Valdosta High will get a hearing at 9 a.m. Monday to appeal Georgia High School Association penalties that banned the football team from the 2021 playoffs and declared five players ineligible.
Valdosta will make its case before an appeals board consisting of four members of the GHSA’s executive committee. Valdosta also may appeal that ruling before the GHSA’s full 66-member executive committee, which has a regularly scheduled meeting at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Upson Civic Center in Thomaston.
The first appeal will be held in the GHSA’s offices in downtown Thomaston.
GHSA executive director Robin Hines, alleging illegal recruiting by Valdosta coach Rush Propst and the program’s booster club, fined Valdosta $7,500 - $1,000 for each player involved and $2,500 for lack of institutional control.
One of the ineligible players, current University of Miami quarterback Jake Garcia, is graduated. The other four are juniors who cannot participate in sports at any GHSA school unless Valdosta’s appeal is successful.
Valdosta would become the first football team to be banned from the playoffs since Grady in 2014. Valdosta also faces the forfeiture of its seven 2020 victories.
The school has not commented publicly on the penalties. The GHSA also has not commented, per its policy on cases in which appeals are not exhausted.
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