The Myrtle Beach girls tennis team is being required to forfeit their state playoff match, effectively ending their season, due to a rules violation.
According to a letter that was sent from the South Carolina High School League on Friday, October 23, Myrtle Beach High’s girls tennis team was informed that they must forfeit their second-round playoff match against Aiken due to the team’s initial ladder not being established in accordance with South Carolina High School League rules.
A ladder in tennis is a system that determines the team members’ order in a lineup. In high school tennis, players must be ranked on a team based on head-to-head competition.
The SCHSL says that Myrtle Beach was not in compliance with the ladder rule — officially Rule 16A with the SCHSL — and must forfeit their upcoming second-round playoff match against Aiken next week, which would end Myrtle Beach’s season.
The letter also stated that the team must forfeit all matches affected by the failure to establish the team’s initial ladder in accordance with SCHSL rules.
The SCHSL says in the letter that the request to review Myrtle Beach High School’s initial tennis ladder came from Axelrod & Associates.
MyHorryNews reached out to Axelrod & Associates for comment. A text from attorney Jonny McCoy read: “Unfortunately, the actions of the tennis coach were so egregious that the SCHSL thought they had no choice but to take the extreme step of forfeiting the team from the playoffs.”
The complaint was filed with Andrew Johnson with Axelrod & Associates.
Horry County Schools, in response to an inquiry from MyHorryNews on the disqualification, sent the letter — which was from SCHSL Interim Commissioner Amy Boozer and addressed to Myrtle Beach High Principal Kristin Altman.
MyHorryNews has also reached out to the South Carolina High School League for further clarification.
Myrtle Beach does have the option to choose to appeal. It is unclear at this time whether that will happen or not.
The rule states that players on a team shall be ranked according to their head-to-head competition. Each coach is required to maintain a dated copy of all challenge matches.
The SCHSL says in the letter that Myrtle Beach submitted documentation to the League after a request was made, but the League determined that the initial ladder was not established in compliance with the rules and that the documentation provided was insufficient to demonstrate that all players participated in the required head-to-head competition.
More information on this story will be shared as it becomes available.