Nice to see UGA and Bama in the ESPN news section........

Apr 14, 2021, 4:54 AM

Georgia's Valdosta HS players ineligible, wins forfeited
10:38 AM ET
Mark Schlabach
ESPN Senior Writer

The Georgia High School Association has levied a $7,500 fine against Valdosta High School, ordered the Wildcats to forfeit seven victories from the 2020 football season, banned the team from playing in the postseason in 2021, and declared a handful of players ineligible for next season after an investigation into whether the team used ineligible players.

GHSA executive director Dr. Robin Hines confirmed the sanctions to ESPN on Tuesday morning. Valdosta High School is expected to appeal the sanctions.

The GHSA investigation was the result of comments made by Valdosta High coach Rush Propst on a secretly recorded conversation he had with former booster club executive director Michael "Nub" Nelson in May, in which Propst indicated he needed "funny money" to help pay for living expenses for players' families who wanted to move there.

Lawsuits, secret taping and the unraveling of a powerhouse high school football program

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An odd homecoming for Rush Propst
Propst was placed on administrative leave last month. He couldn't immediately be reached for comment. The Valdosta Board of Education is scheduled to meet Tuesday.

During the secret recording, Propst accused the University of Alabama and University of Georgia of paying high school prospects hundreds of thousands of dollars to play for them. Sources told ESPN that Propst has provided Alabama and Georgia officials with affidavits in which he denied having personal knowledge of recruiting violations committed by either program.

According to sources, Nelson had separate conference calls last week with officials from Alabama and Georgia and NCAA enforcement investigators.

The GHSA had already required Valdosta High to forfeit one of its victories from the 2020 season after it declared star quarterback Jake Garcia ineligible. He moved to Valdosta last summer after California pushed back the start of its football season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Garcia played only one game for the Wildcats before the GHSA ruled him ineligible because he and his family hadn't made a bona fide move. In an earlier ESPN story, Randy Garcia, Jake's father, said that he and his wife, Yvonne, legally separated to meet the GHSA's transfer requirements.

After leaving Valdosta, Garcia transferred to Grayson High School in suburban Atlanta, where he helped lead the Rams to a Class AAAAAAA state championship. Garcia, the No. 18 player in the ESPN 300, signed with Miami and enrolled at the university in January.

In an earlier sworn deposition as part of a lawsuit filed by former Valdosta High coach Alan Rodemaker, Nelson accused Propst of wanting $2,500 per month to pay for rent and other expenses after Garcia and his father moved from California to Valdosta.

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Nice to see UGA and Bama in the ESPN news section........

Valdosta is Such a Sh*+ Town They Should Let The Kids Go

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