Hamilton football player continues effort to have AIA grant transfer hardship

A Hamilton High School football player and his family are pursuing options, including possible court action after the Arizona Interscholastic Association denied his transfer appeal seeking to play the full 2024 season.

Senior wide receiver Reiss Rinaldi, who transferred to Hamilton from Scottsdale Saguaro, was denied Tuesday after submitting a hardship appeal to the AIA.

He was among six former Saguaro transfers represented by attorney Eric O'Connor who submitted hardship appeals to the AIA asking it to waive the rule, which normally requires transfers to sit out the first half of the season with their new school.

On Tuesday, five of those six, who also were part of a lawsuit filed against the Scottsdale Unified School District last week, had their hardship appeals granted and were allowed to play the full season. A seventh former Saguaro player who was not part of the suit also had an appeal granted. Rinaldi was the only one denied.

O'Connor called the AIA's decision in Rinaldi's case "arbitrary." Four of the six students in the lawsuit transferred to Hamilton, but Rinaldo was the only one denied.

More: AIA OKs transfers for former Saguaro football players amid racial bias allegations

AIA Executive Director David Hines said he couldn't comment on Rinaldi's case. O'Connor said each player's case was presented the same way.

Rinaldi could not play in Thursday's season-opener at home against second-ranked Peoria Centennial.

O'Connor is continuing to work with Rinaldi's father in attempting to have the decision reversed, according to Craig Rinaldi, Reiss's dad. The family hasn't ruled out legal recourse, but no court action had been filed as of Friday. O'Connor was meeting with AIA lawyer Mark Mignella over the situation, Rinaldi said.

Rinaldi's father said he couldn't understand why his son's outcome differed Tuesday.

"We have no idea why," Craig Rinaldi said. "The only thing we can think is that Reiss went first (in the hearings). And as the day went on, the arguments got more emotional. Maybe they ruled on his immediately. We're baffled.''

The board listened to 18 hardship appeals on Tuesday, mostly from former Saguaro players.

The suit filed last week by O'Connor on behalf of six players accuses the Scottsdale Unified School District and officials at Saguaro of creating a racially hostile atmosphere at the school, which forced the families to leave."

There was fallout after Saguaro won the 6A title last season in Zak Hill's only season as head coach.

Before the winter break, students trying to videotape around campus for a class project complained about loud music coming from the weight room, which contained lyrics from a song that used a racial slur. Principal Ann Achtziger emailed some of the football staff regarding the situation, twice using the slur to emphasize its inappropriateness. When that email leaked on social media, there was a backlash because of her use of the word.

Achtziger apologized in person and with a letter for her use of the word. But O'Connor said nothing further was done to satisfy the concerns of those who filed hardships with the AIA to transfer.

Saguaro players who left over the winter break were not impeded by the district in their moves. But those who waited until the spring had their transfers challenged before the AIA. Rinaldi stayed at Saguaro through the spring semester, competing in track and field, where he set a school record for the fastest 400-meter time.

The suit sought to prevent Scottsdale school officials from challenging the hardship appeals.

More than 20 football players left the program after last season. Craig Rinaldi called the situation there "divisive."

Craig said this move was not football related, and that his son wanted to finish at Saguaro. He said that this move to Hamilton wasn't planned out.

"They are trying to block this for some reason, and we had to take Reiss' mental health into account and say, 'You know what, we need to make a change.' "

Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. He also covers Grand Canyon University athletics and the Arizona Rattlers. 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: Hamilton football player continues effort to have AIA grant transfer hardship