In a four page response to allegations levied against Armwood High’s football program by the Florida High School Athletics Association, principal Mike Ippolito agreed with the vast majority of the charges that parents of several Hawks players falsified information in order to gain entry into the school.

Unless there is litigation by those parents, FHSAA rules will force Armwood to forfeit the Class 6A state title it won last season, as well as the 15-0 record the Hawks compiled en route to their third championship. The FHSAA has 10 business days to give Armwood it’s final ruling, which, besides forfeitures of titles and victories, will likely result in fines in the thousands of dollars.

In addition to the former Armwoood football players that the school agrees should be ruled ineligible, 10 new transfers interested in trying out for the team have been determined ineligible for spring drills by Ippolito and his staff. Of those 10, five have been ruled ineligible by Ippolito for one year for falifying residency information. Two other new students who have expressed an interest in playing football for Armwood have not come for the team. Ippolito says the school is “monitoring” their intentions.

The FHSAA’s investigation into Armwood began in November after a television report alleged a starting offensive lineman had not made a full and complete move into the Armwood district after playing for another school in Orlando during the 2010 season. Eventually, an FHSAA investigator alleged that the parents of five Hawks players falsified documents to register at the school. Armwood was not charged with any recruiting violations by the FHSAA.