Parents protest Miramar High School decision to remove football team from playoffs

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Members of the Miramar High School football team and their parents held a rally Thursday morning in protest of the school's decision to withdraw the team from the state playoffs.

About 30 high school students and their parents gathered outside the Broward County school board building about 8 a.m.

Parents showed Local 10 News an email they received from Principal Loli Formoso on Wednesday that read:

"On October 31, 2014, Miramar High School self-reported impermissible benefits to the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association). Based on additional allegations and upon further investigation, we will be vacating our seeding in the Florida High School State Championship. The matter continues to be under investigation by the school board police."

"These allegations include student eligibility and 'impermissible benefits' to team members," school district spokeswoman Tracy Clark said in a statement.

A parent called Local 10 to say all the players on the varsity and junior varsity teams would not attend school Thursday to take part in the protest.

Players stood outside the building chanting, "Let us play."

"I mean, this (is) all we have is football," senior Javonis Alvin told Local 10. "We (are) trying to fight for a state championship and for them to just come in there and tell us something like that, it hurt."

Former head coach Matthew Strout, who resigned last month, told the school some players' grades were altered so they could play, claimed he paid players to make big hits in practice and during games, and gave money to star players from other schools to transfer to Miramar, interim coach A.J. Scott told Local 10.

Scott said 70 players "are being robbed of a playoff opportunity because of one man" he called a "con."

"He told everybody ahead of time if Miramar ever fired him or forced him to resign, everybody would pay, and if that means lying, that's what he would do," Scott said.

Attempts by Local 10 to contact Strout were unsuccessful.

"The FHSAA will determine the next steps on how the playoffs will proceed for Broward County high schools," Clark said.

Clark said district and school leaders "are taking this situation very seriously." She said district officials would hold a parent meeting at Miramar High School on Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, players and parents are determined to defend their reputations and futures.

"These kids are dedicated," mother Gloria Hill said. "They want something in their lives. They could be out there doing the wrong things, and they're not."

The Patriots (7-3) were expected to play Monarch High School in a quarterfinals game Friday night.

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