“Victory without honor is a loss”

That’s what Kyle Queal, the head of The Covenant School in Dallas, Texas said after his high school girls’ basketball team defeated the Dallas Academy 100 – 0. No, that’s not a typo. One hundred to zero!

Officials from The Covenant School have made a formal request to forfeit the game even though the scoreboard obviously said that they had won. Their halftime lead was 59 – 0. They are trying to do the right thing by seeking a forfeit and apologizing for the margin of victory. Both schools are members of the TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools). In a statement from the association, TAPPS director, Edd Burleson said, “There is no mercy rule in girls’ basketball that shortens the game or permits the clock to continue running when scores become lopsided. There is, however, "a golden rule" that should have applied in this contest.” Burleson further stated, “On a personal note, I told the coach of the losing team how much I admire their girls for continuing to compete against all odds . . . they showed much more character than the coach that allowed that score to get out of hand. It's up to the coach to control the outcome."

The officials at The Covenant School are certainly trying to right the wrong. In a statement on the Covenant website, Queal said the game "does not reflect a Christ-like and honorable approach to competition. We humbly apologize for our actions and seek the forgiveness of Dallas Academy, TAPPS and our community." Read the entire Covenant School statement here.

The response from the Dallas Academy officials and their team members has been great. When the Covenant School officials met with the Dallas Academy officials to apologize, they praised "each member of the Dallas Academy Varsity Girls Basketball team for their strength, composure and fortitude in a game in which they clearly emerged the winner." Dallas Academy coach Jeremy Civello said he appreciated the gesture and has accepted the apology "with no ill feelings."

Shelby Hyatt, a freshman on the Dallas Academy team said, "Even if you are losing, you might as well keep playing . . . keep trying, and it's going to be OK." At a shoot-around last Thursday, several Dallas Academy players said they were frustrated during the game but felt it was a learning opportunity. They also said they are excited about some of the attention they are receiving from the loss, including an invitation from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to see an NBA game from his suite.

As coaches, all of us have gotten “caught up in the moment” of winning a lopsided game and pursuing individual or team scoring records at the expense of the opponent. We need to put ourselves in their shoes and protect our relationship with them. This is certainly more important than scoring 100 points. There is nothing wrong with pursuing victory. The Bible says, “ . . . so run, that ye may obtain” (I Cor. 9:24), but it needs to be done in an honorable and Christ-like way.

For more details on the story check out the following articles.

CBS Sports

Dallas Morning News