Phantom Points? Georgia HS Basketball Says It Was Screwed In State Semis - You Make The Call

A Georgia basketball coach says his team was screwed in the state basketball playoffs via phantom points awarded to his opponent, and he's pleading on social media for someone to listen to him even as the Georgia High School Association has ruled that the coach is out of line.

Social Circle head coach Taylor Jackson argues that his opponent during Saturday's Class A Public Semifinals, Drew Charter, was awarded two phantom points in the second quarter. Jackson's team eventually lost to Drew Charter 70-68 in overtime.

Jackson, whose team entered Saturday's game 30-0, points to video that shows Drew Charter being awarded two extra points during the second quarter as proof that his team was screwed.

Here's the issue with Georgia high school athletics: it doesn't allow video replay to settle disputes.

In a statement released Monday and reported on by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia High School Association's head of officiating, Ernie Yarbrough, said there's nothing that can be done with the video Jackson's pointing to.

“At all state tournament semifinal sites, the GHSA employed a neutral individual to be the official scorekeeper,” Yarbrough said in the statement. “When the question came up early in the second quarter, the GHSA site rep stated the contest officials followed proper protocol for a scoring discrepancy question and they ruled the official book correct.

"Again, video review is not allowed in high school games. The game played on through an overtime period, and the final score determined the outcome of the game. While the GHSA is certainly sympathetic with the Social Circle position, the game result cannot be overturned nor replayed, and the final score will stand as it is.”

An analysis of game books kept by both teams had Drew Charter's book matching the official book; Social Circle's book showed Drew with two fewer points and the two books that matched overruled the Social Circle book.

"I will say this for now: my seniors do NOT deserve to go out like this," Jackson tweeted after Saturday's loss. "It is not in the spirit of @OfficialGHSA for this to not be rectified."

The coach was still furious Monday, even as the GHSA had moved on and determined Drew Charter won and that was the final decision.

"You clearly see the overwhelming confusion in my bookkeepers notes," Jackson tweeted. "We were burdened w/ an unreasonable 'official' scorekeeper and referees who would rather move the game along instead of getting it right!

"They bulldozed my scorekeeper into giving #1 a second made FT in the 2nd quarter and then there was NO JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PHANTOM 2nd point."

You make the call. Is Jackson correct? Did his team get screwed here?

The real travesty is that the GHSA won't allow video replay to fix scoring discrepancies. How about we watch back the game, figure out who scored what and move on here.

Seems simple enough. Get on it, GHSA. Charge fans an extra dollar at the door and invest in some replay equipment. Or play in arenas where it's available. Simple fix.