Judge rules Seton LaSalle student can play in football scrimmage while awaiting court action

Quarterback Anthony Smith can be on the field for Seton LaSalle at a football scrimmage this weekend, a judge ruled Tuesday.

But his ability to play the rest of his sophomore season is up in the air.

He remains ineligible when the season starts in two weeks after the PIAA denied a transfer appeal Friday. A hearing scheduled for next week in Westmoreland County court is expected to address a preliminary injunction Smith and his parents are seeking against the PIAA and WPIAL to clear the way for him to play.

Smith, who turned 16 Tuesday, said after a hearing at the courthouse that he’s looking forward to getting on the field Saturday.

“It’s been a long time that we’ve had to deal with this, so it’s nice to just get some temporary relief until next week,” he said.

Smith’s season has been in jeopardy since the WPIAL on July 21 ruled he was ineligible to play football for a year, finding his transfer from Southmoreland to Seton LaSalle was motivated at least in part by athletics. The decision was appealed, and the PIAA upheld it Friday.

Under PIAA rules, transfers cannot be “motivated in some material way by an athletic purpose.”

Week Zero games start Aug. 22. Seton LaSalle is set to play North Catholic.

A petition filed Sunday in Westmoreland County civil court by parents Ron and Heather Smith of Scottdale claims their son has been subject to cyber bullying on social media by a Tarrs man for months, which led them to seek a transfer for safety reasons.

Contentious hearing

In a sometimes-contentious hearing Tuesday, attorney Rochelle Koerbel, representing the PIAA, successfully asked for more time to prepare for the preliminary injunction hearing, bring witnesses to court and get a transcript from Friday’s appeal. The PIAA said Smith is allowed to practice with the team and participate in other activities but is not permitted to play in games or scrimmages.

Koerbel argued there’s no harm to Smith at this point because the season doesn’t start for two weeks. But Judge Harry Smail countered that the court system typically doesn’t move in a timely fashion, potentially pushing any decision in the matter into Smith’s season if the case is prolonged.

“He does have two more years of eligibility,” Koerbel said.

“That doesn’t means he should lose one now, does it?” the judge responded.

Smail said there wouldn’t be any harm in allowing Smith to play Saturday, but there could be potential damage for the family if he was sidelined.

Attorney Steve Toprani was pleased with the decision, despite its temporary nature.

“We’re excited to see him on the football field,” he said. “That’s all this has been about, going through this process.”

It’s a situation that started in March 2024 when Smith was in eighth grade, according to the court petition. That’s when, the family claims, the Tarrs man began cyber bullying them in hundreds of posts on social media. In May 2024, a cease and desist letter was sent to the man threatening legal action.

A timeline provided by Ron Smith indicated they expressed concerns to Southmoreland officials and police but learned criminal action against the man would be difficult to prosecute. A Westmoreland County detective instructed the family to pursue the matter in civil court, according to Melanie Jones, spokesperson at the District Attorney’s Office.

The Tarrs man was involved in a confrontation with the family at a Southmoreland football game Nov. 1, during Smith’s freshman season, according to the filing and a November 2024 letter obtained by the Trib.

That incident was the third time the Tarrs man violated the spectator code of conduct and his behavior during at least one 2023 Southmoreland game resulted in his ejection, the letter said. No charges or citations have been filed against him.

In the months afterward, the family made the decision to transfer high schools for safety reasons, they said.

The WPIAL and PIAA determined there was a “reasonable likelihood” that the transfer was motivated, at least in part, by athletics, according to a letter sent by the WPIAL. They made that decision after hearing from Southmoreland officials. The Smiths say that finding was based on rumors and unsubstantiated claims.

Smith broke a Southmoreland school record last year when he passed for more than 2,000 yards, emerging as one of the WPIAL’s top young quarterbacks. He threw 22 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 11 games while completing 53% of his passes (129 of 244). He’s already gotten three Division I college offers, and the family is concerned his continued ineligibility could affect his future prospects.