Stockbridge Tigers Forfeit All Victories After Eligibility Controversy

Stockbridge, Georgia – The high school football season took a sharp turn for the Stockbridge Tigers as they have now been forced to forfeit all nine of their victories from the current season. This decision comes after it was discovered that a player on the team did not meet the eligibility requirements set by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA). The GHSA’s executive director, Tim Scott, confirmed that Stockbridge’s officials reported the issue involving a player who failed to follow proper move-in residence rules.

According to GHSA regulations, athletes who transfer to a new school with their coach must complete a year-long residency at the school before being eligible to play. The current head coach of Stockbridge, Kendrick Callier, previously served as the offensive coordinator at Cedar Grove, and he took over after Thomas Clark, who led the Tigers to the Class 4A title game last year, was appointed to a new position.

With the latest ruling, the Tigers were stripped of their titles as the Region 2-4A champions and they appealed the decision in hopes of achieving a more favorable outcome like the Cook County Hornets did last season. However, their appeal was unsuccessful, leading to the most significant forfeiture in Georgia high school football since 1990, when Waycross forfeited 11 wins.

This predicament prevented former Cedar Grove player and University of Georgia commit Bo Walker from joining Stockbridge and has since moved to Rabun Gap, a non-GHSA affiliated school. Following the ruling, undefeated Ola becomes the new Region 2-4A champions, while Jones County and Hampton finished second and third, respectively, to join Eagle’s Landing, which is now fourth in the region.

Prior to the forfeiture, Stockbridge ranked 55th in the Georgia high school football standings, as per the On3 Massey Ratings. The team boasted talented players such as linebacker Chase Taylor, a Michigan commit, and Georgia State commit Xavier Spikes. Other notable players included cornerback Mylon Lee, wide receiver Mason Freeman, and versatile player Gavin Kinchen.