Clarksville Academy football, boys basketball teams forfeit games over ineligible players

EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this article should have said that ineligible players were used in eight football games and six basketball games.

 The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association ruled that Clarksville Academy's football and boys' basketball teams had to forfeit a total of nine  games after using two ineligible players.

Clarksville Academy reported the issue last week after it became aware of the violation. The TSSAA sent its response Dec. 6, detailing the infraction and punishment stating that the school had violated the Eight-Semester Rule.

The Cougars football team forfeited four games, and the basketball team had to forfeit five. The school was also fined $250, according to the TSSAA's responding letter provided by Clarksville Academy.

The TSSAA found that two athletes who transferred to Clarksville Academy repeated their junior years to meet the school's academic graduation requirements.

"The students are, therefore, in their ninth semester of high school and are in violation of the Eight-Semester Rule," the letter said.

The football team finished 6-6 after losing to Friendship Christian in the second round of the Division II-A playoffs.

Clarksville Academy athletics director Jake Peterson said one of the players in question began playing football Sept. 21 when the Cougars played host to Fulton City (Ky.). He played in eight games, and the Cougars won four of those, so their record is now 2-10.

Childress said that the school will be required under its rules to reimburse the TSSAA for the money collected from the two postseason games. The Cougars beat King's Academy, 44-33, in the first round of the playoffs before falling to Friendship Christian, 40-3.

Both players competed with the varsity basketball team, Peterson said. They played in six games, and Cougars won five of those so their record shifts from 6-1 to 1-6.

Peterson sent a text message Wednesday saying that the school's "newly established Athletic Compliance Review Board found a potential inadvertent violation of the Eight-Semester Rule."

"We immediately removed the students from the TSSAA athletic eligibility list and self-reported this finding," Peterson's text said. "The CA Athletic Compliance Review Board continues to strive to comply with the TSSAA rules and regulations."

Article II, Section 6 of the TSSAA Bylaws addresses the Eight-Semester Rule. It states "A student, once enrolled in the ninth grade, has eight semesters of athletic eligibility. Attendance of 40 school days of any semester shall be regarded as a 'semester' under this rule regardless of athletic participation. If a student participates in athletics during a period of attendance of any number of days less than 40, he/she shall be charged with a semester of attendance."

Second school to forfeit games

This is the second time a school in Montgomery County has had to forfeit games this fall. Northeast had to erase five wins from its season in September.

Clarksville Academy also dealt with the TSSAA in October after its baseball program was hit with a postseason ban stemming from what was thought to be a violation of the 50 Percent and Off-season Practice Rule.

But that ban and violation was overturned by the TSSAA after the high school governing body discovered that two of its officials had provided Clarksville Academy with incorrect interpretations of those rules.

Committee formed as oversight

In response to the baseball issues, Clarksville Academy created the Athletic Compliance Review Board last month. The board will oversee the eligibility of all students entering Clarksville Academy, according to Head of School Jennifer Hinote.

"We felt it was important for us to put together a committee so that we could make sure we are complying with all rules and regulations that are set forth by the TSSAA," Hinote said. 

Hinote was named Clarksville Academy's interim Head of School last August after longtime administrator Kay Drew stepped down. Hinote was officially hired as Head of School just as the baseball program was preparing to appeal its postseason ban in early November.

"As part of me being new to this I wanted to put together a group of individuals that could look into these issues to sort of safeguard us from this kind of thing," Hinote said. "The board consists of people from our academic departments, athletics, our admissions department and a few representatives from our varsity head coaches."

Reach Prep writer George Robinson at georgerobinson@theleafchronicle.com or (931) 245-0747 and on Twitter @Cville_Sports.