The Arizona Interscholastic Association has rescinded the probation imposed on Goodyear Desert Edge High School's football and track and field programs for next school year.
Tuesday's decision by the AIA 's Executive Board came after the school appealed the ruling. The AIA did place a one-year warning on the program.
Desert Edge now will be eligible for the postseason in both sports next school year.
The probation was imposed for a recruiting violation involving former co-head football coach Mark Carter for a social media post, which the school reported. After being placed on probation last week by the AIA board Mark Carter and his twin brother, Marcus Carter, who also was a co-head football coach, sent out a joint statement saying they had resigned.
Mark Carter also was the head boys track coach and Marcus led the girls' track program.
Before being placed on probation, Desert Edge suspended Mark Carter to coach the football team for a year in a corrective action move designed to head off any AIA probation. At the time, that wasn't enough in the eyes of the AIA board members.
With the Carter brothers resigning after their program was placed on probation, the AIA board approved Desert Edge's appeal.
"We appreciate the consideration by the Executive Board to remove us from probation to warning," said Phillip Nowlin, deputy superintendent for academics of the Agua Fria Unified School District. "We look forward to our program moving forward with fidelity."
AIA Executive Director David Hines said that the Carters resigning from the program was a factor in the board reversing its decision.
"The school and the help of the Agua Fria school district acted quickly and understood the board's thinking on this situation with the corrective action additionally done," Hines said. "It's a challenge when the kids are put in situations that are not good for them.
"But when things are done, the board said, 'Thank you, we appreciate how you handled it.'"
The Carters have not commented further since the release of their statement.
Inside Hines' office is a photo of himself flanked by the Carter twins on a football field.
He realizes the Carters have been committed to helping student athletes, but added the school took the right step in reporting the violation and the board had to make a ruling.
Because football and boys track are interconnected, with many football players competing in track during spring, both programs were originally placed on probation, Hines said.
The violation occurred after a parent posted on social media asking about good schools his son could attend. Mark Carter responded by saying "Desert Edge,'' an attorney who was informally working with parents objecting to the AIA probation told The Republic earlier this month.
Such posts by coaches can be seen as recruiting in violation of AIA rules. The attorney told the Republic the student hadn't transferred and wasn't a football player at the time of the exchange, but later was added to his current school's football team 2023 MaxPreps roster in late March, the day of the social-media post.
Moving forward, Henri MacArthur will lead the Desert Edge track and field program, the district said, as the Scorpions get ready to start spring workouts next Monday. MacArthur said he did not want to comment until he spoke to the school's athletic director.
Desert Edge reached the Open state playoffs in the Carters' first season at Desert Edge in 2020. They were a missed two-point conversion away from capturing the 5A title last season, falling to Gilbert Higley 42-41.
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AIA rescinds Desert Edge's football, track probation, teams be eligible for postseason
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