School in a Bind After Basketball Player Cuts Net

The New Mexico Activities Assn. placed the Eldorado High School girls basketball program on probation because a player cut down a net after Eldorado beat Manzano for the Class AAAA state title March 4, the team’s coach said.

The program, which has won record-tying state championships 10 times, will be on probation for two years, Coach Don Flanagan said.

Dan Salzwedel, executive director of the NMAA, said Tuesday that association rules forbid removal of nets. He said the longstanding rule is for safety and crowd control.

Salzwedel said probation notifies a school it is being monitored and that a similar or another violation would bring further consequences.