Stockbridge (Georgia) forced to forfeit all nine wins by GHSA due to use of ineligible player

Per a report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitutional, the Tigers were recently crowned the AAAA, Region 2 champion and now their season is over

Perry vs Stockbridge 4A State Championship / Colin Hubbard

The forfeits via ineligible player pandemic continues in the Southeast United States.

The Stockbridge high school football season came to an abrupt end Tuesday after the team was forced to forfeit all nine of its victories due to the use of an ineligible player. 

It’s a tough blow to a Tigers team that was recently crowned as the Region 2-AAAA champions under first-year head coach Kendrick Callier. The Tigers played for the Class AAAA state championship last year, losing to Perry 38-27. 

According to a report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitutional, the Tigers have been forced to forfeit nine victories by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) due to using an ineligible player.

Per the report, Stockbridge self-reported the rule violation as it pertained to a player not making a bonafide move. The Tigers made an appeal on Tuesday, losing that plea and thus effectively ending their season.

Stockbridge was on its way to being the AAAA, Region 2 champion heading into the playoffs and now will have to watch from home due to an ineligible player. The Tigers finished as the AAAA state runnerup in 2023, losing to champion Perry, 38-27.

According to GHSA Executive Director Tim Scott, the forfeits came after Stockbridge reported the issue themselves. The situation centers around a player whose residence didn’t meet GHSA’s bona fide move requirements, which is a frequent cause of forfeits in high school sports. Scott shared that Stockbridge cooperated fully but declined to comment further.

Callier, who took over the program after serving as the offensive coordinator at Cedar Grove, had already been wrapped up in a controversial eligibility dispute with one of his former Saints players, Bo Walker. 

Walker, a standout at Cedar Grove and a University of Georgia commit, was denied eligibility at Stockbridge this fall after attempting to transfer. 

According to GHSA rules, student-athletes who transfer to follow a former coach must sit out for one academic year. Tuesday’s decision did not have to do with Walker, who has since transferred to Rabun Gap, a boarding school in North Georgia that is not affiliated with the GHSA. 

With today’s announcement, the Ola Mustangs were awarded the Region 2 championship, their first in program history. Jones County will be awarded the region’s No. 2 seed, while Hampton will be awarded the region’s No. 3 seed. Eagle’s Landing, who was the odd team out prior to the news, is now in the playoffs as the region’s No. 4 seed. 

Stockbridge appealed the decision and lost. It’s the most wins a team has had to forfeit (9) since 1990.

This kind of forfeiture action isn't just limited to the state of Georgia, as numerous states all across the East Coast have lately been found guilty of using an ineligible, thus action has been taken by the respective state associations.

In Alabama, Coosa Christian, Fultondale, and Charles Henderson were forced to forfeit games and each program will miss the AHSAA state playoffs.

AHSAA lowers the boom on three Alabama high school football teams

Over in South Carolina, Marlboro County was hit with sanctions by the SCHSL stemming from use of ineligible players and was banned from the postseason and hit with a $4,000 fine.

Marlboro County banned from football state playoffs by South Carolina High School League

Marlboro County football season comes to an abrupt end

Marlboro County football facing potential disciplinary action from SCHSL

Georgia's neighbor to the south, Florida, has seen an unprecedented number of programs slapped with sanctions due to the use of ineligible players. The programs include Miami Central, Miami Norland, The First Academy (Orlando) and Western. The Sunshine State has never seen so many handed down forfeits just a week before the state playoffs take place.

Top-ranked The First Academy (Orlando) football team found guilty of rules violations

FHSAA slaps Miami Central with 8 forfeits; multiple sanctions

Miami Norland and Western forced to forfeit games due to ineligible players

Teddy Bridgewater unloads on the state of high school football

Even over in West Virginia, one of the state's top teams in Spring Mills, has been forced to forfeit multiple games due to rules violations. The forfeits due to ineligible players/rule violations is not limited to a certain state and is happening en masse across the East Coast.

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