AHOSKIE – Plymouth High School has vacated their 2013 boys’ championship of the Roanoke-Chowan News Herald Holiday Basketball Classic sponsored by United Country Joe Murray Realty after the Vikings turned themselves in to the NC High School Athletic Association for having an ineligible player on the team during the tournament.

The player was also dressed and on the roster for Plymouth’s first four games of the season, which included a trio of games in the Classic. Plymouth got a late start on the basketball season because of their participation in the 1A state football championships.

“We did the right thing,” said Vikings coach Marvin Davenport in a telephone interview. “We got the information and reported it to the state Athletic Association.”

According to Davenport the unnamed player dressed for all three tournament games, but only played in the fourth quarter of the Pasquotank game, which was the season opener for the Vikings, and first game of the tournament. Plymouth won that game, 75-49.

Plymouth defeated Bertie in the second round, 80-51, before downing Hertford County 62-44 in the championship game. The ineligible player did not play in either of those games.

Plymouth reported the discrepancy to the NCHSAA earlier this month, but the reporting came after the Vikings had played their first conference game, a 57-28 win over Gates County.  That win will also be set aside.

Plymouth (6-4) will host Creswell tonight.

Meanwhile, Hertford County is now declared the 2013 winner of the Classic with the official finishing order: Bertie second, Gates County third, Pasquotank fourth, and Hobgood Academy fifth.