Orange City, FL – A Volusia County high school is kicked out of the football playoffs and fined for using an ineligible player in all of its regular season games this year.
The Florida High School Athletic Association is also making Orange City’s University High School forfeit all 10 of its regular season games, according to a press release sent by Volusia County Schools on Thursday.
University High Principal Julian Jones says that move ends the school’s bid for its first football state championship even though the Titans ended the year 8-2 and in 2nd place in its 8A district behind undefeated Lake Brantley.
“We recognize the tremendous effort, heart and determination put forth by University High School players, supportive students, dedicated fans and those individuals associated with our school’s football program,” Jones added. “We are saddened by the loss of their well-deserved playoff opportunity.”
The ineligible player was discovered during a staff review of the school’s player roster earlier this week, according to VCS spokeswoman Nancy Wait.
“It was reported to [Jones] on Tuesday,” Wait added. “The ineligibility was related to semester attendance information and was immediately self-reported by University High School to the FHSAA.”
The FHSAA ruled that University High could not enter the playoffs and must forfeit their 8 wins, a ruling that stood even after the school appealed.
University High was fined $1,000 – or $100 per game – because of the ineligible player, but will only have to pay $100 if the football team stays violation-free until June 2016.
The school was also fined an additional $100 for allowing one student to play without all the necessary paperwork on file. Other sanctions will require University High’s Athletic Director to attend a FHSAA mid-year compliance seminar in January.
“University High School has put safeguards in place at multiple levels of interaction with student eligibility information to ensure this type of error will not take place again,” Wait stated.
The Titans were heading to Jacksonville to play undefeated Mandarin High School in the regional quarterfinals next week.
University was the only Volusia County high school participating in this year’s 8A playoffs.
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.