Time's Up, Old Man Montoya

Arden Zwelling is tweeting that the CIS will decide Wednesday whether Laurier Golden Hawks 27-year-old alumnus, err, starting defensive end Dave Montoya is eligible to play the remainder of the OUA season for the Hawks.

Montoya was a Hawk from 2002 to 2006, inclusive, and was named the 2005 Vanier Cup's defensive MVP. Despite being a member of the team for five years, the Chord reports he never dressed for a regular season game in 2002. He was instead a red shirt freshman.

He presumably graduated — he's now a teacher after all — grew up and got on with his life. That's what many do after five years of university.

But four seasons later, he's got the itch to play again. Too late, Dave. Time's up.

The CIS in June decided to limit a football player's eligibility to five total years to be played within seven academic years of his high school graduation date.

Montoya graduated high school nine years ago according Christine Rivet of the Waterloo Region Record. That's 2001, the year Vince McMahon founded the XFL, if you're keeping track. It's also loss of first down.

According to the Halifax Chronicle-Herald's Monty Mosher, a journalist we all can trust — and have to on this because the OUA  doesn't have the current rules and regulations posted, although, the CIS does  here (page 13)  — players who were in the midst of their careers were grandfathered in, meaning they could finish their eligibility according to the rules in place when they entered the CIS. That's down No. 2 because ...

... the exemption doesn’t apply if the player is re-entering the CIS and didn’t hold an "Eligibility Certificate" in 2009-10. Third down. And out.

According to Rivet, the Hawks "argued that Montoya was registered to attend the university in January before the new rule was adopted."

But, also according to Rivet, "Montoya did withdraw from Laurier in the winter."

So, unless Montoya knows this guy and has access to his car, I'm pretty sure a certificate of eligibility after the fact doesn't quite cut it. Registering in January 2010 — and withdrawing before the end of the season, no less — makes you eligible for neither the 2009 OUA football season nor the 2010 campaign.

In Montoya's defence, and likely his only defence, it's not clear what exactly an "Eligibility Certificate" is. But it's highly unlikely one can be obtained in January and used after withdrawal and after the fact.

Rivet, after Zwelling, also reports the decision could be made Wednesday. In her most recent article, Rivet sugar coats Montoya's absence calling it "a couple years."

A couple years? Really? He's been out of school for nearly four years. To put that in context, a child goes from womb to junior kindergarten in that time.

Look, I'm not saying it can't be done. Or shouldn't be done. But it needs to be done within the rules.

Much hangs in the balance of this decision, the least of which is Montoya's player/coach career.

The last time the CIS officially dealt with the Laurier football program, you remember, there was a slight miscommunication — and some suspicion? — during the sweeping steroid investigation that began with a few Waterloo Warriors from across (I'm not even linking that).

And earlier this season, the Saint Mary's Huskies lost two of three appeals when it came to older players — ages, 26, 28, 29 — the CIS deemed ineligible. This is a chance for the CIS to clearly show it treats its programs fairly, across the board, coast to coast. Because, believe it or not, there are factions in parts of the country that aren't in Ontario that feel the OUA catch all the breaks. And within Ontario there are fans who swear a few schools with purple in their colour schemes catch even more.

And finally, if Montoya is deemed ineligible, it means — or at least it should mean — Laurier forfeits a win against the Toronto Varsity Blues, moving one of the perennial doormats to 3-2, into fifth place and one step closer to the post-season, their first since 1995, the year the Baltimore Stallions won the Grey Cup.

And that's what really matters. Because I predicted the Blues would make the playoffs. And have the email to prove it.

So do the right thing, CIS. I implore you.

As for Montoya, if he really wants to play that badly — and really, an itch is all it appears to be because a two online courses and a night business class does not a grad student make — may I suggest the Northern Football Conference, where you'll play against, you know, other grown men.

Comments

[Annonymous Coward]

Perhaps you should check the University of Windsor's Eligibility Certificate. Which has someone born in 1980 and 1982 on it. As well as a law student who was born in 1985.

None of whom were on the eligibility certificate last season.

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