It looks like the saga into whether the Federal Way High School boys basketball program used an academically ineligible player during its run to the 2009 Class 4A state championship is officially over.

A special committee, made up of several athletic directors around the South Puget Sound League, has recommended that no further action should be taken against the Eagle basketball program in regards to the eligibility of former player J.T. Koontz.

In a letter to the 4A SPSL Principals Association, the league’s athletic directors unanimously support the findings of an independent investigation completed by Seattle attorney Jeffrey Ganson. The investigation, which was conducted over nine days at a cost of approximately $11,000, cleared Federal Way High School of any wrongdoing.

“The SPSL Sub Committee recommends acceptance of the report and subsequent explanation offered by FWHS regarding the eligibility of J.T. Koontz,” said the letter, which was submitted by Puyallup School District AD Rick Wells. “This recommendation is based upon evidence of specific grade-check processes, the timelines provided for those checks, and the specific examples relating to the student-athlete affected.”

The investigation was necessitated after Koontz transferred from Federal Way to Decatur High School during the summer, and Gator head coach Kevin Olson reviewed his transcripts.

Olson found two failing grades during the second semester of the 2008-09 school year on Koontz’s transcripts, which would have been a violation of athletic eligibility rules set by the school district and the Washington State Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). The failing grades would have made Koontz ineligible during the Eagles’ run to the state title.

According to Ganson’s investigation, Koontz’s two failing grades, which came in an English and geometry class, were changed at the beginning of the 2009-10 school year after Federal Way High School athletic director Miguel Perez spoke with the teachers involved in the situation.

“I have found no evidence of anything improper with respect to enforcement of the district’s eligibility policy, as to the student or any other student-athlete,” said Ganson, a lawyer with the Seattle law firm Dionne & Rorick. “Indeed, the only evidence I found is that all those involved closely followed, honored and enforced the eligibility policy.”

The SPSL committee asked to hear more information regarding Ganson’s investigation, which was presented by Perez at a meeting Nov. 6 at Federal Way Memorial Stadium. If the committee had not been satisfied with the results, it could have asked the West Central District or Washington Interscholastic Activities Association to appoint a fact-finder to further investigate.