MAIS fines Marshall Academy $7,500, suspends coach for intentionally losing game
HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. — The Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) has issued severe penalties to Marshall Academy, including a $7,500 fine and the postseason suspension of its head coach, after the team allegedly refused to compete in the second half of a game to secure a more favorable playoff seed.
The incident occurred during the team’s regular-season finale against Washington School on Friday, Oct. 31. The MAIS committee ruled the team’s actions constituted “flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct” and a “travesty of the game.”
According to reports, Marshall Academy team intentionally took multiple delay-of-game penalties on offense and, after a safety, refused to perform the required free kick. Officials ultimately declared the game a forfeit in the fourth quarter.
The actions were reportedly an attempt to “tank” the game. By losing, the team would have dropped into a separate, second-tier playoff bracket, which was perceived to be an easier path to a championship under the MAIS’s new two-tier postseason system.
The MAIS sanctions include:
- Marshall Academy was fined $7,500, which is to be paid to Washington School as a forfeiture fee.
- Head football coach Chris Bunio was personally fined $1,000, suspended for the entire 2025 postseason, and is banned indefinitely from coaching any MAIS sport pending further review.
- The Marshall Academy football team is barred from hosting any playoff games during the 2025 season.
