A Laney High School football player who faced ineligibility to play at the school during his freshman season is now facing ineligibility again as a senior.
Javaris Harris hasn’t competed for the Laney varsity football team since 2020, which was the year Harris was considered ineligible by the Georgia High School Association citing “undue influence,” according to media reports at the time.
That alleged undue influence came when Harris played on a football team during the offseason after Harris’ eighth grade year that was coached by Chris Thomas — a former assistant on the Laney coaching staff.
As a result, Laney had to forfeit wins against Glenn Hills, Josey and Butler that year, which snatched away a playoff appearance because the GHSA concluded the Wildcats played with an ineligible Harris in those games.
Not only that, Harris would have to spend his sophomore season on Laney’s junior varsity squad as an extended consequence. Following his sophomore season, he transferred to Greene County High School in Greensboro, Ga. to compete in his junior campaign.
Harris starred for the Tigers’ varsity team on both sides of the ball, racking up 54 catches for 915 yards and 12 touchdowns as a receiver and picking off three passes as a defensive back.
But Harris wanted to return to Laney to play out his senior year.
Harris’ mother, ShaQunta Calles, said they had been working with Laney administration since March to make sure they could avoid any issues that would delay Harris’ ability to get on the field for a pivotal senior season.
But Calles said she was told in an Aug. 14 meeting — four days before Laney was set to open its season at Strom Thurmond — that Harris was, once again, deemed ineligible to play.
“The principal, the assistant principal and athletic director stated that he is not eligible based on [Laney High School] not accepting his home school credit,” Calles said.
Calles said the school’s administration referenced Rule 1.53 in the GHSA’s constitution which states: “Students must accumulate units towards graduation according to the following criteria: (d) Fourth-year students must have accumulated seventeen (17) units in the first three years, and passed courses carrying at least 2.5 units in the previous semester.”
Calles says she was told that, while Harris met the first part of the criteria due to his total 24.5 credits on his transcript, he did not meet the second part because he only took one credit from Greene County while completing 4.5 credits from a home school.
She expressed frustration at that determination, stating there’s nothing on her son’s transcript, nor in GHSA rules, that should cause him to be unable to play.
“My argument with Laney administration on this issue is, where does it state in the GHSA rule that the 2.5 units from the previous semester can’t come from homeschool,” Calles said. “My point that I have been trying to make that no one in the administrative team can seem to answer is, whether it was home school or public school, he still took 5.5 units from the previous semester.
“And because it’s not stated in the GHSA that it had to come from an accredited public school or accredited homeschool program, he meets the criteria because I provided them with the legal documentation of a transcript that stated he did indeed take these classes and passed these classes.”
GHSA Executive Director Dr. Robin Hines, said that such matters are to be decided by the school district where the athlete attends.
“That is a local issue,” Hines told The Augusta Press Tuesday morning via email. “If the district validates and allows the credit toward graduation, then it is accepted for eligibility by the GHSA.”
After the initial determination was given to Calles last Monday, she said she requested a meeting on Thursday, Aug. 17 to discuss the matter further with Laney’s Principal Dr. Cordaryl Middleton, Assistant Athletic Director Tomika Briscoe and Richmond County athletic director Scott McClintock.
Calles says she feels like the matter has now become a back-and-forth between Laney’s administration and the Richmond County School Board.
“What’s sad is, I reached out in March 2023 to get everything situated before my son came back to Augusta so he wouldn’t have to go through this mess again,” she said. “And we are now in the same situation, and I can’t even get a direct answer to the questions I’m asking.”
Attempts to reach the aforementioned members of Laney’s administration, and Richmond County athletic director Scott McClintock were not immediately returned.
Meanwhile, the only game Calles and Harris are able to play now is the waiting game. Laney’s football season began last Friday with a 21-12 loss at Strom Thurmond. The Wildcats (0-1) will host Hephzibah (1-0) Friday at 7:30 p.m.
“They are now saying that the [Richmond County] assistant superintendent at the school board has to conduct a transcript review,” Calles said. “But I don’t know what that consists of, or when that will be done.
This is a developing story that will update as more information comes.
