Leading off today: Middletown school administrators were finalizing paperwork Wednesday in a bid to have a State Supreme Court justice restore the football team to the Section 9 Class AA championship game.
Superintendent Amy Creeden revealed the development in a message on the school's website. It comes after Section 9 removed Middletown over the use of an ineligible player in the semifinals.
"We are pursuing every available legal avenue, with determination and an unwavering commitment to standing behind our scholars," she wrote. "They have given this season everything they have, and we owe them nothing less than our very best."
The player in question was ineligible per the New York State Public High School Athletic Association's representation rule. It requires an individual to be an eligible participant in three regular-season games in order to be eligible for the postseason.
Creeden characterized it as an "administrative error" and raised the question of whether the punishment is proportionate to the violation. The representation rule has long been a part of the NYSPHSAA handbook, and Executive Director Robert Zayas reminded athletic directors of it during mandatory annual meetings conducted across the state this fall.
"Two things can be true," Creeden rote. "We can acknowledge a mistake, own it, and learn from it while also advocating for a different outcome for the young people affected."
Section 9 and the NYSPHSAA have already turned down appeals by Middletown, which saw its perfect season end with the forfeit. The final in Saturday evening at Monroe-Woodbury between Valley Central, which had lost the semifinal 48-15 to Middletown, and Newburgh Free Academy.
A State Supreme Court justice could reject Middletown's bid or grant a temporary restraining order pending a hearing. Appeals of eligibility rulings during the postseason typically receive expedited hearings.
• According to Mid Hudson News, the ineligibility issue surfaced hen Newburgh coaches contacted Valley Central's coaches about a Middletown player they had not previously seen on game film. Valley Central's AD subsequently reported the violation to Section 9.
Section 5 gives East/WOIS a reprieve
Section 5 has restored East/World of Inquiry School to its Class B championship game on Saturday. However, the Eagles will field a severely depleted roster when they take on Honeoye Falls-Lima with a spot in the state quarterfinals on the line.
The end of their 14-6 win vs. defending NYSPHSAA champion Monroe was marred by a brawl involving multiple players from both teams. The Democrat and Chronicle reported officials at both schools said they were notified later that day their teams were disqualified from the tournament.
However, officials from East, the Rochester City School District, Section 5 and the NYSPHSAA conferred at length this week to reconsider the team's fate while sorting out potential one-game suspensions. East's roster on the Section 5 website before the game showed 45 players. It's unknown how many were originally cited as warranting suspensions, but the parties reviewed multiple videos and determined 14 players -- including 10 starters -- will sit out the final vs. HF-L.
"I was very optimistic that they were going to find out who was involved and who was not involved," East/WOIS coach James Vann told the paper. "Hope was still alive. ... I knew they were going to do their due diligence."
Said East AD Eric Robinson: "There was something that got out of hand, sparked in the spur of the moment. We don't feel like we were given a break. We provided the information that it wasn't a widespread thing. Our whole team should not have been suspended."
Michigan judge lifts temporary restraining order
Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central's football season ended Monday when a Kent County judge
lifted the temporary order that had kept the team in the playoffs despite having used an transfer student who was ineligible.
Judge Paul Denenfeld sided with the Michigan High School Athletic Association, leading to the cancellation of the next day's scheduled game against Berrien Springs.
"Allowing a team to play after it violated a rule by playing an ineligible player would also be unfair and cause harm to other schools and athletes who complied," Denenfeld wrote in his ruling.
Next Section 5 executive director selected
Pittsford Central School District AD Patrick Irving will move into the role of Section 5 executive director at the conclusion of the school year, the section announced.
The Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES Board of Education approved the selection on Monday. Irving will replace Kathy Hoyt, who has announced her retirement effective next June 30.
Irving previously served as the AD at Gates Chili from 2016-23 and for the Rochester CSD for three years. He previously held positions at schools in New York City.
With 127 member schools, Section 5 is the largest of the NYSPHSAA's 11 sections.
Goshen soccer coach steps down
Goshen boys soccer coach
Mike Kelly is retiring after 394 wins and 15 Section 9 championships in 28 seasons.
Kelly, 58, who will retire as a teacher in June, is just the fourth coach in 50 years of the program.
"Mike is Section 9 soccer," Ellenville coach Maxwell Mead said. "He is one of the guys you think about when you talk about Section 9 soccer, and he does all the work behind the scenes. He has umpteen Section 9 titles, has a great sense of humor, and it's great to talk with him about all aspects of soccer."
