By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

Hahnville’s football team has forfeited seven games from the 2007 season after using a player ruled ineligible by the LHSAA.

Hahnville Coach Lou Valdin confirmed earlier this week that the Louisiana High School Athletic Association has penalized the team after ruling that then-senior starting running back Greg Julien’s eligibility had expired.

“It was an unfortunate mistake. It’s really nobody’s fault,” said Valdin.

Athletes are deemed eligible for only eight consecutive semesters after reaching the ninth grade. Julien sat out his junior season after transferring to Hahnville after attending several schools in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

But his records were incomplete – they didn’t show that he had attended a middle school with a ninth grade.

“It wasn’t until the third time that the records were examined that anyone found a mistake,” said Valdin.

“The records we had on him weren’t accurate. He went to five schools in three years. We even held him out as a junior, since we didn’t want to take a chance on playing an ineligible player.”

Hahnville has been put on administrative probation for one year and fined $400, the maximum amount allowable.

Hahnville was 9-3 last season before the ruling came down. Julien sat out three games at the end of the season with an ankle injury before returning to the playoffs, where the Tigers went 1-1.

After the forfeits, the Tigers’ 2007 record stands officially at 2-10, with only late season wins over Dutchtown and St. Amant (both without Julien) left to stand.

Only one district game, a win over East Ascension, was affected, taking Hahnville’s record from 3-2 to 2-3 in District 6-5A play.