Coach Suspended, Football Games Forfeited After Investigation

SPRINGDALE, MD — The head football coach at Charles Herbert Flowers High School has been suspended for the rest of the season after an investigation into the team uncovered the use of an ineligible player in several games.

The team also will have to forfeit all games that the ineligible player appeared in, reported Fox5.

According to a statement released by Prince George's County Public Schools, football head coach Dameon Powell allowed an ineligible freshman player to get playing time in varsity football games. Powell has been a coach at the high school for 10 years. The team started the season with a 6-0 record. The school district did not state how many games in which the ineligible player participated.

"It's heartbreaking because they practice all year, and it's very heartbreaking for the children. My heart breaks for them because I know how dedicated these children are," Phyllis Wright, a parent of students at the school, told WJLA. "You look at your practice time, your study time, trying to be a model student, and then all of this is flushed because someone makes a poor decision."

In 2023, Flowers High School was banned from the playoffs because of an eligible player, according to WJLA. The TV station also reported that Powell was suspended in 2019 for holding a football practice before the season had officially started.

The investigation into the current ineligible player opened after the Office of Interscholastic Athletics received an inquiry regarding a student-athlete on Oct. 8, which led to the formal review.

"Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) is committed to upholding all athletic protocols that ensure fairness and integrity in interscholastic competition. Any deviation from these standards is unacceptable and will not be tolerated," the statement from the school district said. "We recognize the disappointment this situation brings to players, families and the school community. However, PGCPS will continue to uphold accountability and enforce clear expectations to ensure full compliance across all athletic programs."