Final decision handed out on Camas football case

After a final review, the WIAA Executive Board ruled that the Camas High School athetic program be put on probabtion for one year. Head football coach Jon Eagle and defensive coordinator Dan Kielty will not be suspended for any games. All of the CHS athletic coaches will receive mandatory training on WIAA rules and regulations. WIAA Executive Director Mike Colbrese said although there was no intent by Eagle to recruit, meeting with an athlete who wanted to transfer from another school instead of telling him to speak to the athletic director was a violation in protocol. "These are very difficult decisions that are made based on consistency and knowing all the facts," Colbrese said. "Everybody feels they got a chance to express their concerns, the board took a lot of time to go over all the facts and came up with something that feels like the appropriate way to go." Camas Athletic Director Rory Oster respects the final WIAA ruling. He said from day one, Eagle apologized for meeting with the athlete and not following protocol. "A probation period and learning is what should have happened all along. It would have saved Eagle and Kielty from a lot of negative comments," Oster said. "I really wish myself and all of the parties involved could have prevented that from happening." While this investigation was going on, Eagle and Kielty were getting the Papermaker track and field athletes ready for the district and state championship meets. "You just have to compartmentalize things," Eagle said. "You move on and do your best to put the kids first." "No matter what is going on with your life, you still have a job to do," Kielty added. "We're out here to make these kids better." Eagle said those rumors swirling around "taints a lot of hard work by athletes and coaches." At the same time, he "cannot change what people believe." According to Kielty, the best remedy is to concentrate on all of the opportunities presented. Hundreds of Papermakers are coming out of the woodwork to play football for their community. "We are very fortunate to be surrounded by great kids, coaches, community members, and people we know personally and professionally who care about us," Kielty said. "We are in a pretty good situation right now."

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