What was an undefeated season so far on the gridiron is no more ? Clarkston forfeit its first two wins due to an ineligible player on the field.
“It is a very unfortunate incident,” said Gary Kaul, Clarkston High School principal. “We want to make sure we are on top of it and it does not happen again.”
The Clarkston High School boys varsity football team heads to Troy High School, Friday, with a 1-2 record, down from a 3-0 record before the incident.
School officials discovered a player was academically ineligible to play after their first two games, against Rochester Adams and West Bloomfield. The player participated in both.
Dan Fife, athletic director, contacted the Michigan High School Athletic Association and explained what happened.
The player had enrolled in a class during the summer to make up credit.
Football coaches and the school confirmed the player was enrolled in the class but did not turn in needed work by Aug. 26, when the team played Adams.
“The coaching staff was under the impression the work was submitted and that made the student eligible,” said Kaul. “Unfortunately the work was not submitted.”
The course was conducted through the mail, and was not a Clarkston program, he said.
“You do the work at your own pace and send it in,” said Kaul. “The breakdown was the information provided to the school was the young man submitted the work and had met the requirements.”
This is the first time this has happened that he knows about, he said.
“It’s difficult with the schedule we have now,” he added. “We are participating in games for many sports prior to the start of school. Depending on the sports you could have more athletic contests before teachers and counselors are back in school.”
Kick off at Troy (2-1) is 7 p.m., Friday night.