The Loyal School District made a significant announcement on September 2, revealing that the Loyal/Greenwood co-op football team will forfeit its recent victory against Neillsville/Granton, which ended with a score of 41-7. This decision comes after the district self-reported an eligibility issue concerning one of its players, leading to a one-year probation period imposed by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA).
Following the game on Friday, the Marshfield-area school districts recognized the eligibility concern and took immediate action by reporting the matter to the WIAA. The governing body of high school sports in Wisconsin reviewed the situation and confirmed the forfeiture along with the probationary status for the football program.
While the specifics of the eligibility issue have not been disclosed, the districts characterized the incident as an “honest mistake” and accepted full responsibility for the oversight. Assistant coach Aaron Greisen explained that the coaching staff believed the player had completed the required suspension and was eligible to play against Neillsville/Granton.
In a public Facebook post shared on the team’s account, Greisen stated, “To my knowledge, our coaching staff was told and understood that the player needed to sit one game, and that’s what he did.” However, it was later revealed that the player was actually required to serve a three-game suspension as outlined in Greenwood’s Student Athletic Code Handbook, which stipulates that a suspension lasts 21 days from the first competition or one-third of the season.
Greisen expressed regret over the miscommunication, stating that had the coaching staff been aware of the three-game suspension requirement, they would not have allowed the player to participate in the game. “Had we known it was actually three games, he absolutely would not have played,” he affirmed.
This forfeiture alters the outcome of what was a significant win for the Loyal/Greenwood football team, impacting their standing in the season. The WIAA and the school districts have not provided further details regarding the implications of the one-year probation for the football program, leaving questions about how this may affect future games and player eligibility.
Despite this setback, the Loyal/Greenwood football team is expected to proceed with their season as planned, with their next game scheduled for September 4 against Auburndale. The team will be looking to regroup and focus on their upcoming challenges as they navigate through this difficult situation.
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