OHSAA Fines School $10K for Fielding Ineligible Player

The Ohio High School Athletic Association in October fined Mansfield Senior High School $10,000 for fielding an ineligible football player, just 10 days after athletic director Kevin Porter was placed on paid administrative leave.

According to the Richland Source, the ineligible player was permitted to compete in multiple regular-season football games. 

Both the school district and the OHSAA confirmed that a quarter of the fine was later waived.

Superintendent Stan Jefferson said he became aware of the issue near the end of the fall season, and the school cooperated fully with the OHSAA. 

“The OHSAA reduced the fine to $7,500 when the District presented a corrective action plan that included procedures and training aimed at preventing ineligibility issues from occurring in the future,” Jefferson wrote in an email.“We appreciate (he) OHSAA’s cooperation to resolve this issue and to assist the District in otherwise identifying cost-savings related to site-changes during the playoffs.”

According to Tim Stried of OHSAA, a varsity student-athlete transferred to Mansfield Senior last year after playing several regular-season games for his former school.

According to OHSAA bylaws, the student-athlete had to sit out the first four games of the 2023-2024 season to finish fulfilling his “transfer consequence.” Stried said the player would have regained eligibility in the fifth game of the season.

Mansfield Senior allowed the unnamed player to play in the first five games of the season and began holding him out for the second half of the 2023 regular season. 

Porter remains on leave pending an investigation, but director of personnel Mark Wilcheck would not reveal the reason for the investigation.

“We are still in the middle of discussions and an investigation,” Wilcheck said. “We hope to have it resolved by the end of December. That’s our goal.”

Wilcheck said no "criminal activity" is being investigated.