UPDATE (Thursday, March 3, 2022, 11:05 a.m.): East Tallahatchie School District Superintendent Johnnie Vick, who had been asked to comment on the arbiter's ruling, released the following statement on Wednesday, March 2, 2022:
"We are very disappointed with the arbiter's decision. I am totally confident that our coaches followed protocols. All students-athletes were cleared by the Mississippi High School Activities Association. I am very proud of our basketball teams and we will move forward."
Just like that, the Charleston High School boys' basketball season officially ends.
An arbiter Friday afternoon upheld a Feb. 23 decision by the Mississippi High School Activities Association Executive Committee to vacate the Tigers' recent second-round Class 2A state playoff win over Choctaw County due to having played an ineligible player.
East Tallahatchie School District Athletic Director LaDon Taylor announced the outcome in a 2:37 p.m. text message to The Sun-Sentinel that said simply, "We are out."
The arbiter's ruling had been expected by noon but was not announced until more than two hours later.
Taylor said MHSAA Assistant Director Robert Holloway first broke the news in a telephone call to ETSD Superintendent Johnnie Vick.
As a result, Charleston's boys are forced to hang up their sneakers instead of competing in a third-round match at Northside tomorrow night. Choctaw County will instead host Northside.
The third-round winner will advance to the semifinals in Jackson, where one more victory puts them in the state championship game.
In the meantime, Charleston players, coaches and fans are left to suffer the fallout.
"Obviously, we're extremely disappointed in the outcome," Taylor said. "It's a lot to deal with and go through, and it's giving us a bad name even though it's not our fault. But there's absolutely nothing we can do about it except move on, and that's what we're going to do.
"We'll learn from this and we'll move forward with our heads held high," he said, "because we followed the rules and did what we were supposed to do."
Vick and CHS boys' head coach Jeff Hollingsworth did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
