Cloud hovers over Armwood's day of joy

You can't truly ruin college signing day. The auditorium at Armwood contained beaming parents, hooting students — and a boat load of college-bound football talent.

Eleven Armwood players, a record signing class at the school, seniors who helped lead the Hawks to a 15-0 season and Class 6A state title, sat at tables to sign scholarships at football programs like Florida and Oklahoma and South Carolina, like South Florida, Wake Forest and Vanderbilt, like Akron, Toledo, Marshall and Samford.

"This is a special group," Armwood coach Sean Callahan said.

Sitting on its own table, between all those players, was the 2011 state championship trophy.

Sitting over it, and the proceedings, was something else.

"It's there and we know it," Callahan said.

You can say there isn't a cloud over Armwood, but there is.

Everyone in that auditorium, and a lot of people outside it and well beyond the Armwood campus, are aware of the ongoing investigation of national powerhouse Armwood by the Florida High School Athletic Association, which is looking into allegations that some Hawks on the state championship team are living outside of the school's assigned area.

The investigation began in November. Callahan insists, loudly, that his program is clean and there is no recruiting involved, but he is still losing sleep.

"I wake up about 3 o'clock every night," he said.

There is a real chance Armwood's championship, its third under Callahan, could be stricken from the record books. This could leave a stain. It could get grim, embarrassing, painful, all of that and more.

"Whenever you don't know what's going to happen, you worry," Callahan said. "I don't want our name tossed to the side like we did something wrong. There isn't anything out there. Whatever they come up with, we're going to fight. I hope we don't have to go there."

The investigation and possible penalties were the elephants in the auditorium Wednesday. Callahan said he couldn't fully enjoy that state championship win with the investigation still out there. He thinks his name is "under a cloud."

His players signed their names to move on to college, but they're behind their head coach, each other, their alma mater — and that state title.

"How long did we play this season, how hard did we work?" asked Armwood offensive lineman Cameron Dees, who signed with Marshall. "This (investigation) doesn't change that, absolutely not. You can take that trophy away, the title away, but you can't take that ring off my finger or the medal off my neck, or the struggles it took to get them."

"We're all brothers, and we'll always be brothers," said Armwood defensive back Jarvis McCall, who will attend South Florida.

Callahan added, "That trophy, that's ours — they're not taking it away."

But what if the investigation turned up a number of players were ineligible, players who made an impact? When is the investigation going to end, anyway? This month? Next month?

"The cloud isn't over the kids," Callahan said. "Not these kids, never these kids … I'm in charge. The cloud is over me until this thing is over."

"I know in my heart that I'm a state champion, that I won every game," said Armwood offensive lineman Kevin McCoy, who will attend Vanderbilt. "I know I'm a state champion."

"Armwood football, no matter what happens, is going to be strong," Callahan said.

He added, "We won it the proper way."

The investigation continues. When something like that takes this long, you wonder if there's going to be anything that resembles good news at the end.

Wednesday was a good day at Armwood.

The cloud parted for a little while.

But it's still there.