Manchester’s boys basketball team, previously 20-0 and ranked No. 1 in the Class A public-school division, must forfeit five recent games for the use of an academically ineligible player.
Victories over Central-Talbotton, Macon County, Webster County and Crawford County were reversed, the GHSA confirmed Tuesday.
That significantly alters the race in Region 4-A, one of the classification’s toughest regions. Macon County (18-3, 14-0) now leads followed by Central-Talbotton (18-2, 13-1). Manchester (15-5, 7-3) is now in third place.
Manchester can regain some ground by winning the region tournament next week but almost certainly will be seeded lower than it would have been in the state tournament, which is seeded by GHSA power ratings that will reflect the forfeits.
Manchester self-reported the violation. The GHSA assessed a small fine and placed the program on warning status.
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