In Heritage-Rockdale aftermath, here’s a look at all double-forfeits in history
Double-forfeits in GHSA history
The GHSA this week assessed a rare double-forfeit to county football rivals Rockdale County and Heritage of Conyers because of an altercation among players before their Aug. 28 game that school officials called off.
The ruling marked only the sixth time in GHSA history that the association has handed down double-forfeits in football, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association.
Below are those six cases and their backstories.
1929: Valdosta vs. Quitman
In 1929 newspaper accounts of this game and others, Valdosta forfeited three games because of ineligible players, one in particular who was alleged to have been playing his fifth varsity season. Valdosta also reportedly forfeited a fourth time for not continuing a game after a disputed officials call. Today, Valdosta counts those games as victories, but the GHSFHA does not. That explains why Valdosta’s victory total is disputed, which is significant because Valdosta has the most wins of any high school football program in the country by all accounts, whether that’s 973, per the GHSFHA, or something higher. Massillon of Ohio ranks second with 968 in the race to 1,000.
1983: Groves vs. Windsor Forest
Five Chatham County-Savannah schools forfeited 11 games in 1983 in an academic eligibility scandal that led to five Savannah head coaches losing their jobs. Those forfeits intersected in this game.
1990: Waycross vs. Brooks County
Waycross, a region champion, won its round-of-16 state playoff game against Brooks County 46-8 but forfeited that victory and nine others days later when the school self-reported using six academically ineligible players. Waycross said it had misinterpreted new Georgia Department of Education eligibility rules. Brooks County also discovered it used an ineligible player, meaning it could not accept a forfeit victory. Jeff Davis, the next opponent, effectively got a bye to the semifinals and lost to Brown.
2009: Lithonia vs. Stone Mountain
Both teams used ineligible players and forfeited five games with one game remaining. The forfeits included their Sept. 25 game against each other that Stone Mountain won 18-15. One or the other would’ve made the playoffs, but both were eliminated with this decision. Lithonia’s head coach and a Stone Mountain assistant coach were fired. Stone Mountain has not made the playoffs since.
2019: Islands vs. Beach
Islands forfeited four games because of charges of undue influence, ruining a sure playoff season. Then after the regular season, Beach self-reported ineligible players and forfeited six games, including its 35-20 victory over Islands. That knocked Beach out of the playoffs. Beach did not make the playoffs again until 2025.
2026: Rockdale County vs. Heritage
The Rockdale County-Heritage double-forfeit is the first involving a pregame incident. Though not a region game, the outcome is damaging because of the GHSA’s adoption of the Post Season Rankings formula to determine playoff teams instead of region finish. All 10 games count in the PSR.