Mt. Blue High School in Farmington went from 2-0 to 1-1 in the Pine Tree Conference football standings last week without playing a game.

After discovering an ineligible player on its roster, Mt. Blue had to forfeit its 14-0 win over Lawrence of Fairfield.

This player and his brother, who plays soccer, transferred from nearby Mount Abram Regional High in Strong shortly after both participated in fall preseason soccer practices for Mount Abram.

The Mt. Blue soccer team forfeited two games.

“He had participated in a sport at Mount Abram and nobody realized it until the day of our Waterville game,” said Mt. Blue football coach Gary Parlin. “It’s an idiotic rule and, as a result, here’s two great kids who aren’t doing anything this fall.”

Parlin said he has no quarrel with the intent of the Maine Principals’ Association rule, which states:

“A student who transfers enrollment without a corresponding change of legal residence after having participated in interscholastic athletics at another MPA school is ineligible for all sports during the sport season in which the student participated in interscholastic athletics at the other MPA school…. Participation in interscholastic athletics commences with attendance at the organization or orientation meeting for a sport, or the initial practice which is conducted in the sport, whichever occurs earlier.”

A prime reason for the rule, according to MPA executive director Dick Tyler, is to prevent athletes from transferring from one school to another simply to better their athletic situation, such as going from second string to first string.

“The other is that because everybody is a member school, part of what we do is set tournament qualification standards and we want to keep that playing field as level as possible,” Tyler explained. “Transferring to another school during the same season just has the potential for putting out of balance that level playing field, whether it’s just for academics or not.”

Parlin remains frustrated.

“I just wish they’d take things case by case because there was no intent to deceive on their part. If they couldn’t get the classes they wanted here, they would have gone back to Mount Abram,” he said.

Ironically, Parlin projected the player as a backup, so it doesn’t hurt the Cougars in terms of losing a starter or key player, but it does cost them a victory.

“Yeah, but I think it’s secondary compared to the plight of those two kids because they’re great kids,” said Parlin.

The issue of ineligible players has also affected the 2-1 Rockland football team, which recently snapped a 17-game losing streak.

Second-year coach Gene Drinkwater was suspended by the school administration for one game (a 40-14 win over Traip Academy Sept. 13) after he used several ineligible players in the fourth quarter of Rockland’s first game, a 40-0 loss to Boothbay Sept. 6.

The administration will also closely monitor Drinkwater for the remainder of the season.

The ineligibility of the players stems from their participation on the team through a new cooperative athletic program first allowed by the Maine Principals’ Association this fall.

The players, who attend school at Camden-Rockport and Medomak Valley in Waldoboro, are eligible to attend practices and play junior varsity and freshman games, but are not allowed to play in varsity games this fall.

“The district has taken care of it internally and we’re not looking back. We’re looking forward,” said Rockland athletic director Leo Smith.

Attempts to reach Drinkwater for comment were unsuccessful.

The MPA’s executive committee will review the matter in a Wednesday meeting.

“I don’t know if any action will be taken. Rockland lost the game, and they’re pretty aware that what they did was a serious error in judgment,” Tyler said.