Pontiac On Probation For Recruiting Violations (8/29/02)
After much speculation on whether or not transfer QB Issac Mounts of Pontiac would be eligible to play for Pontiac's football team based on recruiting violations. The IHSA released a statement of finding & penalties based on those allegations, of which Mounts will be ineligible& Pontiac will face a year probation.

The statement which was released yesterday, lists a set of findings of which led to the suspension of Pontiac's head coach Mick Peterson for one year from any IHSA member school, a one year probation for Pontiac High School, the permanently ineligibility of Issac Mounts at Pontiac High School & a dead line of Sept. 20, 2002 "to submit a plan of action detailing the steps [Pontiac] will take to insure that future violations of the recruiting by-laws do not occur"

Mounts, who is a transfer student from Streator (Woodland) officially moved to Pontiac as of the 1st of August 2002 with his parents and was enrolled at Pontiac on the 15th. In June & July of 2002 Mounts had received Pontiac's Video Playbook and attended Pontiac passing camps. At the same time Mounts was participating in a basketball camp with Woodland students. Mounts also attended Pontiac football meetings in April, while he was still in the Woodland district.

Peterson was originally contacted by Jason Aubry, who was the former coach for Woodland. Aubry asked Peterson if he'd be interested in having Mounts play for Pontiac. Aubry was told to have the Mounts contact Peterson.

Bob Mounts (Issac's father) contacted Peterson on March 17th after which a meeting was made at a local Pontiac restaurant. Peterson gave the Mounts a highlight video from Pontiac & information for Pontiac camps & meetings.

Pontiac has contended that the football camps it holds are open to anyone, but in flyers for the camp it says for "Pontiac Football Players". Also no public announcements were made in any media to inform others of the camps. There had however been other non-residenent high school age kids who have participated in the camps, but only while kids who happened to be visiting relatives in Pontiac.

With the release of the findings & penalties Executive Director Dr. Marty Hickman added this comment "This is a serious violation of the IHSA Recruiting By-laws. The Association conducted an extensive review of the circumstances surrounding the transfer of Isaac Mounts from Streator (Woodland) to Pontiac High School. The results of our comprehensive review of the situation clearly indicate violations did occur. Our penalty by-law in this case mandates the penalties that have been levied."

The IHSA did not include any information on the status of Jason Aubry. Whether the Mounts will continue to reside in Pontiac for the rest of the school year is unknown.

Vincent Johnson