Islands, a Savannah school with a 5-0 record entering a Region 3-AAA football showdown with Jenkins on Thursday, has been found in violation of the GHSA's recruiting and undue influence bylaws and will have an appeal hearing Tuesday before the GHSA, the Savannah Morning News reported Wednesday afternoon.
If the appeal fails, Islands could be subject to a $5,000 fine and forfeiture of games in which ineligible players participated. Islands is 3-0 in region play and tied for first with cross-town rival Jenkins (4-1, 3-0). Islands opened in 2014. Its best record until this season had been a 4-7 finish in 2016. The team was 3-7 in 2018.
The GHSA has not commented pending the appeal. Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools confirmed the GHSA’s findings to local media.
A week ago, Columbia of DeKalb County had to forfeit a 40-14 victory over Towers because three players who participated in the game were declared ineligible for undue influence. Columbia appealed the ruling and was denied.
Under GHSA bylaw 1.70, undue influence is ‘’the use of influence by any person connected directly or indirectly with a GHSA school to induce a student of any age to transfer from one school to another, or to enter the ninth grade at a member school for athletic … purposes.’’
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