Arkansas HSFB Player Gets Married, Moves in with Wife's Parents for Transfer

An Arkansas high school football player became eligible to play for Mountain Pine High School after marrying a student in the school's district and moving in with her parents, according to Jason Pederson of KATV.com.

The transfer student was initially ineligible to attend Mountain Pine or play for its football team, but he exercised an exception in the Arkansas Activities Association.        

Per Pederson, "Rule 16, Subsection A, Exception 6 states that if a '...student is married and living with a spouse...who had an established domicile in the district one year prior to the marriage...' then he or she is instantly eligible."

The 17-year-old football player married a 17-year-old in the district, sending the AAA a marriage certificate to prove the union. The bride's father also emailed the organization to confirm the setup.

"We're in the participation business," Lance Taylor, the executive director of the AAA, told Pederson. "So, we try to get kids eligible as long as they meet the rules that all students have to meet in our state."

Mountain Pine has certainly been basking in the honeymoon. The school won seven straight games after being winless last season, with the groom rushing for at least 100 yards in every game and scoring 16 touchdowns prior to Friday's game against Mount Ida. Mountain Pine is 7-2 overall.