Robison set to play "every snap" after arbitration hearing goes his way

TFAE awards more than $50,000 in grants to public school teachers
October 31, 2018
Suspect charged with 6th DWI, 2nd in 30 days
October 31, 2018
TFAE awards more than $50,000 in grants to public school teachers
October 31, 2018
Suspect charged with 6th DWI, 2nd in 30 days
October 31, 2018

Former Vandebilt quarterback and current Hahnville High School senior Andrew Robison will make his season debut on Friday night after an arbitrator ruled that the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s ineligibility ruling against him was unjust.

Arbitrator Denise M. Pilie released her report yesterday evening after collecting documents from both sides last Friday.

(READ THAT FULL REPORT BY CLICKING HERE)

In it, she clears Robison for immediate eligibility, while clearing Hahnville from its LHSAA-imposed fine.


The LHSAA ruled in August that Robison was ineligible for the 2018-19 athletic year after violating recruiting bylaws in his transfer from Vandebilt to Hahnville — a move prompted when his father, Drew Robison, was relieved of his duties as both a teacher and coach at Vandebilt Catholic.

Andrew Robison said he was “psyched” when the ruling was issued, saying that celebrated by hollering, “Let’s go!” — while also rejoicing with his parents, the end of a more than two-month fight with the LHSAA.

Father Drew Robison said that he’s been told that his son will play “every snap” on Friday in a last-ditch effort to get ready for postseason next week — a last-ditch effort to save a season that’s been marred in controversy.


“Seeing Andrew as excited as he was last night is just indescribable,” Drew Robison told The Times on Wednesday morning. “When you go through what we’ve gone through, the hardest part of it has been seeing your own kid suffering and not being able to play and not understanding why. To see him as happy as he was, for us, it’s just an awesome thing.”

The LHSAA broke its silence about the ruling on Wednesday morning — sort of.

Director of Media Relations Tiara Gibson sent out a statement from Executive Director Eddie Bonine which confirmed the arbitration defeat, but little more.


Throughout the case, officials at Vandebilt Catholic have not given public comment.

“Due to continuing litigation surrounding this case, there will be no comment from the offices of the LHSAA,” Bonine’s statement reads.

Hahnville High School also released a statement saying that they are satisfied with the ruling and are happy to be moving forward.


“Throughout this lengthy process, Hahnville High School has maintained its innocence and has worked through the proper channels established by the LHSAA through an appeal and request for arbitration,” the statement reads. “The school has strived to follow the procedures outlined by LHSAA, despite the lack of due process afforded to the school, the withholding of requested information and unsuccessful attempts in working with LHSAA and the LHSAA Executive Committee for a resolution. … We feel that this is a victory not only for Andrew, Hahnville High School, Coach Salt, the football team and St. Charles Parish Public Schools, but for all student-athletes and public school systems across the state. As we move forward, Hahnville High School will propose modifications of LHSAA rules at the annual convention so that rulings and penalties such as these do not adversely impact those who matter most, students.”

In Pilie’s report, she picks apart the LHSAA’s processes in finding Robison ineligible. She said that the LHSAA’s decision that the family violated Rule 1.13 pertaining to a bonafide transfer was “arbitrary and capricious.”

She says that the LHSAA has five facts which must exist for a move to be considered bonafide and the family established all five, citing the fact that the family moved from Houma and to Hahnville and that the LHSAA’s own report concedes that the family was in the process of moving over the summer.


Pilie also said the LHSAA didn’t have proof that the Robison family moved to Hahnville “solely for the purpose of establishing athletic eligibility for their son at Hahnville High School.” She said that the move was prompted by Mr. Robison’s loss of employment at Vandebilt. She also cited that the family visited several schools in May, which shows that they were careful in their process.

Pertaining to illegal recruitment, Pilie also said that ruling is arbitrary and capricious.

She said that the Robison family was invited to a football game at Hahnville, but that they weren’t given any other special privileges besides admission to a public game. Pilie also touched on Robison’s wearing a Hahnville jersey in a May photoshoot, while still a student at Vandebilt.


The arbitration officer said that decision was OK because Robison tried to wear a Vandebilt jersey, but was turned down by “Coach Atwood,” whom The Times assumes is actually Coach Jeremy Atwell. In her decision, Pilie said that “Atwood” turned down Andrew’s request because the standout already said he was transferring to Hahnville.

Pilie also talks about the Robison family’s representation about Drew Robison being a coach at Hahnville. She called those false claims “troublesome,” but said they didn’t impact the decision because the misinformation wouldn’t have “created eligibility,” as the LHSAA ascribed.

Drew Robison told The Times on Wednesday that even with victory, he and his family is not stopping its legal fight against the LHSAA.


He said that while he’s happy that Andrew is able to play, he doesn’t feel like justice was done in this case.

Drew Robison said he hopes Saltaformaggio and Hahnville High School both sue the LHSAA, joining Andrew Robison, who filed earlier this season.

“I don’t really think this is justice because Coach Salt still got suspended four games and Andrew missed 2 scrimmages and nine games and this team is 4-5 right now (because of it),” Robison said. “The season is not ruined. There’s time for the season to be salvaged. But at the same time, what the LHSAA has done to Hahnville, Andrew and Coach Salt, it’s irreparable. It cannot be undone.”


ROBISON HOPES TO GIVE HAHNVILLE A JOLT

Throughout the suspension, Robison has practiced with Hahnville in hopes of staying in shape for an eventual debut game.

Friday, he will get his chance against H.L. Bourgeois.

Drew Robison said he spoke to Saltaformaggio last night and the coach told him that Andrew will start Friday night’s game against the Braves.


The hope is that the quarterback will use the game to get polished for the playoffs, which begin next week. Hahnville is in a unique situation in that they’ve already clinched a spot in the field, but likely cannot host a game — even if they beat H.L. Bourgeois.

So with little to play for besides pride and a couple spots of seeding, the gameplan is to get Robison back up to speed before unleashing him in postseason.

“Coach Salt told me last night that Andrew will play every snap,” Drew Robison said. “Andrew has been practicing all year. Of course, we know that game speed is different, so there will be issues there and issues making sure that the timing is there and that the receivers grow accustomed to Andrew in game situations. But what being in practice has done for Andrew is he’s been studying film all year. He’s been working on helping the younger quarterbacks with film student and he’s been doing that consistently every week all year. … This is a game that’s like our dress rehearsal. It doesn’t affect if Hahnville makes the playoffs or not. They’re still going to be a relatively low seed — even if they win. I think in this game, we have to execute, we have to get our timing down. It’s that dress rehearsal because after this game, it’s a completely new season and you either win or you go home.”


Another underreported facet of this decision is that Robison is also a quality basketball player and the return of his eligibility means he can also play that sport for Hahnville — if he choses to do so at the end of football.

Drew Robison said that part of the equation remains a mystery, saying that he and his son have talked about that in the past, but have not come up with a definitive answer.

“That’s a great question,” Drew Robison said when asked if Andrew would play basketball. “We’ve talked sparingly about that over the last few weeks. The answer has always been, ‘I don’t know.’ … It’s clear Andrew has a future with college football. Playing basketball with Hahnville would be fun because Andrew loves the school, but so much of that will depend on his recruiting, how his body holds up in these next few weeks and factors that we can’t control, so right now, we don’t know.”


But to have a football game to prepare for is a feeling, Drew Robison said, that’s unlike any other.

“We’re so happy for Andrew,” Drew Robison said. “To see him take the field with his team will be special.”

Andrew RobisonCASEY GISCLAIR | THE TIMES


Follow Casey on Twitter for more. 

https://twitter.com/casey_gisclair