Texas high school football powerhouse considers legal action after playoff ban

Texas football powerhouse Argyle Liberty Christian is fighting a TAPPS ruling that ended its playoff hopes over an ineligible player. (TW Farlow/Getty Images) Argyle Liberty Christian isn't going down without a fight after being kicked out of the TAPPS Division I football playoffs over an eligibility violation.The Texas high school football powerhouse, considered a favorite to win the state championship, is considering legal action after TAPPS ruled Tuesday, Nov. 3, that the school used an ineligible player and must forfeit games, according to The Dallas Morning News."We strongly disagree with the TAPPS ruling and we provided clear and unambiguous evidence to TAPPS which demonstrated our innocence against the false assertions that were made against our football program," the school said in a letter to players' families.The school called the ruling unfair and said it was exploring legal options to get its team reinstated.The decision stems from a violation of TAPPS' "follow the coach" rule, which prohibits certain transfer students from competing at the varsity level if they were coached or trained by a coach at their new school within the previous 12 months.ALSO READ:Big wins send Clemens, Canyon Lake into E-N Top 20 football rankingsMultiple sources identified the player as wide receiver Jace Johnson, who transferred from Abilene Cooper before the 2026 season, according to The Dallas Morning News.TAPPS determined that Johnson previously played on a 7-on-7 team coached by Liberty Christian assistant Antonio Griffin. The organization also said the school's athletic leadership and coaching staff knew or should have known about the connection.The ruling could also end the high school football career of five-star linebacker Cooper Witten, an Oklahoma commit and son of former Dallas Cowboys star Jason Witten. His father coached Liberty Christian to consecutive TAPPS state championships in 2023 and 2024 before joining Oklahoma's coaching staff.Cooper's mother, Michelle Witten, disputed the ruling on social media, saying Griffin never coached the player in question and that evidence supporting Liberty Christian was ignored.TAPPS has revised its eight-team Division I playoff bracket, replacing Liberty Christian with TCA-Addison and delaying the opening round by one week.Under the revised bracket, San Antonio Central Catholic will face Frisco Legacy Christian in the quarterfinals.Liberty Christian's postseason hopes now depend on whether the school can successfully challenge the ruling.SubscribeThere’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Texas high school football powerhouse considers legal action after playoff ban.