Duncanville barred from postseason, head coach suspended
Duncanville will not be advancing to the post season and faces it’s second window of probation following a hearing from the UIL state executive committee on Monday morning.
LaJeanna Howard, the head coach of the Pantherettes and hired in 2019, becomes the second coach in four years to be on public reprimand and will not see the sidelines for the 2022-23 season, after violation recruiting rules.
The program also receives a three year probation period along with athletic director Dwight Weaver and the assistant coaches for the Duncanville staff being issued a public reprimand.
A social media post was originated from the team account that had mentioned tryouts along with a flyer mentioning tryouts two months prior to the first day of practice for girls basketball teams statewide.
On the day of tryouts, two athletes, both from Arlington, had attended the Duncanville tryouts and was in the process of enrolling at Duncanville.
“It was not a tryout,” Howard said. “They made a mistake and put tryout. I should have payed more attention to that.”
Arlington Bowie head coach Kelly Carruthers said that two members of the Bowie team took part in the tryout.
One of the athletes was in the process of enrolling at Duncanville.
Howard, in the meeting, took accountability and ownership for her mistakes for not checking social media and not communicating with administration and coaching staff.
“It’s my job to check that all rules are being followed,” Howard said. “I take full responsibility for not double and triple checking.”
The incident took place after a two-year probation period involving the recruitment of Deja Kelly, who transferred in from San Antonio Johnson and the resignation of Cathy Self-Morgan.
Duncanville is ranked No. 2 in the preseason TXHSGBB.com poll.
The Duncanville boys team were later stripped of the 6A state title, with a situation involving Anthony Black, who is now enrolled at the University of Arkansas.
Black played in games as his family had a court order that turned the original ruling of the UIL state executive committee ruling of Black moving to Duncanville from Coppell for athletic purposes.
Black was involved in the 6A state title, as he won the MVP award.
The UIL state executive committee ruled that Duncanville must forfeit all games that Black was a part of, including the 6A state title.
The program received a three-year probation period and head coach David Peavy was given a one-year suspension.
