CUMBERLAND — The Fort Hill High School football team may have to forfeit up to five games due to an ineligible player, pending an appeal to the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association. Fort Hill received an anonymous report on Tuesday that a player was ineligible because the student was not a resident of Allegany County. Allegany County Public Schools determined that the student in question was residing in another state, and the enrollment information provided to the Fort Hill administration contained fraudulent information. Fort Hill head coach Zack Alkire couldn’t comment on the matter but said Friday that the school and coaching staff had no knowledge the player wasn’t a resident of Allegany County. “The investigation did not reveal any wrongdoing or lack of diligence by the Fort Hill administration or football coaching staff,” a press release from Allegany County Public Schools said. The school system contacted the MPSSAA to report the violation as required by the Code of Maryland Regulations 13A.06.03.05, which requires a school to forfeit all games in which an ineligible player has participated, the press release stated. Fort Hill, which enters Saturday’s Homecoming football game with Allegany with a 6-2 record, could have to forfeit up to five games. The player in question did not play in Fort Hill’s first game, a 42-7 victory against Northern on Sept. 6. Regardless of the decision, Fort Hill would still be eligible for the postseason, allowing it to continue its pursuit of a state record-tying fourth consecutive Class 1A state championship. As of 2021, everyone in Maryland makes the playoffs regardless of win-loss record. Fort Hill is appealing the imposed penalty and will receive a hearing before the MPSSAA Appeals Committee, according to the ACPS release. The playoff seeding takes place on Monday at 4:30 p.m., so an appeal and a decision will have to be made quickly.