Amarillo ISD announced on Friday morning — just hours before the 2-5A Division I showdown between Amarillo High and Amarillo Tascosa — that Amarillo High would be forfeiting six varsity football wins for the use of an ineligible player.

Rumors of possible forfeiture were first reported on Thursday by Alissa Spangler of KFDA-TV in Amarillo. 

The player in question participated in eight of Amarillo High’s games this season. He did not participate in the Sandies’ 45-10 win over Amarillo Caprock on October 9.

This ruling puts Amarillo High’s season on the brink heading into tonight’s showdown with Tascosa. AHS was sitting at 7-2 and 4-1 in district play with a chance to secure the No. 2 seed and a home playoff game.

The ruling drops Amarillo High to 1-8 and 1-4 in district play, while locking in a second place finish for Tascosa, regardless of tonight’s result.

Amarillo can still advance to the playoffs, but they will need a lot of help and some good luck to get into the tournament. AHS must defeat Tascosa tonight and then hope Lubbock High beats Lubbock Coronado. If that result holds, Amarillo, Amarillo Caprock and Lubbock would all be tied at 2-4 in district play and at a net zero on points. This would result in a Saturday morning coin flip for the district’s fourth and final playoff spot.

An Amarillo High win coupled with a Lubbock Coronado win would send Lubbock Coronado to the playoffs as the four-seed based on winning a three-way tie with Caprock and Amarillo High. If Amarillo Tascosa wins tonight, that would vault Amarillo Caprock into the playoffs as the four-seed at 2-4 and they would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker on the winner of the Lubbock vs Lubbock Coronado game tonight.