Anniston hit by AHSAA

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: October 25, 2021

Bulldogs forfeit two wins for use of ineligible player, drops them from region champions to No. 4 playoff seed

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

Anniston has gone from a region champion to the No. 4 qualifier in its region after being forced to forfeit two wins for using an ineligible player. The Bulldogs also were fined.

The AHSAA announced the penalty this morning.

St. Luke’s Episcopal High School and Leroy High School football programs also have been penalized for violating AHSAA eligibility rules.

The AHSAA said Anniston allowed a student to participate in two contests in violation of the AHSAA Academic Rule. As a result, the program must forfeit all games won that the ineligible student participated in.

The investigation appeared to be related to the Bulldogs’ use of the state’s Dragonfly reporting software. It wasn’t immediately known if the player was ineligible by ASHAA standards or simply because they didn’t appear on the Dragonfly roster at the time of the game, which was reported by several opponents. Typically, violations of Dragonfly protocol are fineable offenses.

The AHSAA defers all comment on these issues to school administrators and at present messages for Anniston principal Alexis Wise seeking comment have not been returned.

In speaking on the issue with East Alabama Sports Today Friday night, Anniston coach Rico White said he’s heard “all kinds of things” that might happen as a result of the investigation and seemed accepting of whatever may come from it.

“We won our last four games we needed to win to get in the playoffs, that’s our ultimate goal,” he said Friday night. “It’s out of hands. You’re at someone else’s mercy.

“We try to run a Grade A program and do things the right way. If the Good Lord sees fit to take it, so be it, but I know we’re in the playoffs right now, so we’re good.”

After Monday morning’s announcement, White’s only comment was, “Let’s load the buses; we’re going to Saint James. Go Dawgs.”

On the field, the Bulldogs won their first region championship since 2011. But as a result of the ruling, the Bulldogs must forfeit its Class 4A Region 4 win over Jacksonville and a non-region win over Ohatchee. Their region record is now 4-2 and they’re 5-4 overall.

It gives Handley the No. 1 seed in the region, followed by Jacksonville, Cherokee County and Anniston.

So, instead of being a No. 1 seed and playing at home in the first round of the playoffs, the Bulldogs have to go on the road and play a No. 1 seed.

Here’s what the first-round matchups with Region 2 look like:

Anniston (5-4) at St. James (8-1)
Cherokee County (6-3) at Straughn (7-3)
Alabama Christian (6-3) at Jacksonville (6-3)
Geneva (6-4) at Handley (7-1)

Despite the penalties, the Bulldogs remain confident about their product on the field.

“Still finna win this …,” Bulldogs’ Alabama commitment Antonio Kite wrote on his Facebook page.