Greenbrier High fined for ineligible players

Another Columbia County school has been fined by the Georgia High School Association in the wake of foul play on the football field.

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Greenbrier High School was fined $1,000 on Monday just over two weeks after Lakeside High School had received a $250 fine.

The Lakeside punishment came after football head coach and former athletic director Jody Grooms called an illegal play in the team's final game of the season at Effingham County on Nov. 2.

Greenbrier's fine was a result of incorrect paperwork and ineligible players taking the field during regular-season play.

Greenbrier didn't catch the violations until the season was over. Principal Margie Hamilton released a statement two weeks ago admitting the violations and announced that the varsity football team would immediately forfeit its first two wins of the season, over Westside and Lakeside high schools.

GHSA Executive Director Ralph Swearngin said all of Greenbrier's junior varsity games must also be forfeited.

"There were three categories of violations," Swearngin said. "They had football players who practiced and played without updated physicals; there were students who participated without their eligibility reports sent in; and two players were academically ineligible."

On top of the $1,000 fine, the entire athletic department will be placed on "severe status warning" for one calendar year. Any further infringements would result in stiffer penalties, Swearngin said.

The school's investigation also uncovered paperwork problems among athletes on the wrestling team, but the season had not yet started at that time and there was no reason for further punishment.

Scott Chadwick, the school's athletic director and head football coach, has temporarily stepped down as athletic director until the matter is completely resolved.

Columbia County school Superintendent Charles Nagle said last week he would wait until the GHSA made its decision before he would announce his punishment. As of Monday afternoon, Nagle had not released a punishment for Chadwick.