Western Harnett Girls (CFV 3A) Forfeits 3

Western Harnett girls' team forfeits three wins


A staff report

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Western Harnett’s undefeated girls’ basketball team has forfeited three wins and been declared ineligible to compete in the remainder of the Cape Fear Valley 3-A Conference tournament for using an ineligible player.
The forfeits dropped Western Harnett’s record to 22-3.
Despite the forfeits, the Eagles will still be allowed to advance to next week’s 3-A East sectional playoffs as the No. 1 team from the Cape Fear Valley 3-A.
Phil Ferrell, interim superintendent for Harnett County Schools, said the problem occurred when Western Harnett officials failed to discover the player did not meet the minimum academic requirements of the N.C. High School Athletic Association after first-semester report cards were sent out.
According to published reports, the player involved was Kiki Trapp, a reserve forward.
Ferrell said report cards were distributed Jan. 27. School officials had eight days from that point to verify that athletes had passed enough subjects to be eligible for the second semester.
According to Ferrell, the athlete dressed for three games before it was learned she was not eligible. Ferrell said Western Harnett caught the mistake and reported itself to the state high school association.
The penalty for using an ineligible athlete that does not meet the academic requirement is to forfeit all games the athlete competed in and be subjected to a $500 fine. The fine is usually cut in half when a school reports itself.