Georgia High School: Douglas County Loses Three Wins

Douglas County High School must forfeit three football wins from September after the state governing body confirmed a transfer violation involving one of its starters.

Tim Scott, the executive director of the Georgia High School Association, confirmed the ruling on Thursday. He stated that the team will not appeal the decision regarding two players who were declared ineligible. One of those players won his appeal, but the other did not.

The GHSA determined that the ineligible player did not make a legal move into his new school district when he transferred. Because he participated in all three affected games, the victories over Douglass, Rome, and Carver of Columbus have been overturned. These games took place in September.

Douglas County’s official record now stands at 2-6. According to Maxwell Ratings calculations, the Tigers have dropped from No. 18 to No. 36 in the Class 7A Post Season Rankings. The top 32 teams in each class qualify for the playoffs, meaning Douglas County is now outside the cutoff.

The team remains in the regular season portion of the playoffs. It must win its next two regular season games to secure a spot. The Tigers have losses to No. 41 Rome and No. 54 Carver of Columbus based on forfeit results. They also face No. 93 East Coweta, No. 111, and No. 141 in upcoming matchups.

The forfeit changes the landscape for other teams in the region. Westside, No. 23 in Class 7A, would claim a spot in the playoffs if Douglas County falls. The Maxwell Ratings system places teams in specific slots based on their final results. Douglas County’s drop in standing affects the projected field for the postseason tournament.