Havoc at Hoover High

The scene keeps getting uglier at Hoover High School, home of the mighty Bucs football program.

A report on an investigation into alleged academic and athletic improprieties at the school was released on Saturday. And the fallout already is not pretty. School officials probably wish they could go back to the good old days when the football program was known for its central role in MTV's "Two a Days."

Superintendent Andy Craig today is asking the Alabama Ethics Commission to investigate whether football coach Rush Propst violated the state ethics law. The issue is whether Propst used his public office for private gain.

Perhaps more importantly, the Bucs' on-the-field record could take a hit. The Alabama High School Athletic Association is investigating the eligibility of wide receiver Tristan Purifoy. If the transfer from Hanceville, Alabama, is found ineligible, the 5-1 Bucs could be forced to forfeit all the games they won this season in which Purifoy has played.

The 6-2, 215-pound Purifoy is one of Hoover's top offensive players, with 14 catches for 390 yards and three touchdowns. He scored the team's final touchdown in a 16-7 win over arch-rival Vestavia Hills last Friday.

As we noted in a recent post, the Hoover High School saga has special resonance here at Legal Schnauzer. Part of that is for personal and professional reasons. But there also is the possibility that the school--through no wrongdoing on Hoover's part--played a role in launching the legal nightmare that is at the heart of this blog.

We will go into that in a bit.