Mary Persons forfeits three victories for use of an ineligible player

Mary Persons, a 2023 Class 3A quarterfinalist, must forfeit its three victories this season for use of an ineligible player, Mary Persons coach Brian Nelson confirmed Thursday morning.

The three forfeits make Mary Persons’ record 0-4 overall and 0-2 in Region 2-3A. The region is considered Class 3A’s deepest, with No. 1 Sandy Creek and No. 7 LaGrange remaining on Mary Persons’ schedule.

The GHSA declared the unidentified player ineligible for failing to move legally into the Mary Persons school district, a common reason for GHSA-assessed forfeits.

“It’s been the toughest couple of days of my coaching career, and I’ve been coaching for a while,” Nelson said. “I met with the seniors [Wednesday] at 3:30 and the team before practice, and that was the toughest part. I had a senior player walk in after practice, and I’m in my office, and he said, ‘Coach, don’t beat yourself up, we got you.’ I told my wife that, and she started crying. It’s been tough on me and my family.”

Nelson’s son, Mac Nelson, is the team’s quarterback.

To make the playoffs for the 13th time in 14 seasons, Mary Persons must finish in the top four in the nine-team region or get an at-large berth from the GHSA’s points system that seeds the Class 3A state bracket.