MILWAUKEE — A week filled with turmoil for the Pulaski High School football team ended with a bang as the Rams defeated Milwaukee Vincent, 44-0.
The Rams had to forfeit games this season and now face a 2-year playoff ban.
MPS said this issue stems from paperwork not being filed with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA).
Previous Coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/news/milwaukee-county/mps-bay-view-and-pulaski-high-schools-must-forfeit-all-2024-football-games
Previous Coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/news/milwaukee-county/we-keep-disappointing-our-kids-parents-and-city-leaders-react-to-recent-mps-football-misstep
Previous Coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/this-should-not-happen-board-director-reacts-to-mps-leaders-failing-to-file-required-athletic-paperwork
Previous Coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/this-is-not-rocket-science-former-commissioner-reacts-to-athletes-forced-to-forfeit-due-to-missing-paperwork
The Milwaukee City Conference involves relegation. Since Pulaski won the Blackbourn Division last season, they were elevated to the Richardson Division. Bay View was relegated to Blackbourn. Paperwork needed to be done, but that didn’t happen.
Watch: Pulaski football players, parents end season on a high note despite MPS misstep
Pulaski was originally set to play Riverside on Friday. Bay View was set to take on Vincent on Thursday night.
MPS and the WIAA confirmed the game changes on Thursday, less than 24 hours before game time.
A spokesperson for MPS provided TMJ4 with this statement: “Both Bay View and Pulaski High Schools will proceed with their final football games of the season. Each team will compete in the City Conference Divisions they were assigned before this year’s division reassignment. Since the teams have reverted to their WIAA-designated home conferences, these matchups will not result in any forfeits. This decision ensures that both schools can complete their seasons without disruption.”
Pulaski High School’s Atavion Hooker got the text Thursday morning that they’d be facing Milwaukee Vincent High School at 6:00 p.m. instead of practicing. It was another twist in a week filled with adversity for the team.
“It was discouraging,” said Hooker. “A lot of players didn’t show up to practice. It brought us down, but our coaches brought us back up.”
The players left it all on the field on Thursday night as parents and fans cheered them on.
However, the damage had already been done to the team, leaving parents like Guadalupe Wise frustrated and uncertain about her son Terrell’s future.
“I wish they would’ve thought about who they would be affecting by not taking care of their end for them to continue to play,” said Wise.
She said they’re now considering transferring schools so he can try and play for another team and compete for the playoffs next year.
“He’s asked what is he going to do next year,” said Wise. “It’s his senior year, so he wants to continue to play.”
Terrell told TMJ4 it had been a difficult week but that the team worked to stay focused on finishing the season strong.
“We just tried to stay positive,” said Wise. “This is a team. This is family.”
While Demetrius Hooker was happy to watch her son, Atavion, shine on Thursday, she was still disgusted with the error by MPS.
“It’s not fair to the boys,” said Hooker. “I feel like why are they being punished? There’s no reason for them to get punished. They’re out here playing. They’re dedicated to their teams, and I just feel like the hard work is just going unnoticed.”
Despite the setback, Pulaski got the ball rolling and never looked back, beating Vincent 44-0.
Both Guadalupe and Demetrius could only watch the team and their sons with pride as the Rams rushed to victory.
“The love that they have for each other as a team,” said Guadalupe. “Their coaches are amazing. The way they care for the players, just the unity they have all in general, and I’m grateful for that.”
Both schools are planning to appeal the playoff ban.
Bay View plays Milwaukee Riverside on Friday.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
