Penalties against Gray Collegiate upheld. Here’s what it means for team’s season

Gray Collegiate’s football season took a big hit on Thursday.

The South Carolina High School League’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 include a $500 fine and forfeiting all of the wins from games the player in question appeared in this year.

It was revealed in the meeting that the player in question dressed for all six of Gray’s region contests.

According to Section 16 of the SCHSL by-laws, “the use of an ineligible player can subject a school to suspension, probation and/or fine,” and “if a school is forced to forfeit more than one game that affects playoff seeding, the school shall be ineligible for the playoffs in that sport.”

The school is expected to go before the appellate panel regarding Thursday’s decision in an effort to keep their season alive. The appellate panel hearing will likely be scheduled for Monday.

But first, Gray Collegiate (7-2) will play Friday against North Augusta for what was supposed to be for the Region 4-4A championship. The War Eagles enter the game projected as a top four seed in the Class 4A Lower State playoffs — but they’ll need to win a final appeal to make the postseason.

The 4A playoff brackets will be released Saturday and, because of Thursday’s ruling, won’t include Gray in that schedule. If Gray wins the final appeal, the playoff brackets will be redone to account for the War Eagles.

This is the second-straight week Gray Collegiate was hit with a penalty. Last week, the SCHSL executive committee voted 10-5 to suspend head coach D’Angelo Bryant and an assistant coach for the rest of the year for a violation of the league’s rules on recruiting.

Gray also was fined $2,500 and placed on warning status for one year. Bryant’s suspension includes the regular season and the postseason. The War Eagles chose not to make a second appeal with that case before the league’s appellate panel.