AHSAA overturns John Carroll and Muscle Shoals playoff bans
Montgomery, AL – The John Carroll Catholic Cavalier and Muscle Shoals Trojan football programs will be eligible for post season play this season.
John Carroll coaches Donald Cunningham and Arthur Stokes along with Muscle Shoals assistant Chris Balentine’s one year gridiron bans will remain in place.
The AHSAA Central Board overturned the program’s playoff bans in favor of restrictive probation following both programs internal corrective action.
A change in the language of the recruiting rule, made by the AHSAA Legislative Council in April opened the door for the association to vacate automatic playoff bans. The council amended the rule to read “A school in violation of this rule MAY be placed on restrictive probation”.
In addition to John Carroll and Muscle Shoals, the Murphy girls basketball and Daphne volleyball teams had their playoff bans lifted.
Muscle Shoals head football coach Scott Basden (75-23) was not implicated in any wrong doing. Basden has lead the Trojans to the post season in seven of his eight seasons leading the Trojans program, including trip to the 5A state title game in 2013. Muscle Shoals opens their 2016 campaign August 19th at J.F. Moore Stadium against the Gardendale Rockets.
John Carroll relieved Tim Sanders (3-27) of his head coaching duties, in the off season, following a 0-10 campaign in 2015. The 2016 Cavilers will be lead by long time assistant and John Carroll alumnis Logan Colafrancesco. Following an off season move from 5A to 6A, the Cavs will kick off 2016 August 26th at Hayden High School’s Robert W. Reid Stadium. John Carroll will be looking to return to post season for the first time since 2009.
