Withrow football loses three preseason contact days and a scrimmage next year after the OHSAA found the Tigers held an illegal full-contact scrimmage.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced the penalties Aug. 27 during its Board of Directors meeting in Columbus, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Withrow was one of six Cincinnati-area programs penalized among 13 statewide.
The Tigers participated in a full-contact scrimmage before Aug. 1, breaking Football Regulation 1.13, which governs the acclimatization period. The OHSAA's official first day for padded practice was Aug. 1. A heat acclimatization period began July 15, but full contact was not permitted until that date.
Under OHSAA Bylaw 11, the program faces three penalties:
- Contact days for the 2027 season reduced from 13 to 10
- Allowable scrimmages for 2027 cut from two to one
- Probation for the entire 2026-27 season
The penalties hit hard. Losing three contact days and a scrimmage means fewer reps in pads before the 2027 opener.
Probation means the school must attend check-in meetings with the OHSAA, carries a public reprimand, and puts the program on notice: any similar infraction during the probationary period will bring harsher consequences, according to WCPO 9 Sports.
The OHSAA did not specify when the illegal scrimmage took place or who the opponent was. No public statement from Withrow's coaching staff or administration has appeared in response to the ruling.
Anthony Berry, who identifies himself as Withrow's head football coach on his X account, posted the team's 2026-27 schedule in March but has not addressed the infraction publicly.
The penalty does not sideline Withrow this fall. The Tigers were scheduled to open their season Aug. 21 at home against Walnut Hills and travel to Chaminade Julienne in Dayton on Friday, Aug. 28. The reduced contact days and lost scrimmage take effect for the 2027 preseason.
Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy received identical penalties for the same violation. Hughes, another Cincinnati Public Schools program, was also penalized for wearing shoulder pads during a 7-on-7 competition.
Rayshawn Walton, North College Hill's athletic director, told WCPO that schools put pads on "for safety reasons" during the 7-on-7 event, but the OHSAA ruled that having shoulder pads was a violation regardless of intent.
Withrow's confirmed Week 2 matchup is at Chaminade Julienne on Aug. 28.
