By Thomas Grant Jr.
Gray Collegiate Academy are scheduled to play for an eight consecutive region championship this Friday at home against North Augusta.
The day before, the school will have its second appeal meeting in eight days with the South Carolina High School League. This time, it’s dealing with the eligibility of one of its players.
On Oct. 30, the Executive Committee voted 10-5 to suspend head coach DeAngelo Bryant for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. It was for a violation of the league’s recruiting rules.
In addition, the team was fined $2,500 and placed on warning status for a year.
Gray Collegiate was cited for a middle school athlete who transferred to the school in July, withdrew and was later ruled ineligible to play at his former school.
School officials testified the student never practiced with the War Eagles. In addition, they cited the family showing interest at the school last November at one of the school’s “Lunch and Learn” sessions for prospective students prior to Bryant’s hiring in February.
The SCHSL cited evidence correspondence between the parent of the unnamed student and the two coaches in which they expressed he would be a “good fit” to the athletic programs. The committee also believed the student getting taken off the wait list for the 2024-25 school year was because of preferential treatment.
Committee members voted 11-3 against a motion to hand down a ban for the remainder of the season and a $500 fine.
Following the meeting, the school announced it would not appeal the fine and suspension. It also promoted assistant coaches Howie Bayer and Treigh Sullivan as co-interim head coaches for the rest of the season prior to last Friday’s game at Gilbert.
The War Eagles shut out the Indians 42-0 for their sixth straight victory. Quarterback Tyler Waller threw two touchdowns and rushed for one and running back B.J. Montgomery had 130 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
