{"id":2441,"date":"2026-06-11T07:33:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T07:33:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2441"},"modified":"2026-06-11T07:33:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T07:33:20","slug":"ipswich-boys-lacrosse-players-parents-say-cigars-were-tobacco-free-dispute-discipline-that-led-to-semifinal-forfeit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2441","title":{"rendered":"Ipswich boys\u2019 lacrosse players, parents say cigars were tobacco-free, dispute discipline that led to semifinal forfeit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Players and parents are challenging the decision that left the Ipswich High School boys lacrosse team unable to compete in Tuesday\u2019s state semifinal, saying the cigars at the center of the controversy contained no tobacco and that school officials have refused to explain how they decided on the discipline.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Ipswich boys\u2019 lacrosse team forfeited Tuesday\u2019s Division 4 semifinal against Cohasset after a group of players were ruled ineligible following a graduation-day incident involving cigars. The chemical health policy prohibits student athletes from using tobacco, alcohol, and certain other substances during their season. <\/span><\/p>\n

But students and parents contend the cigars were homemade and filled with tea leaves rather than tobacco. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWe knew we couldn\u2019t obviously smoke the tobacco in [a real} cigar,\u201d said Christian Gianakakis, 18, a senior on the team.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe still all wanted photos with the cigars,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s tradition.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Christian\u2019s father, John Gianakakis, said he created the cigars himself so Christian and his friends could take part in a graduation tradition without using tobacco. He said the cigars were made using chamomile tea and other non-tobacco materials wrapped in emptied cigar wrappers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just wanted the kids to have their time,\u201d John Gianakakis said. \u201cThey were excited about it.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

MIAA officials said the investigation and disciplinary decision were handled by local school administrators. On Wednesday, MIAA Executive Director Bob Baldwin said the association did not make the decision that ultimately left Ipswich without enough eligible players to compete. <\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview on WEEI, Baldwin said the MIAA became aware of a picture showing what appeared to be students smoking cigars, but he said the investigation and any resulting discipline were handled by the school district. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe did not get involved at all in that decision,\u201d he told the radio station. <\/span><\/p>\n

Christian Gianakakis said several seniors gathered at Pavilion Beach after Sunday\u2019s graduation ceremony and posed for photographs with the homemade cigars prepared by his father.<\/span><\/p>\n

The next morning, after learning school officials were investigating a photograph that had circulated on social media, John Gianakakis said he went to Ipswich High School and met with Principal Jonathan Mitchell.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gianakakis said he explained how the cigars were made and that he sought advice from a cigar shop in how to make non-tobacco cigars after being unable to find novelty cigars in time for graduation. <\/span><\/p>\n

According to Gianakakis, Mitchell called the cigar shop during their meeting and spoke with an employee who confirmed receiving a call about making tobacco-free cigars. <\/span><\/p>\n

After the call, Gianakakis said, Mitchell appeared satisfied. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe looked at me and said, \u2018The boys are cleared to play,\u2019\u201d Gianakakis recalled. (Gianakakis\u2019s account could not be independently verified.) <\/span><\/p>\n

Gianakakis said he later recovered one of the discarded cigars from the beach and provided it to school officials. <\/span><\/p>\n

Gianakakis said six lacrosse players who appeared in the picture were suspended from playing. He said three additional players were later ruled ineligible after school officials reviewed separate social media posts. <\/span><\/p>\n

The final decision came roughly four hours before the semifinal match Tuesday, according to players and parents. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWe were about to get on the bus … Everyone thought the game was happening,\u201d Christian Gianakakis said. <\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, their season was suddenly over, leaving Cohasset to advance to the state championship game following the forfeiture. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just a mix of emotions: mad, sad, confused,\u201d Gianakakis said. \u201cWe spent all this time playing throughout the years, and it came down to our biggest year ever, senior year, and it just came to an end.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The fourth-seeded Tigers finished 14-4 and advanced to the Final Four with tournament victories over Tyngsborough, Lunenburg, and Winthrop. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cindy Cedrone, whose son is a sophomore on the team, said many parents remain confused about how the investigation was conducted and whether the evidence presented to school officials was fully considered, which some parents cite as the latest in a series of frustrations with school administrators. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere was no true investigation,\u201d she said in a phone interview Wednesday. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cedrone and Drew Wile, who also has a son on the team, described the lacrosse community in Ipswich as tight-knit, with many members of the high school team having played together since they were young children. <\/span><\/p>\n

Wile said many of the seniors believed this year\u2019s team was capable of winning a state title. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis was their year,\u201d he said. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cedrone said players regularly volunteer with younger athletes and help run youth lacrosse programs in the community. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese kids are very civic-minded,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re truly the kind of kids you want to have.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Superintendent Brian Blake declined Wednesday to answer questions about who made the eligibility determination, whether administrators concluded the cigars contained tobacco, or whether evidence presented by parents was considered. <\/span><\/p>\n

Blake responded to those questions by referring to a previously released statement on the school\u2019s website. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIpswich High School was very excited to have its boys lacrosse team advance to the Division 4 State Semifinals that was scheduled for Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.,\u201d the statement said. \u201cThe team and coaching staff decided that due to the shortage of available players that it was in the best interest of the team to forfeit the game.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Mitchell did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment seeking his account of the investigation, the conversation described by John Gianakakis, or his role in the eligibility decision. <\/span><\/p>\n

Messages were also left with the school\u2019s athletic director and members of the school committee seeking comment. <\/span><\/p>\n

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The Ipswich boys\u2019 lacrosse team forfeited Tuesday\u2019s Division 4 semifinal against Cohasset after a group of players were ruled ineligible following a graduation-day incident involving cigars. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"yoast_head":"\nIpswich boys\u2019 lacrosse players, parents say cigars were tobacco-free, dispute discipline that led to semifinal forfeit - Boston Relocation Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2441\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ipswich boys\u2019 lacrosse players, parents say cigars were tobacco-free, dispute discipline that led to semifinal forfeit - 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