Warriors Forced To Forfeit Five Boys Soccer Wins After Discovering Ineligible Player On Roster, IHSA Doesn't Impose Further Penalties
Granite City self-reports ineligible soccer player to IHSA
GRANITE CITY – The Granite City High School boys soccer team was forced to forfeit five soccer wins this season after discovering it had used an ineligible player in those games. The player, who was not identified, has since been removed from the roster, and faces no further penalties from the Illinois High School Association.
The GCHS athletic department discovered the ineligible player, who was on the team because of an error in his eligibility, and self-reported the error to the IHSA offices in Bloomington-Normal. The Warriors forfeited wins over Mascoutah, Marion, Maryville Christian, Collinsville, and Lebanon, which became 3-0 forfeit losses, and now are officially 0-8-0 after a loss to Edwardsville at home Sept. 17.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
"Granite City High School recently identified an eligibility error involving a member of the boys soccer team and acted accordingly," the athletic department and school administration said in a statement published on its Facebook page. "The matter was reported immediately to the IHSA, resulting in the forfeiture of the team's five wins this season. This will not impact postseason eligibility, and the remainder of he schedule will continue as planned."
During an interview after the loss to Edwardsville, Warriors head coach Rob Brooksher was reluctant to comment on the situation, but did say that his players have done an exceptional job of getting past the situation.
"Well, I really don't want to comment too much on that right now, because we're still sifting through that," Brooksher said. "It's had an effect on us, but we're going to move forward."
The team's morale remains high, and Brooksher, in his second year as the Warriors head coach, felt that his players have weathered the storm very well.
"Yes, they are," Brooksher said. "They're doing a good job of moving past it."
The Warriors next play at Freeburg Saturday morning at 9 a.m., then host Triad Tuesday night in a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.
More like this:
- Most Popular
- Top Stories
- Most Recent
