Ineligible Player Eliminates George Jenkins From Boys Soccer Playoffs

But Thomas’ message, delivered to the team in a conference room during the first period of school, was down-right heart wrenching: Jenkins, which was to play Tampa Gaither for a chance to advance to Class 4A regional final, was eliminated from the state soccer playoffs after the school discovered it had used an ineligible player in Tuesday’s regional quarterfinal game.

“I just broke down right there,” Morrell said.

“I was floored.”

The player, Jon Ibanez, was a fifth-year senior, Jenkins Athletic Director Diane Werrick said.

He didn’t play all season because he was academically ineligible during the first semester but was cleared to play by the school’s administration Monday, which is when the second semester started. Werrick said the school did not know that Ibanez, who did not play soccer last season at Jenkins, was in his fifth year of high school.

“It was a clerical and computer glitch,” Werrick said. “The computer didn’t show the kid as a fifth-year student. We’re working to fix that.”

Jenkins self reported the issue after Werrick received an email late Tuesday night that there was a possibility that Ibanez was ineligible.