The Missouri State High School Activities Association has striped Vashon High School of three state basketball championships for placing ineligible players on the court. The action finalizes a 19-month investigation of the Vashon program and its legendary coach Floyd Irons.
The school must give up their titles from 2001, 2004 and 2006. Those titles will go to the three runners-up in those years: Liberty, Kearney and Springfield Kickapoo. Vashon must also forfeit five district championships and a 2005 second-place finish.
Back in April, Vashon presented the state association with the results of its own internal investigation. At the time, officials said the school would likely lose at least three titles.
This spring, St. Louis Public Schools reported that Vashon used at least five ineligible players on championship basketball teams over five years. The names of the five players have not been released publicly by the state association. Irons was removed as coach of Vashon in 2006 after an audit found mismanagement of money in the basketball program.
