Salem sanctioned

Ineligible player forces Salem to forfeit four victories, record drops to 3-7 but Rams remain eligible for the playoffs

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM – The Salem boys basketball program learned earlier today it would have to forfeit four pre-2025 wins because of an ineligible player.

The Rams were informed of the penalty by the NJSIAA after it was ruled junior Darrelle Johnson was in violation of the student transfer rule.

“They said there was inaccurate information on (Johnson) coming from his technical school, so the state gave us the wrong information back and we played him and lost four games,” Rams coach Anthony Farmer said. “It’s a huge shock because it seemed like an error on their end because we only did what the state allowed us to do and they approved him.”

Johnson played for Vineland as a freshman enrolled at Cumberland Tech, which does not offer basketball, and played for Millville last year before transferring to Salem to join his cousin, Rams’ leading scorer Tymear Lecator.

Students who attend tech schools that do not offer a particular sport can play that sport at their home district public school. They cannot play at the public school if their tech school sponsors the sport.

Senior transfers are required to sit out the lesser of 22 days from the first game or 1/3 the maximum number of games to regain their eligibility. Underclassmen transfers don’t have that requirement, but all student-athletes who transfer to a second school must sit out the lesser of 30 days or half the maximum number of games, but Johnson didn’t do that.

The Rams say they were only working with information they were given.

“When I put him in the portal I just put the school of record, which was Cumberland County Tech, not realizing they didn’t have sports and he played at Millville,” Salem athletics director Darryl Roberts said. “I didn’t have any idea Cumberland County Tech didn’t have sport because of my experience most of the tech schools we deal with right now have sports and I didn’t know anything about Cumberland County Tech.

“So I was unaware he played elsewhere, so when I put him in the portal I sent the information to Cumberland County Tech. It’s not really their responsibility to let you know if he played somewhere else.”

Roberts attempted to plead their case further Monday, but was told by state officials there was no further appeal.

The Rams were forced to forfeit their first two wins against Woodbury and Woodstown that opened the season and their two wins at the Boardwalk Classic over Oakcrest and Millville. They now have a record of 3-7 and are No. 17 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings.

Johnson, a 6-3 junior guard, had 11 points and five rebounds against Woodbury, six points and 10 rebounds against Woodstown and 12 points, 10 boards and five assists against Oakcrest. He played six minutes against Millville without scoring. He had scored in six of the Rams’ 10 games, averaging 6.5 points and 7.2 rebounds.

The Rams were made aware of an issue after playing Millville.

They remain eligible for the playoffs and Johnson will be eligible to return Feb. 8.

“It’s nothing we tried to do because we had five transfers,” Farmer said. “We played the ones we could play. We followed all the rules with everything, it’s just the technical school didn’t clear him and we ended up getting jammed up.

“Now we’re going to be a nightmare for somebody at an 11 or 12 spot (in the seedings). Wherever we end up at, we’re just going to be a nightmare for Group I.”

The sanction also put a dent in Farmer’s record. With the adjustment, he now needs 12 more victories to reach 100 for his coaching career.