Iowa high school soccer team forfeits victories due to a falsified birth certificate

An Iowa high school soccer team became winless after forfeiting its victories during the 2025 season. Des Moines’ Hoover High School will fall in the standings after fielding an ineligible player this year.

According to KCCI Des Moines digital editor Kelby Wingert, the student in question is a refugee from Sudan who is 19 years old based on his birth certificate. However, he was one year older, and the school self-reported the inaccuracy to the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

This violation has the Huskies going from an 8-0-1 record and top-rank status to 0-8-1. Hoover had a scoreless tie against Van Meter to open the season and went on an eight-game winning streak. During that stretch, the Huskies posted victories over Urbandale, Perry, Indianola, Fort Dodge, Des Moines North, Marshalltown, Pella, and Lincoln. Hoover also has a postponed game against Ottumwa, which will happen on May 16.

However, as Wingert added, the student can still finish his education, but he cannot play Iowa high school football anymore. Likewise, Hoover can still compete in the playoffs because every IHSAA team enters the postseason.

The Huskies can also build a respectable record because they have few games left. Hoover has six games remaining, and three will be on the road. After Des Moines East, Hoover will visit the Valley Tigers on May 5 and the Waterloo East Trojans the following day.

In addition to their April 29 game against Des Moines East, they will also face Ames on May 2 and Valley on May 5. Hoover will close the 2025 Iowa high school soccer season against Waterloo East on May 6 and Mason City a week later.

The Huskies finished with a 29-1 record during the 2024 Iowa high school soccer season. Their only loss came against Dallas Center-Grimes in the Class 3A state championship game. What’s more impressive is that the Huskies surrendered only 12 goals while scoring 127.