Norland, Western football teams forced to forfeit games due to ineligible players
Two South Florida football powerhouses were each forced to forfeit at least one key regular-season victory this week by the Florida High School Association, which could dramatically affect their chances of competing for a state championship.
Miami Norland and Davie Western each forfeited recent district wins for when the FHSAA ruled that each school had played players who were ineligible to participate in said games at that time for varying reasons.
As a result, each team has been stripped of its respective district championships and must now enter the playoffs as at-large entrants should each qualify among the top eight teams in their respective classifications.
Norland, the defending Class 2M state runner-up, was forced to forfeit its recent 32-27 victory against Plantation American Heritage, which secured the District 15-4A championship at the time.
According to the FHSAA, Norland senior wide receiver Jade Card, who caught the winning touchdown pass in the final minute of the win over Heritage, was ineligible to play in that game on Oct. 14 since he was still supposed to be serving an unsportsmanlike suspension, which required him to sit out two games per FHSAA policy 16.10.1.
Due to the FHSAA’s decision, Norland’s record is now 6-3 and American Heritage is 6-3 and it is now deemed the district champion. Both teams still stand as the top two seeds in Region 4-4A. But should the teams meet again in the regional championship, American Heritage would now host said game.
WESTERN
In Western’s case, the FHSAA forced the Wildcats to forfeit its wins on Oct. 4 vs. West Boca Raton and Oct. 14 vs. Barbara Goleman.
According to the FHSAA, Western had two players — Damani Downs and Jack Sawyer — play in that game, who were ineligible to participate in any games during the 2024-2025 school year since they had not met the county’s good cause policy. Both players transferred to Western after participating for another school earlier in the season.
According to FHSAA bylaw 9.3.2.2.2, a student may not participate in a sport at his/her new school if the student participated in that same sport at another school during that school year, unless the student meets one of the following criteria — 1: Dependent children of active-duty military personnel whose move resulted from military orders; 2: Children who have been relocated due to a foster care placement in a different school zone; 3: Children who move due to a court-ordered change in custody due to separation or divorce, or the serious illness or death of a custodial parent or 4: Authorized for good cause in district, private or charter school board policy.
According to FHSAA policy 37.2.2.12, any other form of arrangement, assistance, discount, or benefit that is not generally available to other students in the school or their families or that is based in any way on athletic ability. In accordance with said policy the FHSAA deemed Western gave both players a benefit that is not generally available to other students in the school or state without meeting stated criteria.
As a result, Western forfeited District 15-7A championship and its record is now 3-6. The Wildcats also dropped to the No. 8 and final seed in the region, putting even more weight on this week’s game vs. West Broward to solidify a playoff spot. Should Western qualify, though, it would now likely have to play top-seeded and two-time reigning state champion Columbus in the first round of the playoffs.
Goleman is now the district champion as a result with a 6-3 record and currently holds the No. 6 seed in Region 4-7A.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
Here’s a look at where things stand in each classification and the top 8 teams that would make the playoffs in each region involving South Florida teams heading into week 11 of the regular season. FHSAA power ranking listed and whether a team is a district champion.
CLASS 1A
Top seeds: Orlando First Academy (3), West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman (4)
REGION 4-1A
1. Hollywood Chaminade (10) — District 14 champ
2. Miami True North (125)
3. Miami Edison (186)
4. Boca Raton St. Andrews (188) — District 13 champ
5. Miami Archbishop Carroll (210) — District 15 champ
6. Miami Palmer Trinity (293) — District 16 champ
7. Deerfield Beach Somerset Key (312)
8. Boca Raton St. John Paul II (367)
CLASS 2A
Top seeds: Havana Gadsden County (7), Sarasota Cardinal Mooney (13), Pensacola Catholic (23), Starke Bradford (29), Jacksonville Bolles (34), Cocoa (48), Newberry (49), Fort Myers Bishop Verot (53)
REGION 4-2A
1. Miami Booker T. Washington (56) — District 15 champ
2. Miami La Salle (74)
3. Miami Monsignor Pace (79) — District 14 champ
4. Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (81) — District 13 champ
5. Miami Carol City (139)
6. Miami Ransom Everglades (191)
7. Miami Gulliver Prep (247) — District 16 champ
8. North Miami Beach (255)
REGION 3-2A
1. Cardinal Mooney (13) — District 9 champ
2. Bishop Verot (53) — District 10 co-leader
3. Belle Glade Glades Central (61) — District 10 co-leader
4. West Palm Beach Kings Academy (103) — District 11 champ
5. Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian (105) — District 12 champ
6. Tarpon Springs (163)
7. St. Petersburg Lakewood (187)
8. Boynton Beach Somerset Canyons (263)
CLASS 3A
Top seed: Miami Central (8)
REGION 4-3A
1. Central (8) - District 15 champ
2. Miami Northwestern (39) - District 16 champ
3. Key West (180)
4. Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy (208)
5. Miami Jackson (234)
6. Naples Lely (239) — District 14 champ
7. Fort Lauderdale Stranahan (242)
8. Fort Myers Cypress Lake (254) — District 13 champ
CLASS 4A
Top seed: Plantation American Heritage (9)
REGION 4-4A
1. American Heritage (9) — District 15 champ
2. Miami Norland (21)
3. Fort Pierce John Carroll (77) — District 13 champ
4. Plantation (82)
5. Fort Lauderdale Dillard (114) — District 14 leader
6. Jensen Beach (115)
7. Hialeah (118) — District 16 champ
8. Fort Lauderdale Archbishop McCarthy (126)
x-West Palm Beach Dr. Garcia (204): would qualify with win over Dillard
CLASS 5A
Top seeds: Lakeland (5), Bradenton Manatee (16), Lynn Haven Mosley (18), Niceville (20), Tallahassee Lincoln (22).
REGION 4-5A
1. Delray Beach Atlantic (24) — District 14 champ
2. St. Thomas Aquinas (40) — District 15 champ
3. Blanche Ely (41)
4. Miramar (150) — District 16 champ
5. Coconut Creek (154)
6. North Miami (192)
7. Palm Bay Heritage (201) — District 13 champ
8. Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy (229)
CLASS 6A
Top seeds: Ponte Vedra Nease (1), Seffner Armwood (6), West Boca Raton (11), Santa Rosa Pace (15), Wesley Chapel Wiregrass Ranch (25), Gainesville Buchholz (30).
REGION 4-6A
1. Miami Southridge (37) — District 16 champ
2. Pembroke Pines West Broward (66) - District 15 champ
3. Sunrise Piper (91)
4. Homestead (134)
5. Coconut Creek Monarch (144) — District 13 champ
6. Doral Academy (161)
7. Pembroke Pines Flanagan (211)
8. Hollywood South Broward (257) — District 14 champ
CLASS 7A
Top seeds: Venice (2), Lake Mary (17), Palm Beach Central (27), Orange City University (35), Sanford Seminole (43), Orlando Dr. Phillips (52).
REGION 4-7A
1. Miami Columbus (54) — District 16 champ
2. Miami Palmetto (62)
3. Boca Raton (95) — District 14 champ
4. Lantana Santaluces (117) — District 13 champ
5. Homestead South Dade (129)
6. Hialeah Goleman (143) — District 15 champ
7. Boca Raton Spanish River (227)
8. Davie Western (237)
