Judge rules Pennsylvania high school sophomore can play in scrimmage game for new team
A Westmoreland County judge said 16-year-old Anthony Smith will be allowed to play in a scrimmage this weekend after the PIAA initially ruled the high school sophomore ineligible.
Anthony Smith passed for 2,100 yards and 22 touchdowns with four rushing scores as a freshman at Southmoreland High School.
"He's going to have a great season, a great career. We hope he's one of the bright sports in the WPIAL," said attorney Steve Toprani.
At least that's what Toprani and Smith's family hopes.
Smith transferred to Seton LaSalle High School over the summer, and his family claims it had little to do with the Rebels' football program.
"When the family brought forward the information about the cyberbullying, Southmoreland did nothing," Toprani claimed. "They took no action whatsoever until a fight erupted in the stand. This deranged individual was confronting Anthony and his family at halftime."
Claiming Smith's choice to switch teams was for athletic purposes only, Southmoreland School District appealed to the WPIAL, which denied the transfer, as did the PIAA.
However, this week, a Westmoreland County judge ruled the standout signal caller could play for Seton for a scrimmage this weekend.
"Yesterday was his 16th birthday. It's an incredible thing to go through and to fight through litigation against PIAA lawyers," Toprani said.
Before he potentially battles on the gridiron, Smith and his legal team will have one more contest in court on Aug. 21.
"So, the next hearing, we're going to fight for his whole season of eligibility. Our hearing date is next Thursday. Week Zero starts on Friday, so this is going to be, literally, hours before he can suit up," Toprani said.
KDKA-TV reached out to the Southmoreland School District for comment on the situation and is awaiting a response.
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association told KDKA-TV that it cannot comment on pending litigation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mets bringing up pitcher Nolan McLean, who will make his debut Saturday vs. the Mariners, amid latest skid
The New York Mets are bringing up some help for their rotation for the final stretch of the season. The Mets called up right-handed pitcher Nolan McLean on Wednesday. He'll make his Major League Baseball debut officially on Saturday when the Mets host the Seattle Mariners. McLean, who is the No. 3 prospect in the Mets' farm system according to ESPN, has split time with both the franchise's Double-A and Triple-A affiliates so far this season. He holds a 2.45 ERA in 21 games and 18 starts with an 8-5 record. He's struck out 127 batters in just shy of 114 innings, too. The Mets selected him in the third round of the 2023 draft out of Oklahoma State. "We feel good with him going out there and giving us a chance to win baseball games at the big league level," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, via ESPN. "Credit to him that he put himself in this position." The Mets also sent pitcher Justin Hagenman down to their Triple-A affiliate on Wednesday, and replaced him with Paul Blackburn after his rehab assignment. McLean is joining the Mets during a rough stretch. They entered Wednesday's matchup with the Atlanta Braves having lost 11 of their last 13 games, which included being swept by the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers. They snapped a seven-game skid with a 13-5 win over the Braves to kick off that three-game series on Tuesday. The Mets' rotation holds a 3.71 ERA as a group, which is seventh in the league, though only one pitcher — David Peterson — has pitched at least six innings in the last month. McLean has hit that mark nine times this year in the minors. The Mets hold a 64-55 record entering Wednesday's contest, which has them five games back from the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East race. Though they still have a ways to go, McLean's presence in their rotation could help provide a significant boost to their hopes for a meaningful postseason run.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
🚨Line-ups announced for U de Chile v Independiente
University of Chile faces Independiente tonight to define the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals. The Chilean team will seek to take their great moment to the international competition against the Diablos Rojos, who finished as group leaders. University of Chile's XI Independiente's XI Don't miss the match details with OneFootball This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 DANIEL DUARTE - AFP or licensors
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Flight diverts after unruly passenger twice breaks free of restraints: Police
A Breeze Airways flight headed to Los Angeles diverted to an airport in Colorado after an unruly passenger waving a skateboard got into an altercation with flight attendants and other passengers and twice broke free of his restraints, according to the airline and local authorities. Breeze Airways Flight 704, which took off from Norfolk, Virginia, at 9:17 a.m. Wednesday, landed in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Grand Junction Police Department said in a statement it responded to the airport there about 11:15 a.m. local time after receiving a report that an "intoxicated male passenger became agitated, yelling racist slurs at airline staff while waving a skateboard. Airline staff placed the man in restraints twice, but he was able to break free both times." The airline, citing reports from crew who were on board the flight, said there was a physical altercation that resulted in minor injuries to one passengers and a flight attendant. MORE: What to know about the uncertain future of Spirit Airlines: 3 things that could impact travelers However, the police said no reports of assault or injuries to passengers or the flight crew were made to the law enforcement. After the plane landed in Colorado, the passenger was taken into custody by Grand Junction police at the direction of the FBI and taken to the Mesa County Detention Facility. Airlines have reported more than 1,000 incidents involving unruly passengers so far in 2025, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
