Once again, North Atlanta Athletics just cannot seem to catch a break. Following a phenomenal season for the boys varsity basketball team, which included winning the Region 7-6A Championship, news broke on July 31 that the team allowed an ineligible player to take the court. Capping off the sanctions, North Atlanta has been fined $1,000 and placed on “severe warning status” by the Georgia High School Association.

Having the region championship stripped did not sit well with many of the basketball players, like senior Sam Jennings, as many felt that all of their hard work last season had gone to waste. However, Jennings realizes that they can only go up from here and this setback won’t impact them this season. “We all felt like we earned that championship so it was really disappointing when we found out what happened,” Jennings said. “But I think this will only motivate us to work harder and win the region again this season.”

For a school that is challenged for victories, by taking away the ones earned, these sanction have agitated many of the Warrior’s student-athletes. The player who was held ineligible played on both the school’s basketball and football teams last year. While the wins were only taken away from the basketball team and not the football team, interviewed football players said they were still contending with the negative perceptions the whole sanctioning episode represented.  “Dwelling on the past does not help anything and we need to shift our focus to this season,” said senior defensive lineman Enzo Vasallo.

Overall, the relegation of wins for any athletic team will upset players and coaches who felt they earned those wins. However, the Warriors are not going to let this setback impact this upcoming season. Instead, 2018 will be the Warriors’ opportunity to prove why they were undeserving of GHSA’s sanctions.