduation contented Sunday by smoking homemade cigars that helium said were tobacco-free. Gianakakis said his begetter rolled the cigars aft fake cigars ordered online failed to get earlier graduation.

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Ipswich High School successful Ipswich, Massachusetts. The school's boys lacrosse squad forfeited a authorities semifinal crippled aft 9 players were ruled ineligible pursuing a graduation celebration. (Google Maps)

The contention escalated aft a photograph of the students was reported to schoolhouse officials, who believed the cigars were real, according to the report.

Gianakakis told Boston.com that helium and respective teammates aboriginal recovered 1 of the cigars and presented it to schoolhouse administrators arsenic grounds that it did not incorporate tobacco. He besides told the outlet that Principal Jonathan Mitchell initially informed him and his begetter that the players would beryllium allowed to enactment successful Tuesday's semifinal earlier the determination was reversed astir 4 hours earlier crippled time.

"It felt similar a punch successful the face. It was similar we were being called liars," Gianakakis told Boston.com.

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Ipswich High School said successful a connection that the squad and coaching unit decided to forfeit due to the fact that of a shortage of disposable players.

"Ipswich High School was precise excited to person its boys lacrosse squad beforehand to the Division 4 State Semifinals that was scheduled for Tuesday evening astatine 6 p.m.," the schoolhouse said successful a connection connected its website. "The squad and coaching unit decided that owed to the shortage of disposable players that it was successful the champion involvement of the squad to forfeit the game. We congratulate each of our players and coaches connected a large play and for advancing to the Final Four."

MIAA Executive Director Bob Baldwin told WEEI that the enactment was alert of the concern but did not enactment successful determining whether the students could play.

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A lacrosse instrumentality and shot remainder connected a field. Ipswich High School forfeited its MIAA Division 4 authorities semifinal aft 9 players were ruled ineligible pursuing a graduation celebration. (iStock)

"We did not regularisation successful that. We were conscionable made alert of it," Baldwin said. "It's a section decision; we did not get progressive astatine each successful that decision."

Baldwin pointed to MIAA rules governing alcohol, baccy and controlled substances, noting that specified investigations are typically handled astatine the section level.

The MIAA handbook states that erstwhile a main determines a student-athlete has violated rules governing alcohol, baccy oregon controlled substances, the pupil loses eligibility for the adjacent consecutive contests totaling 25% of that sport's season.

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The circumstances surrounding the eligibility determination stay unclear. According to Boston.com's reporting, Gianakakis believes the last determination was made by Superintendent Brian Blake.

Fox News Digital reached retired to Superintendent Brian Blake, Principal Jonathan Mitchell and Athletic Director Tom Gallagher for comment.