Georgia High School Officials Reverse Course Against Brunswick

School no longer banned from playoffs, suspensions lifted by state association

Georgia High School Association / SBLive Sports

Whoever the new coach is at one Georgia high school football team next year, they will not be forced to miss the postseason.

Brunswick High School found out on Tuesday that head coach Garrett Grady was stepping down following a season that ended with an all-out brawl in the Georgia high school state football playoffs with Gainesville.

The Pirates would go on to lose to Gainesville, but the ramifications of the incident were expected to sting throughout 2026.

After Gainesville went to court to get suspensions for several players lifted and the right to continue playing put into action, Brunswick did the same, appealing to the Georgia High School Association.

Postseason Ban Lifted, 42 Of 44 Suspensions Lifted

Those pleas were heard, as Glynn County Schools assistant superintendent Steve Waters confirmed on Wednesday that the Pirates will no longer be banned from the 2026 playoffs and a majority of the 44 suspensions handed down to players have been lifted.

According to Waters, 42 of the 44 players suspended are no longer an issue. The two that remained are from official ejections in the game report, meaning they will need to serve the suspensions.

“As a result of the meeting, the Board of Trustees voted 11-1 to lift the postseason ban against Brunswick High School,” the release stated. “The players who were officially ejected in the game report will serve suspensions, but the suspensions for players not listed as ejected have been removed.”

Fine Remains To Be Paid By Brunswick For Incident

Brunswick will pay the fine handed down by the Georgia High School Association, Waters confirmed.

“Brunswick High School will continue to follow the Glynn County Code of Conduct and any additional disciplinary actions will be handled according to those established procedures,” he said. “Our district holds student behavior and sportsmanship to a high standard, and that expectation has not changed.”

Grady, who said the decision to resign did not come from the brawl, won 36 games over four seasons as head coach after spending five years as the offensive coordinator for the Pirates. Brunswick reached the postseason all four years.

School 'Grateful' For Decision Of Georgia High School Association

“Brunswick High School is grateful that Dr. Tim Scott and the GHSA applied the rules fairly and equitably,” Brunswick High School Principal Mr. Slade Turner said. “We regret that the actions of a few of our football players adversely affected student-athletes across the state.”

The Georgia high school playoffs were delayed due to the matter in regards to Gainesville. They earned a 40-32 victory over Langston Hughes in the Class 5A state quarterfinals, advancing to the final four.

Up next for the Red Elephants will be Rome on Thursday. 

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