SAN ANTONIO — With less than two weeks until the start of high school football season – and with volleyball season already underway – a San Antonio private school has asked to withdraw from its athletics conference.
Cornerstone Christian School has requested that TAPPS allow the school to exit the conference for the purposes of athletics, but still allow students engaged in academic and fine arts contests to remain, according to a statement released by the school Tuesday.
TAPPS, the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, oversees interscholastic competition for most of the private schools in the Lone Star State.
TAPPS executive director Bryan Bunselmeyer did not reply to a voicemail and text message from KENS5.com on Tuesday night.
Cornerstone Christian has been in the spotlight recently as allegations surfaced that the school violated TAPPS rules by recruiting athletes to its school. At least nine football players from at least four North East ISD schools, including six from Reagan, have transferred to Cornerstone since the end of the 2017-18 school year.
Cornerstone’s request to leave TAPPS for athletic competition comes in the wake of several scheduling changes. The football team was initially scheduled to open against Saint Mary’s Hall on Aug. 31 and play Austin St. Michael’s on Sept. 21. On those dates, Cornerstone Christian will now play Bishop Dunne and All Saints, respectively, the school announced.
As for the rest of the 10-game schedule, it is unclear whether other local schools will compete against Cornerstone Christian on the football field. The Warriors were slated to compete in TAPPS Division II District 4 against Holy Cross, San Antonio Christian, Corpus Christi John Paul II and Brownsville St. Joseph.
"We didn't drop them (Cornerstone). They dropped us," Holy Cross athletic director and head football coach Mike Harrison said Tuesday night. "I want to make that clear. I was stunned and disappointed by their announcement. I think everybody in our district was. I thought they were going to let the process run its course. That's what we all wanted."
The "process" Harrison referred to are the guidelines TAPPS uses to approve or deny transfers to its member schools. Harris serves as chairman of the Division II District 4 Executive Committee, which is comprised of the athletic directors of the district's five schools. The district committee has met twice to review transfers within the district and reportedly red-flagged some transfers to Cornerstone.
Per TAPPS guidelines, the district sent all the transfer requests to the TAPPS office in Fort Worth. The TAPPS State Executive Board then reviews the transfers and makes a ruling on those that have been red-flagged. A school has 10 days to appeal the decision by the State Executive Board.
"I want to make it clear that the district executive committee cannot declare an athlete ineligible," Harrison said. "We can only establish an athlete's eligibility. If we have concerns about a transfer, we note that and send it to the TAPPS state office. After that, it's up to the State Executive Board."
The statement released by Cornerstone Christian reads, in part:
It is because of our exceptional facilities, academic excellence, and teaching and coaching staff that our student body has grown over 30% since last year. This is just the beginning and we anticipate more is on the horizon.
Unfortunately, some in the larger San Antonio community do not welcome our growth. Rather, they have chosen to spread rumors and make baseless allegations against CCS. Sadly, despite our being in good standing with the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS), some have elected to use these allegations as an excuse to avoid competing with us. Our students are our first priority, and we cannot and will not allow this turn of events to diminish their opportunities.
We believe that “what was meant for evil, God will use for good,” and we are presently witnessing the truth of that statement.
San Antonio Christian athletic director Brandon Parrott, who also serves as an assistant football coach, said he was going to practice Tuesday when Cornerstone athletic director Raymond Philyaw informed him in a phone call of the school's decision to withdrew its athletic teams from TAPPS.
"It was shocking, to say the least," Parrott said.
Cornerstone has been sanctioned by TAPPS twice since the 1990s for rules violations involving its basketball program.
Cornerstone has upgraded its athletic facilities and hired a new athletic director, Raymond Philyaw, since last football season. The school fired football coach Bryan Marmion in April and hired Abram Booty. His son, General Booty, is a blue-chip quarterback.
Johnny Booty, Abram’s father, is Cornerstone’s new director of sports ministry. He has coached at Evangel Christian Academy and Calvary Baptist Academy, both powerhouse prep schools in Shreveport, Louisiana.