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

Gray Collegiate coach suspended for the rest of the season

New head coach Cory Johnson's Marlboro County Bulldogs will be the subjects of special SCHSL Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday. / Aaron Highsmith/Marlboro County Football Instagram

Marlboro County’s football team has been banned from the state playoffs over the use of ineligible players, the South Carolina High School League’s executive committee.

The school can still appeal to the SCHSL’s appellate committee.

The SCHSL initially announced on Friday, Oct. 25, that eight players were ineligible and the school would be fined $4,000. The fine is $500 per student athlete,

Marlboro County appealed to the executive committee. After a hearing on Wednesday via Zoom, the appeal was denied on a 13-0 vote. The committee said it would give relief to individual students. 

SCHSL Commissioner Jerome Singleton pointed out that if even one student was ineligible, the sanction would remain. The committee had reached a consensus that at least one student athlete was ineligible. If one or more are given relief, the fine would be reduced.

The Bulldogs must forfeit wins over Region 5-AAA opponents Aynor and Georgetown. That has scrambled the region standings. Loris is the region champion and now gets a first-round bye due to their being one less team in the playoffs. Dillon is second, followed by Waccamaw, Aynor and Georgetown in the standings.

Marlboro County originally canceled its Friday game with Loris for what the school said were electrical issues at their stadium. But it was immediately treated as a forfeit.

When he was hired by Marlboro County earlier in March, head coach Cory Johnson left Clinton, North Carolina after a highly successful run. Johnson led the Dark Horses to a 15-1 record and 2-A state championship game appearance. He also brought a star-studded staff with him.

Several of Johnson’s starters from Clinton, including the quarterback and top running back, transferred to Marlboro County. Those moves impacted both programs dramatically. Clinton is 1-8 this year. Marlboro County went from 3-7 last year to a region power.

The Bulldogs were 6-1 last Friday before the forfeit to Loris.

Marlboro County was scheduled to play at North Myrtle Beach on Sept. 20. But that game was not played. North Myrtle Beach opted to forfeit because of security concerns. Marlboro County had gone to e-learning that Thursday and Friday due to incidents at the school and in the community.

However, that forfeit was later rescinded.

The executive committee also suspended Gray Collegiate head coach D’Angelo Bryant for the rest of the season for a violation of the SCHSL’s rules on recruiting. The school was also fined $2,500 and put on warning status for one year.

Gray Collegiate will still be allowed to participate in the state playoffs.

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