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Liberty High School forfeited a playoff game for playing an ineligible player.
Liberty High School in Ohio has been forced to forfeit a playoff win after a scheme to skirt eligibility rules was leaked to its opponent. The Leopards have been disqualified from the postseason, ending their 2026 campaign.
Details of the player’s eligibility status are somewhat unclear. I do not know the player’s identity, a timeline, or the reason he was ruled ineligible. Regardless, his status was known prior to kickoff. Liberty decided to play him anyway.
The player’s presence on the field in the playoff victory will have major repercussions. It’s shaken up the Ohio high school football postseason.
Liberty beat Canton Central Catholic.
The Leopards entered the matchup after going 9-1 in the regular season. They finished second in the Mahoning Valley – Grey Conference standings to earn a postseason bid.
Liberty resides in Youngstown near the Pennsylvania border. It’s about an hour southeast of Cleveland. The football team competes at the Division 5 level in Ohio and is considered a Top 200 program in the state.
Last Friday, the Leopards took on Canton Central Catholic in their playoff opener. They won, 26-16. Quarterback Dawaun Moody scored twice on the ground and threw a touchdown. Liberty outscored the Crusaders 14-6 after halftime to pull away.
The win set up a second-round matchup with undefeated Perry. That game will no longer be played.
Ohio high school football team forfeits playoff win.
USA Today reported earlier this week that Liberty had been disqualified. The team knowingly used an ineligible player. Furthermore, coaches tried to hide his identity by switching his jersey number.
19News of Canton, Ohio provided clarity into a scheme that allowed the player to compete. He swapped jerseys with an eligible player on the roster with hopes of his presence going unnoticed. The attempt failed.
A fan on the Liberty sideline caught wind of the situation. They reported it to Canton Central’s coaching staff, who then relayed a message to Liberty’s athletic director.
The violation was self-reported to the OHSAA by the AD. The result was a playoff forfeiture.
Now, the Leopards have been eliminated from the postseason. Canton Central Catholic will return for a Round 2 matchup against Perry.
“You don’t get many opportunities in life to get a second chance at something that you work really hard for,” Crusaders coach Jeff Lindesmith said after the ruling.
Canton Central seniors will have one more opportunity to compete. Liberty’s veterans will be stripped of the opportunity to close out their careers with a state title, all because of the shady antics of the coaching staff.