2 Alabama HS football teams out of playoffs following forfeits

White Plains and A.L. Johnson are both ineligible for the 2023 football playoffs after forfeiting region games last week.

White Plains forfeited its Class 4A, Region 4 game against Anniston in the wake of a shooting earlier in the week. A.L. Johnson forfeited its Class 1A, Area 3 game at Sweet Water last week.

According to the AHSAA, a team that intentionally forfeits a required game may become ineligible for championship competition for the remainder of the season.

Also, that school’s remaining region games will be considered non-region games and will not count in the standings.

White Plains is now 0-4 overall following the forfeit loss last week. The Wildcats have only made the playoffs once in the school’s history. That appearance came in the 2A playoffs in 1994. White Plains lost its first three games of the season to Ranburne (31-28), Oak Grove (22-14) and Handley (41-0).

A.L. Johnson is also 0-4 following its forfeit with on-the-field losses to Pleasant Home (42-16), Washington County (77-6) and Marengo (52-16). The Eagles last made the playoffs in 2015 and haven’t won a playoff game since 1994.

The White Plains forfeit came on Anniston’s homecoming after a shooting on Tuesday.

Anniston Police Chief Nick Bowles told AL.com last week a group of girls from the high school were at South Highland Community Center on Tuesday night when multiple fights broke out.

As the fights subsided, someone brandished a gun and started firing at a vehicle parked in the roadway. At least two other people brandished firearms at an intersection near the community center and returned fire at the first person who fired shots.

The Homecoming parade and pep rally scheduled for Thursday night were canceled as was the Friday football game.

“Due to safety concerns, White Plains decided to forfeit the game,” Anniston coach Rico Jackson said in a prepared statement. “We had all the parameters with police officers and security in place to play the game, but they still decided they wanted to forfeit the game.”