GREENSBORO, N.C. — A Triad leader has an idea of how to honor a Greensboro high school football team.
You might remember when Grimsley lost in last year's state title, but the team that beat them was ruled ineligible.
Grimsley’s season ended, one win short of a state title last year.
The team lost to have all its wins vacated, leaving the state without a champion.
Guilford County Commissioner Pat Tillman wants to find a way to change that.
“A small way to honor the parents, the coaches, the administrators, the boosters, certainly the student-athletes to honor them and claim them as our champions here at home,” Commissioner Tillman shared.
For Commissioner Tillman, the Grimsley High School football team has impacted his family through generations.
“Both my daughter is graduating from Grimsley, and my son is there now,” Commissioner Tillman shared. “As I've learned, Whirlies nation is very strong, very passionate as well they should be.”
Recently, the high school learned through the North Carolina High School Athletics Association that New Bern, the team that beat Grimsley in 2022, had to forfeit all its wins from the previous season due to in-eligible student-athletes.
Grimsley’s athletic director said this means no official state champion will be named. He said some of his players are disappointed, but the hype of this current undefeated season keeps them going.
Ethan Albright Athletic Director of Grimsley High School said, “Undefeated seasons are hard to come by and it represents tons of hard work by our coaches and players or administrators. The community support that we have this season.”
That’s why Commissioner Tillman wants to declare Grimsley as champion at the county level with a resolution.
He said the state made its decision, and there's not much he can do to change it.
He hopes to work with lawmakers to change what happens if something like this happens again.
"In the long term, I do think we need to work collaboratively and creatively with state legislators and the North Carolina Athletic Association to maybe think about this differently when and if those teams have to vacate what we the do with the second place team," commissioner Tillman added.
At Grimsley, the team is looking forward to making headlines in 2023. both on and off the field.
Ethan Albright Athletic Director of Grimsley High said, “We're excited about a shot to get back to the state title, nobody takes it for granted. We feel pretty good about our ability to compete with anybody.”
Commissioner Tillman said the wording of the resolution is still in the making. He plans to present it at the scheduled commission meeting next week.
As for the Whirlies, they haven't lost yet this season.
That means it's been more than a year since someone took down Grimsley.