Massillon has forfeited five girls high school basketball wins for using an ineligible player.
The Tigers incorrectly allowed a transfer student to appear in games at the start of the 2024-25 season, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
OHSAA Communications Director Tim Stried provided this explanation to the Repository in an exchange of emails:
“Massillon Washington must forfeit five wins in girls basketball this season for using an ineligible player. This does not affect the team’s participation in the OHSAA postseason tournament.
“The school did not apply the Midseason Transfer Regulation (Bylaw 4-7-3) correctly and thought the player had to sit out the second half of this season and tournament. The athlete transferred midyear last year and sat out some regular season games that season. To meet her 11-game consequence, she should have sat out the first eight games this year and then would have regained her eligibility. The school caught the situation after game five, so she stopped playing at that time.”
The Repository’s request for a response was followed by the following statement from the Washington High School athletic office:
“The Athletic Department at Washington High School is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability within our educational and athletic programs. In keeping with our dedication to transparency and compliance with OHSAA regulations, we are addressing a recent violation that has come to our attention.
“Following a review and subsequent consultation with the OHSAA, it was determined that an incorrect transfer bylaw had been applied to an in-season transfer. As a result of this error, an ineligible player participated in the first five games of our girls’ basketball season. Consequently, our girls’ basketball team will forfeit the victories from these initial five games.
“The Athletic Department takes this matter with the utmost seriousness and is implementing corrective measures to ensure full adherence to OHSAA regulations moving forward. We are committed to maintaining the integrity of our athletic programs and ensuring a fair, positive experience for all of our student-athletes.”
The Tigers were 5-0, including a win over the lone Stark County opponent, Perry, in the games they had to forfeit.
They have won three games since, including a 69-44 win over Louisville on Wednesday. The next game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday against Jackson.
Stried did not provide the player’s name. A message seeking comment was left for Massillon head coach Joe Pierce.
Tamara Jay, mother of Massillon junior Hannah Nicola, said forfeiting the wins is upsetting.
“The girls have worked hard and there was a lot of excitement about starting the season so well,” she said. “It’s not the girls’ fault and I don’t believe they’re the ones who should be punished.
“They just have a real good chemistry. It wasn’t just one person It was all of them, together.”
Pierce, a former Massillon player, is in his fifth season as head coach.
His 2023-24 team went 14-7 and lost Makiya Edwards — now in the playing rotation for a college team, Muskingum University — to graduation.
A strong nucleus led by La Nia Moore, Nicola and Jaryn Wolfe returned and led the 2024-25 team to the fast start.
One of the forfeited games was against Warren Harding by a 62-40 score. Harding is 6-0 in games not against Massillon.
