Cook wins GHSA appeal to keep five victories, claims region title

Cook won an appeal with the Georgia High School Association’s board of trustees on Tuesday to retain five football victories previously forfeited. The decision makes Cook the Region 1-2A champion.

The GHSA’s board voted 8-3 to waive the forfeits and restore the eligibility of a player whose case led to the penalties.

On Oct. 20, the GHSA assessed five forfeits because Cook used an ineligible player who had transferred in January from Lowndes. One of the player’s coaches at Cook is a former Lowndes coach. GHSA bylaw 1.72 requires that a transfer student sit out a year if he follows a coach to his new school.

On Friday, a Georgia Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order, restoring the victories and the player’s eligibility until a hearing. That hearing is no longer necessary.

Patrick Brooks, attorney for Cook County School System, argued successfully to the GHSA’s board Tuesday that the former coach did not exert undue influence on the player to transfer. They is thus eligible based on GHSA hardship rules.

“I believe the board did its due diligence and made the right decision,” GHSA executive director Robin Hines said. “Following a coach is still a violation, but also in the following-a-coach rule, you have the opportunity to appeal to show there was no undue influence. The hardship appeal should’ve been filed a long time ago, and I think Cook learned a lesson from that.”

The board denied Cook’s appeal to waive a $250 fine for failing to file eligibility on the player before allowing him to participate in spring practice.

Cook’s record is now 7-2 overall and 5-0 in region play with a game Friday against Worth County. The forfeits originally threatened Cook’s streak of making the playoffs, which began in 2000.