Gainesville athletics director Adam Lindsey says the fight is not over.
The Georgia High School Association Board of Trustees voted to uphold 35 of the 39 Gainesville football player suspensions on Tuesday during the appeal hearing.
The Gainesville players were suspended for their alleged role in the on-field altercation during the Class 5A second-round playoff game against Brunswick.
Lindsay said the school will exhaust all legal options to play at full strength against Langston-Hughes in the Class 5A quarterfinals on Friday.
“We are currently consulting with our school system’s legal team about our options,” Lindsey said. “Our goal is to play at full strength on Friday, and we will do everything legally possible to make that happen for our kids.”
The GHSA did lift the suspension of defensive players Xavier Griffin, Jamarion Matthews, Jamarus Sims and Roger Holder. That motion passed 9-1.
Before that vote, the BOT discussed reinstating the 10 defensive players who were already on the field. However, that motion failed 6-4.
Lindsey said the GHSA’s decision is disappointing.
“It’s disappointing that the Board of Trustees members can’t look at the rule from a common-sense approach,” he said. “At the end of the day, we had two players who were assaulted. The officials did nothing. The officials actually asked the coaches to intervene, and when that happened, we did the easiest and best job we could at defusing the situation.
“It’s just disappointing that common sense can’t be used in this scenario, and that they put the burden of proof on us instead of them proving what they’re trying to say.”
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