Pope John used two ineligible players in victories over St. Clement, Dorchester, Marian, Minuteman, and Cathedral. The forfeits mean Pope John drops from 5-0 and first place in the Catholic Central Small to 2-3. Its overall record goes from 8-1 to 3-6. Pope John plays Lowell Catholic (4-1 in the CCS) Thursday.

Pope John athletic director Jack Feraco said the school was informed of the potential violation by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Nov. 5. After an internal investigation, the school confirmed the violation and, by rule, had to forfeit those games in which the ineligible players played. Pope John appealed but it was denied.

“We’re dealing with it as best we can,’’ Feraco said. “We acted when we were informed. We followed the MIAA directives. The rules have been explained to us . . . painfully. These kids haven’t lost on the field. I felt saddened for my seniors. Nothing takes away from what they’ve done this whole season.’’

And it’s a season with one important game left. Lowell Catholic can finish first and advance to the Division 4A playoffs with a victory over Pope John. If Pope John wins, Marian can earn the playoff berth by defeating Cathedral Thursday.

The news comes one year after Mansfield had to forfeit two wins for using an ineligible player. Mansfield went to court and received an injunction that allowed it to play in the MIAA semifinals. Pope John explored legal options but decided to accept the forfeits.

“We had a meeting with the faculty and we’ll meet with the parents,’’ Feraco said. “We’ll just move on. It was never anyone’s intention to deceive anyone.’’

The players are quarterback Sam Previte, kicker James McAvoy, and tight end/linebacker Ed Cassidy. They have been given a two-game suspension mandated by the MIAA that states “a student shall not, regardless of the quantity, use, consume, possess, buy/sell or give away, beverages containing alcohol.’’ The punishment indicates they are all first-time offenders. The trio was caught with a former Brockton player and current student.

“Members of our family made a bad decision,’’ said Colombo. “They are going to have to pay for it, but they have apologized.’’

Big Three conference champion and No. 2 ranked Brockton brings an 8-1 record to Marciano Stadium in a Thanksgiving matchup against Waltham. The following Tuesday Brockton will face the winner of the Catholic Conference in the Division 1 semifinals.

Globe correspondent Mike Carraggi contributed to this report.

Correction: Because of a reporting error, the circumstances surrounding the suspension of three Brockton football players were incorrect in this high school football notebook. Sam Previte, James McAvoy, and Ed Cassidy were cited for possession of alcohol in a motor vehicle, which carries a $500 fine.