High school football: Two Dayton Public schools face eligibility issues

Credit: Ty Greenlees

Credit: Ty Greenlees

Dayton Public Schools is dealing with potential eligibility issues on two high school football teams.

In a statement, DPS Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli said the district is aware of eligibility concerns for one player at Dunbar and four at Thurgood Marshall.

“The district has self-reported to the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA),” Lolli said. “Appropriate action will be taken to correct the issues, including submitting new paperwork for affected athletes.”

“The district continues to investigate the issues and will determine what action should be taken to prevent any future concerns.”

Along with Ponitz, Meadowdale and Belmont, the Wolverines and Cougars began the football season two weeks ago.

That came after the district’s sports were placed on hold at the end of July because of the coronavirus pandemic, on the recommendation of Public Health Dayton and Montgomery County.

As far as results on the field, Dunbar beat Belmont 25-13 in the Wolverines' first game and downed Meadowdale 60-0 last week.

Thurgood Marshall beat Meadowdale 45-0 in its first game and lost to Trotwood-Madison 38-8 last week.

Dunbar’s wins have been forfeited while the fate of Thurgood Marshall’s win has not been determined yet, according to district spokeswoman Alexandra Kincaid.

The Wolverines and Cougars are scheduled to play each other Thursday night at Welcome Stadium.

The OHSAA board is scheduled to meet Thursday to review recent infractions, and OHSAA spokesman Tim Stried said the organization is working closely with DPS on the situation.

The playoffs are set to begin next week, and all schools eligible regardless of record or how many games they have played this season.

Coaches were scheduled to meet Tuesday and Wednesday to vote on seeing for teams in their regions, and teams are to be placed in brackets Thursday.

With the number of teams varying by region, some higher seeds will receive first-round byes.

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