Timber Creek Regional High School Football Program Under Investigation for Player Eligibility

Gloucester Township, NJ -- An investigation is underway into the eligibility of athletes in the Timber Creek Regional High School football program, the Courier Post reports.

Anonymous allegations alleging the program’s championship teams in 2011, 2012 and 2015 included 11 players who attend the school from outside the district were filed with the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and the NJSIAA.

The group hints that Timber Creek football coach Robert Hinson and others associated with the program helped players create fake addresses within the district, according to the report. The group alleges the violations gave the team an unfair athletic advantage and created a burden for taxpayers in Gloucester Township.

The prosecutor’s office confirmed to the newspaper that an investigation is underway, and Hinson has denied any wrongdoing, but said he has already been convicted in the court of public opinion.

If the investigation reveals any wrongdoing, penalties Timber Creek faces include the vacation of wins and championships, player ineligibility, postseason bans or legal problems.

At public schools, only students who live in the district are permitted to play sports at a school in the district.

In an effort to discourage students from transferring schools for athletic advantage, students who move into the district are not permitted to play sports at their new school for 30 days or half the number of regular season games, whichever is less. It is considered the one of the most lenient penalties in the country, so there are no appeals.

In a high profile case this spring, Barnegat pitcher Jason Groome was ruled ineligible for 30 days after he moved home from Florida, where he played baseball at a nationally prominent academy. He came home to be with his friends and family, but had to sit out 30 days due to the way he rules read.

The end result was a season in which Groome finished with a record of 1-3. A season in which he was expected to be the top draft pick in the Major League Baseball Draft ended up being drafted No. 12 by the Boston Red Sox.

Students attending parochial and choice schools from outside the district are permitted to play sports without being required to sit out 30 days, but Timber Creek is not classified as either.