Sickles forfeits four wins due to falsified address of player

All Sickles had to do was win out and reach the playoffs.

Now that scenario is gone.

As first reported earlier today by Big County Preps and later confirmed by the Tampa Bay Times, the Tampa-based high school will be forced to forfeit all four games won so far this season including three district games after the school falsified an address on a player which was self-reported to the FHSAA.

Getting word that @SHS_Gryphons will be forced to forfeit a number of games this season. Awaiting further details and confirmation.

— BCP SPORTS (@BigCountyPreps1) October 21, 2016

Hillsborough County district spokeswoman Tanya Arjan said Sickles will have to forfeit four wins for falsifying a player's address.

— Bob Putnam (@Biggamebobby) October 21, 2016

The forfeits now put a new wrinkle into the District 7A-8 playoff scenarios for this week.

With the forfeits counted, Plant and Wiregrass Ranch are now both 4-0 in the district. If both teams win their respective games tonight, they would clinch playoff berths and play for the district championship next week. Gaither is right behind both teams at 3-1 and if Wiregrass Ranch were to lose this week, but beat Plant next week, a three-way tiebreaker shootout would most likely happen.

So now Wiregrass Ranch and Plant are both 4-0 in 7A-8. That means both teams can clinch playoff berths tonight. #flhsfb

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) October 21, 2016

Sickles now falls to 0-7 and 0-5 in District 7A-8 with one district game remaining next week against Tampa Freedom.

So instead of being 4-3, Sickles is now 0-7 on the season and 0-5 in District 7A-8. #flhsfb

— FloridaHSFootball.com (@FlaHSFootball) October 21, 2016