Gray Collegiate barred from the 2024 South Carolina football playoffs

The Eagles have been forced to forfeit all their victories for using an ineligible player

Pending an appeal, Gray Collegiate's postseason aspirations have been dashed as Eagles have been forced to forfeit all of its victories in 2024. / Gray Collegiate Football

Gray Collegiate Academy, barring a successful appeal to an appellate panel, is ineligible for the state playoffs.

The South Carolina High School League executive committee voted 10-2 to uphold sanctions for use of an ineligible student athlete. Gray Collegiate was fined $500 and ordered to forfeit all games in which the player dressed.

During the meeting, it was revealed that the player dressed for all six of Gray Collegiate’s six region games. Gray Collegiate’s region games so far – all won on the field – were against Airport, South Aiken, Brookland-Cayce, Aiken, Gilbert and Midland Valley. The War Eagles will still play at North Augusta on Friday in a game that would have decided the region championship without the sanctions.

School officials announced Thursday afternoon they would appeal to the appellate committee. Some of the forfeits were already showing up on the school’s online schedule within minutes of the hearing.

The SCHSL is releasing playoff pairings on Saturday. The Class AAAA bracket would have to be reworked if Gray Collegiate should win an appeal.

Moments before the vote, an amended motion would have fined Gray Collegiate $2,500, allowed the War Eagles to remain in the playoffs but with no home games. It was defeated 10-2. 

“At some point, the administration has to be held accountable,” said committee member Steven Sawyer in the Zoom meeting.

Gray Collegiate incurred penalties for the second week in a row. 

Head coach D’Angelo Bryant, in his first year with the War Eagles, and an assistant coach were suspended for the rest of the season for violating the SCHSL’s rules on recruiting. The school was also fined $2,500 and put on warning status by the SCHSL for one year. The student eligibility situation was not addressed at the time.

Gray Collegiate opted to not make an appeal of those sanctions.

The SCHSL state playoffs begin on Nov. 15.

Gray Collegiate was 6-2 before the sanctions. The War Eagles opened the season with a 17-14 win over James Island. They then fell 42-7 to Tennessee power Baylor and 35-0 to reigning Class AAAAA champion Dutch Fork. The War Eagles were undefeated on the field in region play prior to the sanctions.

Bryant is in his first year as Gray Collegiate coach following a successful run at Silver Bluff, his alma mater. The former Wake Forest football player was 38-24 in six seasons, including a trip to the 2021 Class AA state championship game, where Silver Bluff fell to Gray Collegiate.

Adam Holmes, who had led the War Eagles’ program since its inception in 2014, resigned as Gray Collegiate coach last December. Gray Collegiate reached the Class AA state championship game, falling 35-28 to Oceanside Collegiate Academy.

Gray Collegiate is in its first school year as a Class AAAA program. The SCHSL implemented an attendance modifier to address competition since charter schools and private schools were dominating state championships in the lower classifications. Each student residing outside a school’s designated attendance zone now counts as three.

As  result, Gray Collegiate was moved from Class AA to Class AAAA.