Defending Ohio State Football Champions Suspended From Postseason

Multiple recruiting violations result in Ironton being kept out of upcoming playoffs

Ironton High School in Ohio was suspended from postseason play. They are a defending state football champion. / Ironton Football/X

A defending Ohio high school state football champion will not get the opportunity to try and repeat on the gridiron due to multiple violations.

Ironton City Schools confirmed with WSAZ.com that the Fighting Tigers have been suspended from competing in the upcoming state football playoffs.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association flagged Ironton with engaging in recruiting violations during the 2018, 2019 and current high school football seasons, thus, resulting in them being kept out of the championship race. The Fighting Tigers won the Division V title last year and went 9-1 this past regular season.

According to the report, the sanctions include suspending three coaches from coaching during the state high school championship playoffs next year. The state from Ironton City Schools did not reveal which coaches will be suspended.

More Sanctions Expected for Ironton Moving Forward

Other sanctions are expected to come down for Ironton High School, including being on probation through the 2027-28 season.

The Fighting Tigers honored their seniors with a 55-13 win over Portsmouth, finishing the season on a four-game win streak.

“This is a setback, but this has not erased the hard work and accomplishments of our students as a team this year,” the school said in a statement released. “We are so proud of them. We will not let this take away our pride or our legacy, and we will strive, as always, to uphold the values that define Ironton City Schools both on and off the field.

“Moving forward, we are fully committed to ensuring that appropriate corrective measures are taken to avoid any further adverse impact on our football program.”

Ironton Dominated This Year Behind Trevon Pendleton

Ironton scored 492 points this year in 10 games, allowing just 98 total. They went 15-1 a season ago, capping the year off with a 28-17 victory over Liberty Center for the state championship.

Trevon Pendleton is the head coach of the Fighting Tigers, taking over in 2018. They won 86 of 100 games under Pendleton to begin his career at the school.

Pendleton is a former fullback at Michigan State University who played at Portsmouth West High School. He was an all-state player for Portsmouth West, playing on both sides of the ball while becoming the No. 3 ranked fullback in the country at Rivals.

More Ohio High School Sports Headlines

feed