Arr, the lads o' Alabama high school football be surrenderin' their games, as they swallered gift cards. 'Tis a mighty sting indeed!
2023-09-15
Avast, ye scurvy dogs! A bunch o' landlubbers from a high learnin' house o' football be caught in a pickle! They be breakin' the rules o' the Alabama High School Athletic Association, giftin' treasure cards to their jolly crew after bestin' another school! Shiver me timbers, scallywags!
An Alabama high school football team has been forced to forfeit a victory after it was discovered that the school had provided gift cards to several players. The head coach of Tuscaloosa County, Adam Winegarden, explained that the players received the gift cards following their win over Central-Tuscaloosa. However, these gift cards violated the rules of the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) and resulted in the players losing their amateur status. The gift cards were not even redeemed, but it was enough to break the rules.The AHSAA executive director, Alvin Briggs, sent a reminder memo to school leaders about the association's amateur rules. The memo made it clear that high school student-athletes are not allowed to accept any form of payment or benefits as a result of their connection to their high school team. The responsibility lies with the schools to educate and communicate these rules to their students and parents.
The violation came to light after another school reported it to the AHSAA, and social media posts surfaced showing the Tuscaloosa County players with the gift cards. Winegarden expressed disappointment that the reporting school did not contact them directly before going to the association. However, following an appeals process, the student-athletes have been reinstated and are now eligible to play.
Tuscaloosa County's record dropped to 2-1 overall due to the forfeited victory. Winegarden acknowledged the disappointment of having to forfeit a game, especially after the hard work the team put into winning it. He emphasized the difficulty of winning games and expressed his disappointment with the situation, as it came down to technicalities and how the players were recognized. The team is now preparing to face Hewitt-Trussville in their upcoming game.