Nov 13, 2024
Williamstown’s Jackson Fulton (11) and Danner Hooper (13) celebrate after a touchdown during a game against Wheeling Central earlier this season. (Photo by Nikki Allen)
PARKERSBURG — High school football in West Virginia continues to exist in the unknown.
Tuesday afternoon, WVSSAC Executive Director David Price confirmed the West Virginia High School State Football Playoffs have been postponed due to ongoing litigation.
The playoffs will begin after the litigation has been resolved.
“We are extremely disappointed to not be having the playoffs this weekend,” Price said. “We understand the frustration from all of the parties involved, and we want nothing more than to put the focus back on the student-athletes and their pursuit of a championship.
“However, we must abide by the decisions of the courts and their timeline.”
Administrators at the WVSSAC held their annual football coaches state playoff meeting for all four classifications, Sunday in Parkersburg.
A total of 64 schools were represented throughout the day.
With litigations ongoing that afternoon, the WVSSAC was hopeful the state football playoffs would continue as scheduled with first-round games being played Friday and Saturday.
“We had some hope, but we also knew it was likely we would have this postponement,” WVSSAC Associate Director Wayne Ryan said.
In the most recent ruling of multiple injunctions filed against the WVSSAC, a play-in round was scheduled for Class AAA. This injunction was issued late Monday night by Mason County Circuit Judge Anita Ashley.
Essentially this delayed the first round of this week’s state football playoffs for the 16 teams in each of the four classifications.
“We will see what the court rules, but it is unlikely there will be a play-in round,” Ryan said.
The play-in round came on the heels of the first injunction, this one issued by Wood County Circuit Court Judge John D. Beane on Saturday. The WVSSAC football ratings were reworked that same afternoon, and bumped Point Pleasant and Hampshire out of the original Class AAA field. Capital and St. Albans were the two teams as replacements.
One entry in Beane’s injunction read, “there will be minimal disruption to the state football playoffs and all parties will be benefited as WVSSAC will be required to apply its points system to the schedules …”
As far as what happens with high school football moving forward, Ryan replied, “Obviously the postponement is a result of the conflicting decisions from various judges from different counties around the state. We will ask the state supreme court to give us a decision, give us some direction — do we use the rating system we had throughout the season or the rating system given to us by the Wood County judge?”
The Wood County Board of Education filed the appeal on behalf of Parkersburg High School, Parkersburg South High School and Williamstown High School. At issue was reclassification and the dates used to determine playoff points.
“While the reclassification in itself may not be arbitrary or capricious, the decision to reclassify teams after a point at which schedules can be changed is, almost definitionally, arbitrary,” Beane said. “By using August 12 and August 16 reclassifications to determine points, certain teams will benefit, certain teams will be harmed, certain teams will avoid any impact at all, and there is nothing a school can do about it, as nobody can change its schedule.”
When the football season commenced and schools reclassified, there was discontent with ratings and points being received. Appeals followed asking the board to reconsider, and when denied, “they didn’t accept the decision so these injunctions have come, which is quite unfortunate for all involved,” Ryan said.
Several football coaches at Sunday’s playoff meetings weighed in on their thoughts with where high school football stands in the state of West Virginia.
“It’s time for people with political power and/or money — which I have neither — to stand up for our student-athletes and put an end to this court system because it’s an embarrassment to the state of West Virginia,” said St. Marys coach Jodi Mote. “Better decisions need to be made by adults in positions of authority.
“During the COVID year in 2020, players are wearing shields on the facemask and playing on Sunday — the Lord’s day. I will never forget and this current situation ranks right up there.”
Last season, football in West Virginia consisted of three classes. The four-class system made its debut this year. In the process to assemble a schedule, Wirt County played under a schedule which left the Tigers with a bye week during the final week of the regular season. Even if the playoffs resume next weekend at the earliest, Wirt County will have gone three weeks since its last game.
“With what’s happening, the closest thing I can compare it to is the COVID year.” Wirt County coach Jason Hickman said. “We were in the playoffs and you were looking at a map to see if you were going to be able to play or not. I have very similar vibes to that.
“We just have to focus on what we can control. Right now our opponent is Tyler Consolidated, and we have to move forward. We are getting ready to spend hours upon hours on filmwork that may or may not matter. But we have to do it because that’s where we are.”
Similar to Cabell Midland and St. Albans in Class AAA, St. Marys finished 4-6 and did not qualify for the postseason in the ratings released on Friday. Following the revision on Saturday after the injunction issued by the Wood County Board of Education, the Blue Devils received the No. 14 seed in Class A.
“We love St. Marys High School, but we don’t belong in the playoffs,” Mote said. “We haven’t beaten a school with a winning record. However, we will prepare to play one more week with our young men until probably the courthouses in the state of West Virginia open up on Tuesday.”
Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com
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