Frank Nicholas was having flashbacks. His Thomas Jefferson boys soccer team, undefeated and dominating in Brooklyn B South, had four wins taken away last week when the PSAL ruled senior midfielder Omar Crowl didn’t have the proper medical paperwork, that his physical had expired and he needed a new one.
“It makes you feel like you’re being picked on,” the coach said.
Two years ago the PSAL ruled that Jefferson used an ineligible player, turning what was an impressive season into a playoff-less campaign.
Fortunately, Nicholas received a call from Jefferson principal James Anderson Monday morning saying the team’s appeal was considered and the forfeits were overturned when it was revealed Crowl had, in fact, been medically cleared and it was only a clerical error by the school nurse. Crowl, who has 12 goals and five assists this year, returned to action Monday afternoon in the Orange Wave’s 3-0 victory over Leon Goldstein.
“They moved fast, but that’s the way they work,” Nicholas said of the PSAL.
The wins restored returns Jefferson’s record to 12-0-0 and puts the Wave six points ahead of New Utrecht atop Brooklyn B South.
Nicholas said: “I’m glad that everything ended well. You don’t want to lose any games [like that]. These kids are really putting their all into the games.”
