NIAGARA FALLS — The Missouri State High School Activities Association officially stripped St. Louis basketball powerhouse Vashon of three state titles, five district crowns and a runner-up finish in 2005 late last week.

Why is that relevant to those in the Cataract City?

Vashon, widely-considered one of the top prep hoops programs in the country, was the only team to beat what many consider to be the greatest high school boys basketball team Western New York has ever produced — the 2004-05 edition of the Niagara Falls Wolverines. Vashon won a narrow late-season contest, 69-66 in overtime at the Prime Time Shootout in Trenton, N.J.

Ever diplomatic, former NFHS coach and current athletics director Dan Bazzani said the game was won on the basketball court, not in court.

“It’s not like I’m going to go to school tomorrow and take down the banners and have them changed (to 29-0),” he said. “We lost that game on the floor. It was a great game that we’ll never forget.”

Bazzani and his team may never forget it, but the MSHSAA is requesting that most of the school’s achievements during the past decade be forgotten. After its 19-month investigation turned up numerous recruiting violations and the usage of ineligible players, the board of directors determined that all games played by the school involving ineligible student-athletes during the 2000-01 season and the 2002-03 to 2005-06 seasons must be forfeited. At least 15 players were a part of the investigation, which centered on former coach Floyd Irons.

Irons was one of the most successful prep coaches in the nation after winning more than 800 games and 10 of the school’s 11 state championships over 33 years. In early 2006, though, an internal audit of the school revealed administrators had improperly spent $50,000 on a scoreboard, about $100,000 on new uniforms and $5,900 on a gymnasium floor.

Irons pleaded guilty in September 2007 to mail and wire fraud in a real estate scheme designed to kick back thousands of dollars to himself and a partner. He was sentenced to one year in federal prison, but as part of a plea agreement, Irons was required to tell the MSHSAA everything he knew about any alleged recruiting violations at Vashon.

He admitted spending more than $25,000 to rent an apartment for two Illinois brothers, Johnny and Bobby Hill. The Hills were key members of Irons’ teams as they picked up all-state honors during the team’s run to state titles in 2004 and 2006. They were also the top two scorers for Vashon in its win over the Falls.

“I had no clue about any of their violations, I just remember that they were the No. 1 team in the country and the Hill kids hurt us,” Bazzani said. “They were exceptional ballplayers.”

Irons’ lawyer, Rick Sindel, said most the blame in this case should be directed at the school’s administrators. Interestingly, though, Irons was Vashon’s principal from 2002-04 and also worked as the school district’s athletics director during the alleged years of illegal activity.

“This isn’t like suburbia,” Sindel said. “Sometimes these kids are extremely transient, and move from one family member to another, depending upon what happened in the home environment. He wasn’t always aware of where they lived. It was up to the school district to check residency.”

The three state titles forfeited by Vashon will now go to the runner-ups in those years. Bazzani, meanwhile, said he is unaware of the Falls being credited for a win for the game in question despite the MSHSAA’s statement.

“I haven’t been contacted, but even if I am, I’m not going to go out there and tell everyone we won that game,” he said. “It doesn’t take anything away from what we accomplished, though.”

Niagara Falls beat New Rochelle 69-58 in the state finals and then downed Xaverian 68-65 for the Federation crown. The Wolverines finished as the third-ranked team in the nation, according to USA Today, although other polls had them higher. Additionally, Bazzani was USA Today’s national Coach of the Year.

Contact reporter Nate Beutel at 282-2311, ext. 2262. The Associated Press contributed to this report.