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Collinsville’s Varsity Boys Basketball team must forfeit area wins for the 2023-2024 season after the Alabama High School Athletic Association ruled one of its players ineligible.

That decision Friday means the Panthers are now fourth in Class 2A Area 12.

“We had a student-athlete enroll in the summer of 2023 and based on guidance from the AHSAA, the student was allowed to compete during the 2023-24 basketball season,” Collinsville High School Principal Bradley Crawford said. “Upon completion of the regular season, the AHSAA reached a different conclusion regarding the student’s eligibility. We exhausted all our appeal efforts, including a successful overturn of the ineligibility ruling by the AHSAA District 8 Board, however the AHSAA Central Board of Control upheld the decision to declare the student ineligible.

“While we disagree with the Central Board’s ruling, we respect the process the AHSAA uses to resolve disputes such as these,” he said.

The area tournament – which Collinsville was slated to host – has been moved to Gaston, after the Etowah County School won a coin toss to decide which tied-for-first team, Fyffe or Gaston, would host the tournament, according to WEISS Radio..

Collinsville and Gaston are slated to play at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the tournament semi-finals.