Dec. 16—IRONTON — The Christmas season is indeed upon us, but based on the reactions — and real time comments — from the crowd at Monday's regular monthly meeting of the Ironton City Schools Board of Education, fans of Ironton football for sure were not in a receiving mood.

As the Monday meeting moved in location to inside Ironton's high school cafeteria, the major storyline from the meeting remained the same — centering on the Ironton Fighting Tigers football program, and the widespread speculation on the fate of Ironton head coach and athletic director Trevon Pendleton.

In short, following a lengthy presentation by Bradley Frick of Bradley Frick and Associates — and an even longer nearly three-hour executive session — Pendleton remains, as of Tuesday morning, both head coach of the Fighting Tigers and as Ironton's athletic director.

Frick presented to the BOE, Ironton City Schools Superintendent Sommer McCorkle and to the passionate Ironton football community on Monday his decision review — based on the Ohio High School Athletic Association's punishment of the football program for alleged recruiting violations.

The Fighting Tiger program, which captured the 2024 Division V state championship and its third all-time state football title, did not have an opportunity to defend last season's state championship — because the OHSAA on Oct. 24 removed Ironton from the 2025 state playoffs.

That Friday night ultimately marked the season and home finale for the Fighting Tigers, which learned earlier that day that their season would be over — after their annual rivalry game with Portsmouth.

Upon learning of the sanctions against the program, the Fighting Tigers played one or more ineligible players that night against the Trojans — and were forced to forfeit the contest despite winning on the field 55-13.

Playing an ineligible player(s) is a violation of the OHSAA bylaw 10-2-1.

Ironton's administration accepted the negotiated sanctions between itself and the OHSAA — as the result of the OHSAA's investigation into the football program for "ongoing and coordinated recruiting efforts, including communications with parents and students regarding methods to influence other prospective athletes' enrollment."

According to the OHSAA, "records show deliberate efforts to conceal recruiting activity, including direction on how to avoid leaving evidence of infractions, which demonstrates an awareness of wrongdoing and an intentional effort to circumvent compliance. The scope and coordination of these activities, as well as the number of impermissible contacts, represents a serious and pervasive violation."

Besides this year's postseason ban — after Ironton's 9-1 regular season in which the Fighting Tigers' lone loss was at Division V state runner-up Wheelersburg — the Fighting Tigers were put on three years probation (2025, 2026 and 2027), levied a $7,500 fine, and some members of the coaching staff were served a postseason suspension for next year (if they are coaching at an OHSAA school).

Frick's presentation focused on how, in his professional opinion, that Ironton City Schools was "correct" to accept the sanctions as negotiated between the OHSAA and the district — and to not fight the sanctions through litigation.

The OHSAA only offered Ironton a 24-hour period of Thursday, Oct. 23 and Friday, Oct. 24 "to make a decision" — one of those options being to challenge the sanctions through the court system.

He said the district "theoretically" could have filed suit against the OHSAA, but "practically, you can't do a case of this enormity in 24 hours. You can't do it right anyways. For myself, had I been hired to do this, to find eligibility and to try and adjoin these sanctions, I would have wanted at least two weeks, preferably three. The OHSAA gave your superintendent (McCorkle) 24 hours."

Frick emphasized that his services were not retained by Ironton City Schools, nor were they retained by any Ironton student-athlete.

The cost, he said, to litigate this particular case "would have been somewhere in the $50,000 to $150,000" range.

Frick's six stated reasons "why the right decision was to not fight" included:

1. Not enough time to properly prepare the case

2. The district would have entered the court with "unclean hands"

3. Not enough information known at the time

4. Suspension of membership.

5. Virtual certainty that the OHSAA would have appealed

6. Suing regulators is never good idea

Among the more demonstrative remarks Frick phrased were "you don't sue this organization half-cocked" and "for those of you who are in businesses that are regulated, you do not want to piss off the regulator. Unless you're right."

Had Ironton filed for and been granted an injunction, and "then that injunction been reversed, dismissed or overturned", Frick said among the penalties the program was facing included forfeiture of victories, vacating of team and individual records, public censure, payment of expensive legal fees, and even forfeiture of championships including the 2024 Division V state title.

However, he didn't stop when he mentioned forfeiture of that championship.

When discussing "suspension of membership", which Frick said he believed "wasn't on the table but it could have been", he simply said "that's the death penalty."

"If a school district has enough violations and a bad enough record and a deep enough history, it's theoretically possible that OHSAA could eject you from membership," he said. "If that ever happened, your athletic program is done. Because no non-OHSAA member can compete against an OHSAA member. In other words, you have nobody to play."

"I think it was a very wise decision to resolve this case based on the sanctions that were negotiated by the superintendent," opined Frick.

After offering his six reasons, Frick said that — since 2018 — there have been 31 transfers into Ironton City Schools which required approval from the OHSAA, with 23 of those for football.

"That's way out of whack," he explained. "You don't find that anywhere unless you go to Massillon (Washington High School)."

Following Frick's formal presentation, he concluded by saying "when the day comes when you have a case in which the evidence is different, I'm happy to help,"

But that comment immediately provoked vocal outrage from the public, some who believe Frick deliberately misrepresented the facts — or even flat-out lied about what he told his audience.

Four individuals publicly addressed the Board and McCorkle — Hugh Scott, Scott Schmidt, J.T. Holt, and former football player Mason Wheeler.

Holt and Schmidt spoke on behalf of the 33-year-old Pendleton, especially Schmidt, who transferred his grandson Gavin Hart to Ironton from Notre Dame a few years ago.

"I didn't transfer my grandson here to Ironton to play football for him (Pendleton)," said Schmidt. "I transferred him here to make him a better young man. Coach Pendleton did that and continues to do that. Makes these young men better young men. There's more here than just playing football at this school."

Schmidt then listed Pendleton's head coaching accomplishments, as he was the 2024 Ohio Division V Coach of the Year — and Ironton's players have received "$35 million in scholarship money" during Pendleton's eight-year tenure.

"Facts. All you have received is facts. You can have facts, but sometimes you don't have details of the facts," said Schmidt. "Until we know the details, until Mr. Trevon Pendleton has his time in court, until he has his chance to be heard on this, until he has his chance to tell his side of the story, he shouldn't be burned at the cross. Trevon is a hell of a coach, but he's a better man and a great role model to our kids. Bring your army if you want to beat him up."

Naturally, with the pro-Pendleton crowd in attendance, Schmidt's remarks were met with applause.

Then Wheeler went to the podium, and the senior captain was highly critical of McCorkle.

He made two requests of the first-year ICS Superintendent: "an official apology" from her and "on behalf of the entire senior class and football team, we are requesting that Ms. McCorkle not be involved in our graduation so that it can be a positive memory and that we can move on with our lives and from this situation."

Wheeler's words too earned applause, before Holt spoke — and then the Board recessed into executive session for almost three hours.

At first, Frick and Mike "Red" Burcham were requested to accompany the Board and McCorkle into the executive session, before Pendleton was eventually called back.

Pendleton emerged first, and sat down with Schmidt upon his return to the cafeteria.

The entire Board and McCorkle came back out exactly two hours and 50 minutes later, and five minutes later at 9:30 p.m., the meeting was declared adjourned — without any action taken on the "consideration of employment, dismissal, and/or demotion of a public employee or official."

A few members of the public shouted at the BOE and McCorkle as they prepared to leave, as McCorkle met momentarily with media members — before leaving Ironton High School under the escort of law enforcement.

McCorkle made a statement to The Ironton Tribune via text message late on Monday night.

"Now that final sanctions from the Ohio High School Athletic Association have been received, the Board of Education and district administration are taking deliberate and responsible steps to ensure accountability and to prevent this from ever happening again. This will not be a surface-level response. We are implementing systemic changes to strengthen oversight, reinforce compliance, and put safeguards in place to protect our student-athletes, coaches, and the district. We are committed to honoring the proud tradition of Ironton and moving our athletic programs forward with integrity and trust."

It's highly likely the situation will be discussed again on Thursday, Jan. 8 — when the ICS BOE meets for its 2026 Organizational meeting, which is set for 5 p.m. at the Ironton High School cafeteria.