WINTER PARK, Fla. – Four high school football players have been ruled ineligible after the Florida High School Athletic Association found that their residential documents were faked in order for the students to play for Winter Park High School this school year.
According to the Florida High School Athletic Association investigation, Winter Park High School received multiple transfer students starting in the spring and fall of this year. State athletic officials said they were concerned about the nature of these student-athlete transfers and attempted to verify their eligibility to play for the school.
Two 18-year-old football players told News 6 the now ineligible students transferred from Timber Creek High School as seniors, adding that this will probably ruin their future college football careers.
Winter Park High School has received 10 other transfers this year, but those players were cleared, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Four students did not play in Winter Park High School's Fall Classic last week against Edgewater. While the investigation was underway, Winter Park High School Principal Matt Arnold and Athletic Director Michael Brown kept the four football players on the sidelines until they could be determined eligible to play.
Winter Park's first game of the season is Friday against Lake Nona High School.
FHSAA officials found that the four students' addresses were at Winter Park-zoned homes, but the leases for their residences appeared to be either doctored or were created by another student-athlete parent.
In three cases, the transfer students were supposedly living at a property leased by a current student-athlete’s family member, according to the report.
Because of the investigation, the FHSAA said the students had received impermissible benefits, which are arrangements or benefits not made available to all students and/or their families who apply or attend a school. Receiving such benefit is a violation of the FHSAA rules.
All four students are ineligible to play high school football for a year.
Orange County Public Schools said it was made of the allegations.
"As with any such allegation, OCPS dedicates district resources to confirm or refute the allegations, particularly as it relates to athletic teams. While OCPS, because of federal privacy laws, will not comment on the specifics of the eligibility of any student, OCPS is confident that in this instance all administrators and coaches have acted appropriately. In fact, the Florida High School Athletic Association commended Winter Park High School and OCPS for self- disclosing the possible violations by individual students immediately upon conducting an internal review of the matter. The students have a right to appeal those decisions but at this time the District considers this matter closed and OCPS is not expected to appeal the FHSAA’s determination," OCPS said in a statement.
Senior linebacker J.J. Smith said the decision has brought the team's spirits down.
"We want to play with all of our brothers and stuff and come as one, but we can't do that if we all are not on the field," Smith said.
Smith said the fact that the four students won't be able to play their senior year will have a big impact on their future careers because they won't have time in front of recruiters.
Check back for updates on this developing story.