SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced Thursday morning that Moeller High School violated an Ohio High School Athletic Association bylaw regarding recruiting within its football program.
The OHSAA said one of Moeller's football coaches sent an email to the Greater Catholic Youth League seventh- and eighth-grade coaches requesting to attend their practices and obtain contact information for their parents and athletes for the school's admissions department.
The coach, who was not named in the OHSAA's infractions list, attended one practice.
The OHSAA said Moeller has implemented self-imposed penalties reprimanding the coach, making him send an apology letter to each youth league coach and requesting a recruiting compliance seminar with the OHSAA staff.
"It's been a learning experience for us," Moeller athletic director Mike Asbeck told WCPO Thursday.
"We're moving forward from it. We look forward to the future of Moeller football moving forward. Worked with the OHSAA through this and, like I said, it's been a learning experience that we're all going to learn from and move forward in the best way."
OHSAA bylaws 4-9-1, 4-9-2 and 4-9-4 (No. 2) were referenced in the infractions letter.
In accordance with Bylaw 11, OHSAA executive director Doug Ute's office also imposed the following penalties:
1. Moeller High School shall be publicly reprimanded
2. The Moeller admissions department shall discard any contact information provided to them by the coach
3. Any further recruiting infraction(s) personally committed by the coach during the 2020-21 or 2021-22 school years will result in, at minimum, a two-game suspension for him in the following OHSAA football tournament (should Moeller qualify)
4. The OHSAA office accepts Moeller's request for a compliance seminar for all its coaches
5. Moeller High School shall be fined $1,000.
Moeller had a 3-6 record including 0-3 in the Greater Catholic League South division this past season. It was the first season under head coach Mark Elder.
Moeller has won nine state football titles (2013, 2012, 1985, 1982, 1980, 1979, 1977, 1976, 1975).
Moeller has 36 OHSAA football playoff appearances and 50 playoff wins.
