PAHOKEE, Fla. -- Though the Pahokee Blue Devils football team won all 14 of their games this past season, they are not the state champions, according to the Florida High School Athletic Association Infractions Appeals Committee.
The committee denied Pahokee High School's appeal to be reinstated as state champions after the team was stripped of the title in January.
The team was asked to vacate its championship due to an ineligible player. According to the Palm Beach County School District, the student was in his fifth year.
“This is a disappointing turn of events that will be felt throughout our entire community. This ruling should not detract from the accomplishments of our students on and off the field. Every day, and especially now, we must be Pahokee Proud of our students,” Pahokee Principal Michael Aronson wrote in a letter tweeted to parents on January 12.
The school has 10 business days to file a final appeal to the Association's Governing Board.
