Three Alabama High School Football Teams Forfeit Games, Barred From Playoffs

The Alabama High School Athletic Association has sanctioned three programs with fines, forfeitures, and playoff bans. In addition to the adjusted records, Coosa Christian, Fultondale, and Charles Henderson cannot participate in this year’s Alabama high school football playoffs.

As initially reported by the Gadsden Times, Coosa Christian must forfeit their wins against Susan Moore, Falkville, Southeastern, and Cold Springs for fielding an ineligible player. The Conquerors were slapped with another forfeit for violating the Coaching Outside the School Year rule.

These decisions dropped Coosa Christian’s overall record to 4-6, negating their nine-game winning streak. They are also barred from participating in this year’s state tournament, eliminating their opportunity to reach the Class 1A championship game for the second consecutive year.

Last year, the Conquerors forfeited four victories due to Alabama high school football transfer rules. Despite that ruling, Coosa Christian won enough games to reach the Class 1A state championship but lost to Leroy.

This time, they will also be under a two-year restrictive probation until they satisfy the terms specified by the AHSAA. However, a follow-up report shared that Coosa Christian’s leadership is fighting the decision by filing a lawsuit against the AHSAA. The case includes a temporary restraining order that, if granted, will allow the Conquerors to participate in the state playoffs.

Meanwhile, WBRC Channel 6 News reported that Fultondale must forfeit their wins against Hamilton, Cordova, and Fayette County after having ineligible players who did not satisfy transfer rules. Canceling those victories dropped the Wildcats’ record to 3-6 with a 2-5 record in the region.

Finally, Troy’s Charles Henderson High School must forfeit five games and deal with a one-year probation for violating transfer rules. Alabama high school football’s governing body discovered that the Trojans fielded an ineligible player during their wins against Headland, Andalusia, Caroll, Greenville, and Eufaula.

Based on the On3 Massey Ratings, Coosa Christian is ranked 66th in the Alabama high school football rankings. Fultondale is 186^th, while Henderson is 73^rd. The forfeited games dropped them from the playoffs because only the top four teams per region qualify for the tournament.