Dougherty boys basketball team in trouble with GHSA again

ALBANY — For the second time this season, the Dougherty High School boys basketball team is awaiting possible punishment from the Georgia High School Association for playing an ineligible player.

Jack Willis, assistant superintendent for support services for the Dougherty County School System, said the student was not living at the address provided by his mother and was instead living out of the zone for Dougherty High.

After conducting an internal investigation, the DCSS sent the information to the GHSA and is waiting on a ruling.

“We have an obligation to report this to the GHSA,” Willis said. “At this point, the student will not be playing in any games.”

Willis is confident that the Dougherty coaches and athletic director did not have prior knowledge of the infraction.

“The situation was brought to our attention Monday morning,” Dougherty High School athletic director Harley Calhoun said. “We are in the process of investigating the matter. The young man will not play until we complete our investigation.”

Dougherty was already handed a hefty punishment for an incident that took place earlier this season when a similar incident occurred. The Trojans were forced to forfeit the 16 games in which the ineligible player played and received a $750 fine from the GHSA. The team was 8-8 at the time of the ruling, so all eight wins were forfeited.

The player involved in the initial case was removed from the team.

The Trojans are currently in the midst of the Region 1-AAAA tournament. They beat Cook Monday night in the opening round of the Region 1-AAAA Tournament are set to play top-seeded Monroe tonight at 8:30.