Ridge View football program facing sanctions on eve of region title game
The Ridge View football program will have a hearing Friday before the South Carolina High School League Executive Committee to appeal sanctions levied against the Blazers.
▪ UPDATE: Ridge View might have to forfeit all its wins over player eligibility ruling
The S.C. High School League sent a public notice Thursday about the 11 a.m. Friday meeting, an announcement that is required by the state’s Freedom of Information Act. The only item on the agenda is “Ridge View High School — Appeal to Sanctions: Football Program.”
It wasn’t immediately known what the sanctions involve or when Ridge View learned about them from the High School League.
Messages sent by The State to leadership at Ridge View and the SCHSL had not been returned as of Thursday afternoon.
The meeting will happen hours before Ridge View’s biggest game of the season. The Blazers play A.C. Flora at 7:30 p.m. Friday with the Region 5-4A championship at stake.
Ridge View hasn’t won a region championship since 2007. The Blazers are 8-1 on the season and ranked No. 6 in Class 4A.
If penalties involve forfeiting wins, it could have a big effect on the state playoff bracket that is set to be finalized Saturday. Ridge View has clinched a playoff spot and would finish first or second in the region depending the outcome of Friday’s game against A.C. Flora.
In 2019, Oceanside Collegiate was forced to forfeit four games and pay a $16,500 fine, according to the Post and Courier, after players to dress and/or play in junior varsity and varsity games in the same week. Oceanside won the region that year but was dropped to a fourth seed after the forfeits and still was allowed to play in the playoffs.
This year, Keenan High School had to forfeit its win over Newberry for dressing a player for dress for the JV and varsity games in the same week. The Raiders still qualified the playoffs and will be the No. 4 seed from Region 4-2A.
This story was originally published October 27, 2022 at 2:33 PM.
