No playoffs for Gray Collegiate after appeal is lost. Here’s the final Class 4A bracket
Gray Collegiate’s football season is over.
The South Carolina High School League’s appellate panel voted 5-0 to uphold sanctions against the War Eagles program that stemmed from playing games with an ineligible player.
Tuesday’s outcome means the Class 4A playoff bracket that was released over the weekend will not change. That schedule was set without including the War Eagles.
“This just isn’t right. The absolute unfair treatment to a school, but more than anything, to hurt kids. Just sickening,” Gray football coach D’Angelo Bryant posted on his X (formerly Twitter) page shortly the ruling.
Gray Collegiate finished the season with a 20-17 loss to North Augusta on Friday and would have been primed for a deep playoff run before the sanctions. The War Eagles went 6-3 but had to forfeit all of their victories as part of the punishment for the SCHSL’s findings.
Tuesday was Gray’s second and final appeal to get the sanctions reversed. Appellate panel member Andy Tweito made the motion to uphold the sanctions.
“There seems to be so many unanswered questions and so many things that don’t match up,” Tweito said.
Last Thursday, the SCHSL’s executive committee voted 10-2 in favor of upholding sanctions levied against the War Eagles’ football program from the use of an ineligible player. The penalties included a $500 fine and forfeiting all of the wins from games the player in question appeared in this year.
The SCHSL at both hearings presented testimony that said the student’s family didn’t meet the full requirements for a “bona fide change of residence” to the Gray attendance zone.
Gray’s leadership and attorneys testified that they did everything they could to prove the family made a full move to the new address, including making multiple visits to their West Columbia residence — one in August and again in October.
As part of its appeal Tuesday, Gray asked for relief that would include letting the team participate the playoffs as long as the school withheld the player in question from competition — which was an outcome afforded to Irmo High School last week when sanctions against the Yellow Jackets were overturned in a similar case.
“It shows the subjectivity that’s being used against our school,” Gray principal Brian Newsome said. “At least treat us like Irmo. Let our kids be in the playoffs.”
SCHSL lawyer Michael Montgomery testified Tuesday that the league had evidence that entire family didn’t move to Gray’s zone — that the family moved to West Columbia but kept their previous home and address in the Richland 1 school district, and that a sibling still attended a school in Richland 1.
Among the league’s bylaws regarding making a full change of address, it says that “under no circumstances can a family have two residences for eligibility purposes” and that “the original residence must be clearly closed as the residence of the family and must not be used by the family.”
Added panel member Otis Rawl: “The whole family has to move, whether they play athletics or not. ... We’ve been consistent on family moves through the years.”
Gray Collegiate already was without Bryant for the rest of the season. Bryant and an assistant coach were suspended for the rest of the year for a violation of the league’s rules on recruiting.
In that case, Gray also was fined $2,500 and placed on warning status for one year.
It was pointed out during Tuesday’s hearing that Gray has been fined or sanctioned by the league five times in the last two years.
Panel chairman Gregory McCord asked whether the league might consider a suspension for Gray from league competition if it has another violation this school year. That idea was discussed Tuesday but was never presented for a vote.
“It appears there’s a lack of institutional control,” McCord said.
Gray has faced the most criticism of the public charter schools for how it’s built powerful and successful sports teams.
“I think we’re an excellent school with academics and athletics,” Newsome said. “We are a target sometimes.”
Educating its coaches on S.C. High School League rules is a top priority, according to Gray athletic director Kevin Heise.
“We are well-versed in the rules,” Heise said.
Class 4A Playoff Bracket
Games are Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Upper State
(16) Lakewood at (1) Westside
(9) Emerald at (8) AC Flora
(12) Pickens at (5) Camden
(13) Lancaster at (4) Wren
(11) Fountain Inn at (6) Greer
(14) Blue Ridge at (3) South Pointe
(10) Richland Northeast at (7) Seneca
(15) Dreher at (2) Daniel
Lower State
(16) Beaufort at (1) Hartsville
(9) Midland Valley at (8) Darlington
(12) Crestwood at (5) Hilton Head Island
(13) Brookland-Cayce at (4) South Florence
(11) Lower Richland at (6) Gilbert
(14) South Aiken at (3) Bishop England
(10) May River at (7) Bluffton
(15) Airport at (2) North Augusta
This story was originally published November 12, 2024 at 4:02 PM.
