The Smoky Hill Boys Basketball team has to forfeit their first game of the season, which they originally won 70-38 against Brighton High School November 29th,  because an ineligible athlete played for a short period of time during the fourth quarter.

A few days after the game, Athletic Director John Thompson learned of the athlete’s participation in the game and immediately called the Colorado High School Athletics Association (CHSAA) and forfeited the game preventing any further consequences to the team, and that player in the long run. Thompson said, “It was simply an error in communication between me and the coach of the team. It won’t happen again.”

The player, who was ineligible in a weekly grade check, spoke on the situation shortly after hearing the news, saying, “This [is] simply a situation I shouldn’t have put my team in at all.”

He apologized to his team, saying “If I wasn’t ineligible in the first place, my teammates, coaches, and the athletics office wouldn’t have been put in this situation.”

Head Coach Anthony Hardin showed a bit of frustration while explaining that game could later affect the team’s Rating Percentage Index (RPI), which is how the teams are ranked based off the other team’s strength of schedule.   Hardin also spoke on his confidence in his team to handle their business and put this loss behind them in the long run saying, “This team should be okay. This forfeit is the same thing as a loss and as long as the boys work hard we should continue to play well and succeed throughout this season.”