District 6 denies eligibility for Ligonier Valley senior Silk

By: Paul Schofield
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 | 2:39 PM

Kyle Silk won’t be playing for the Ligonier Valley football team just yet.

The senior who transferred from United in June was ruled ineligible to participate in athletics by the PIAA District 6 committee at a meeting Wednesday at Ebensburg Country Club.

The motion to make him eligible was denied by a 9-8 vote.

“We listened to both sides, and some of the committee felt the move was for athletic intent,” Penn Cambria Superintendent and District 6 chairman William Marshall said. “United’s principal didn’t sign off on the transfer. He felt there were things we should look at.”

Marshall said Silk moved with his father into the Ligonier Valley School District.

Ligonier Valley athletic director Corey Turcheck said the Silk family and the school district will appeal the decision to the PIAA board of directors. No date has been set for the appeal hearing, but Marshall said he expects it to happen soon.

Silk, an all-state football player last season at United, was hoping to gain eligibility to play for the Rams. He rushed for more than 1,500 yards as a quarterback and helped the Lions reach the District Class A championship game.

He also plays basketball.

Turcheck said apparently the nine “no” voters didn’t feel the transfer met the criteria for approval.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Ligonier Valley