High school football: Valdosta program hit with $7,500 fine, postseason ban for using ineligible players

Valdosta (Ga.), the winningest high school football program in history, was hit with a historic punishment this week by the Georgia High School Association over alleged recruiting violations and lack of institutional control, according to media reports.

The school was fined $7,500 and the football team banned from the 2021 postseason as five players from the 2020 team were deemed ineligible. Valdosta finished 7-5 last season and reached the AAAAAA semifinals. The school's 939 wins are the most in prep history, though victories with ineligible players become forfeits.

Valdosta coach Rush Propst remains on administrative leave last month after allegedly asking former booster club director Mike Nelson for "funny money" to help recruits and their families with rent and other expenses.

GHSA Executive Director Robin Hines announced the fines as $1,000 for each of the five ineligible players as well as $2,500 for "lack of institutional control."

"The evidence is clear that this is not an isolated instance (of recruiting) and that Coach Probst (sic) and members of the Valdosta Touchdown Club have on other occasions contacted other student athletes or their families and provided gifts of money, payment of utilities and housing incentives in an attempt to persuade those student athletes to transfer to Valdosta High School," Hines told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Among the ineligible players was Jake Garcia, who transferred to Valdosta from California. He played one game for Wildcats before being declared ineligible and transferring to Grayson, where he helped the Rams to a AAAAAAA title. Garcia is now enrolled at the University of Miami.

The school has seven days to appeal to the GHSA.

Propst declined comment on any allegation or GHSA's ruling, but told the AJC, "We've got to let the (appeals) process play out, and we respect that process, and hopefully we'll get to the bottom of this."