After final forfeit the book is closed on Marlboro County's 2024 season

A once promising campaign for the Bulldogs reverts to 0-10 after eight forfeits

Marlboro County head coach Cory Johnson has seen his team forced to forfeit all of its 2024 victories to finish at 0-10. / Marlboro County Football Instagram

Marlboro County has completed forfeiting all wins as a once promising season got derailed when the school was sanctioned by the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) for using ineligible players.

The Bulldogs end their season with an 0-10 record after forfeits to Lake Marion, Cheraw, Scotland County (N.C.), Conway, North Myrtle Beach, Aynor, Georgetown and Waccamaw.

Marlboro County originally was sanctioned by the SCHSL on Oct. 25 for having eight ineligible players. On that same day, Marlboro County canceled its game with Loris for what the school said at the time were electrical issues at the stadium. It was treated as forfeit and Loris clinched the Region 5-AAA championship.

School officials appealed to the SCHSL’s executive committee, which held a hearing via Zoom on Oct. 30. The executive committee upheld the sanction by a 13-0 vote with the modification that the staff would review the eligibility of each student, with a fine of $500 per student found ineligible.

But the committee also found that at least two students were ineligible and the sanction remained in place.

Marlboro County could have sought a hearing with the SCHSL’s appellate committee but did not pursue it further. School principal David Johnson took full responsibility in a story reported by television station WBTW.

“It is unfortunate that due to some errors I made while serving as both principal and as the director interpreting the rules governed by the South Carolina High School League regarding transfer students, our season ended abruptly,” Johnson read in a prepared statement to school board members, according to WBTW.

The forfeit to Scotland County also had ramifications for the North Carolina state playoffs since the North Carolina High School Athletic Association uses a Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) to seed its teams.

A chain reaction of events began when Marlboro County hired then-Clinton (N.C.) coach Cory Johnson to be its head coach back in March. Johnson had guided the Dark Horses to a 15-1 record and an appearance in the NCHSAA 2-A state championship game.

Johnson hired a star-studded staff and some of his players transferred to Marlboro County, which is 97 miles from Clinton, North Carolina.

The impact on both programs was dramatic. 

Marlboro County became a Class AAA state title contender. The Bulldogs were 6-0 on the field before falling 35-12 to Dillon. That was in great contrast to 2023 when Marlboro County was 3-7, didn’t win a region game and missed the playoffs.

Clinton, meanwhile, has stumbled to a 2-8 record in the current season with several lopsided defeats. Both wins have come in the last four weeks. The Dark Horses ended their regular season with a 36-14 win over winless Fairmont.

Dillon wound up second in Region 5-AAA, followed by Waccamaw, Aynor, Georgetown and Marlboro County.

The state playoffs for both states begin Nov. 15. That’s a week later than originally scheduled. Both state associations delayed the start of their playoffs due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in the mountains.