Farrell School District officials will attempt to salvage a season that held so much promise for the Steelers' boys basketball team until going awry in the wake of a WPIAL ruling.

A Feb. 8 hearing has been scheduled by the PIAA to hear an appeal from Farrell in response to this week's WPIAL decision that forced the Steelers to forfeit 13 victories for using an ineligible player.

On Thursday, PIAA assistant executive director Melissa Mertz confirmed her organization, which governs high school athletics in Pennsylvania, had received a request from Farrell principal Charles Sanitate asking for a hearing.

"On Wednesday, we received a request (via fax) from Farrell for an appeal," said Mertz, who cited a 2 p.m. start time for the upcoming hearing at PIAA headquarters in Mechanicsburg.

As for when a decision might be rendered, Mertz said following the Feb. 8 hearing, the PIAA Board of Appeal will deliberate as long as necessary.

"Then on (Feb. 11, PIAA executive director) Brad Cashman will contact Farrell by phone with the decision," Mertz said. "He will then follow up in writing to Farrell."

The WPIAL, which issued its ruling on Monday following nearly three hours of testimony and deliberations during a hearing at its Green Tree headquarters, said Steelers senior Iren Rainey was ineligible because of two procedures that were overlooked by Farrell officials after it was reported that his official enrollment date was in early September, almost two weeks after Farrell's Aug. 28 first day of classes.

Those procedures, which are mandatory based on PIAA rules, were: 1) getting a sign-off from the principal at Oak Hill Academy -- where Rainey last played -- indicating his transfer wasn't for athletic reasons; and 2) petitioning the WPIAL to gain his eligibility.

Whether inadvertent or not, Farrell failed to do or obtain either. After an unidentified source contacted the WPIAL (District 7) recently regarding the possible problem with Rainey's enrollment date, the district's Board of Control scheduled a hearing for last Monday to look into it. It was at that hearing that Rainey, who was Farrell's second-leading scorer at more than 17 points per game, was ruled ineligible.

"He transferred outside the PIAA transfer window," WPIAL executive director Larry Hanley said Tuesday morning. "When a student transfers without a parent (which was the case of Rainey who resides with Rev. Robert Stewart), what that requires is a principal-to-principal sign-off indicating there was no athletic intent, and approval of this board. Obviously, neither of those two things happened."

While Farrell officials, including Sanitate and head basketball coach Michael DeCello, publically expressed their disappointment in the ruling, Rev. Stewart went even further.

Stewart told Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sports writer Mike White -- in a story that was published Wednesday -- he blamed racism for the WPIAL's ruling and Stewart, according to White, even compared the WPIAL to the Ku Klux Klan.

Stewart also housed transfer Ellis Autry, who has since left Farrell, as well as recent transfer Kareem Cooper, who has yet to gain his eligibility. He reportedly doesn't or didn't have legal guardianship of any of the three.

With the 13 forfeits, Farrell's record dropped to 0-8 in Section 2-AA and 0-19 overall. On Tuesday, however, the Rainey-less Steelers routed section leader Mohawk by 29 points to improve to 1-8 and 1-19, respectively.

With only three league games remaining, Farrell, a team that had been pegged by many pundits as a legitimate WPIAL and PIAA Class AA title hopeful, has been mathematically eliminated from the postseason.

Thus, the Steelers' only hope to gain a playoff berth now appears to rest solely with the PIAA.

Farrell Superintentent Richard Rubano did not return a call from The Herald seeking comment.