Fordyce girls can’t play in regionals

The Fordyce girls basketball team has been disqualified from the 2A South Region Tournament held this week in Acorn, the Arkansas Activities Association announced Wednesday.

The AAA said in a statement this decision results from Fordyce’s “inadvertently using an ineligible player.” In addition to their removal from the postseason, the Lady Bugs will forfeit any game in which the player participated this season.

Fordyce School District superintendent Rhonda Lawson released a statement addressing the AAA’s decision.

“We are heartbroken by this outcome,” the statement read, in part. “Both the District and the student’s parents believed the student was eligible under

AAA rules before she began playing. Our administrators and coaches continue to believe that the District’s athletic staff and the student’s parents acted in good faith and that no one intentionally misled the AAA or attempted to obtain an unfair advantage. Nevertheless, as a member of the AAA, we agreed to follow the rules adopted by the AAA and must abide by them and accept the AAA’s decision regarding this matter.”

The statement went on to say the reasons for this student being ruled ineligible are confidential due to student privacy laws.

Fordyce was set to play Spring Hill in the opening round Wednesday. Spring Hill will instead advance to the regional semifinals to face either Horatio or Parkers Chapel, which play at 7 p.m. Thursday. This also guarantees Spring Hill a spot in the 2A state tournament next week in Mansfield.

Fordyce was set to be the No. 1 seed from Conference 2A-8 in the regional after winning last week’s district tournament.