Glades Central used ineligible player, will likely forfeit 4 wins

Glades Central used an ineligible player in its first eight games this season, including in its four victories this season, according to a self-report sent from the school’s principal to the Florida High School Athletic Association.

The self-report, written by Glades Central principal Melanie Bolden-Morris to the FHSAA and dated Oct. 22, states that the school learned on Oct. 22 that there was an ineligible player on the team, and after investigating, found that the player did not meet the 2.0 grade point average required to participate. According to FHSAA Policy 10.2, if an ineligible player participates in a game with the school’s knowledge, forfeitures are automatic and mandatory. If a school allows an ineligible player to participate inadvertently, forfeitures are automatic and mandatory “if the coach or school administrator knew or should have known that such use would be a violation of the association’s rules and regulations.”

No penalties have been assessed by the FHSAA as of Tuesday afternoon, according to FHSAA Associate Executive Director for Administrative Services Jamie Rohrer. But the FHSAA’s

most recent RPI rankings list Glades Central at 0-9 and not 4-5. Glades Central’s MaxPreps page also lists the Raiders as 0-9 with four forfeits.

Glades Central likely forfeits come from victories over Boca Raton, Wellington, Palm Beach Gardens and Dwyer.

Glades Central coach Jessie Hester said Tuesday that the ineligible player did not play in the Wellington game, and the school plans to send video to the FHSAA to confirm the player did not participate in that victory.

The four forfeits would severely damage the Raiders’ playoff hopes. Glades Central was third in

Region 3-4A in the FHSAA’s Week 10 RPI standings, but falling to 0-9 puts the Raiders near the bottom of their region in the Week 11 RPI standings.

Glades Central is the second local school to forfeit games for using an ineligible player this year. Miramar vacated four wins after the school learned an ineligible player played in its first four victories.

After the 2016 season, Glades Central’s chief rival, Pahokee, used an ineligible player and had to forfeit 14 victories and a state championship.

The Raiders have one game left this season: their annual Muck Bowl rivalry game against Pahokee.