The first round of the MHSAA playoffs comes to an end tonight as Grand Rapids Catholic Central hosts Comstock Park in a game that was scheduled, unscheduled, and rescheduled, all in the span of 24 hours.
Last Thursday, October 29, the MHSAA ruled that Grand Rapids Catholic Central had used an ineligible player during the regular season and subsequently removed the Cougars from the playoffs. That decision meant Comstock Park would advance to the next round. End of story, right? Nope, that was only the beginning of the story.
The following day, senior Noah Zainea, a teammate of the player ruled ineligible, filed for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the MHSAA’s decision. The TRO was granted by a Kent County judge, temporarily reinstating the Cougars and opening the door for the game to be played. Catholic Central then moved forward with the necessary approvals from its school leadership and Bishop, and just like that, we had ourselves a Tuesday night football game. That surely has to be the end of the story, right?
Well, no, not really.
On Monday, November 2, the MHSAA filed an emergency appeal with the Michigan Court of Appeals, seeking to overturn the TRO that allowed Grand Rapids Catholic Central to return to the playoffs. In a statement to the Detroit Free Press, the MHSAA said, “Earlier today, the MHSAA filed an emergency appeal with the Michigan Court of Appeals seeking to vacate the TRO issued on Friday and uphold the integrity of MHSAA rules and regulations.”
And now, with kickoff just a few hours away, the question remains: Will the game actually take place as scheduled?
A similar situation has unfolded in Ohio, where Cleveland Glenville players were ruled ineligible by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). Several Glenville players went to court and obtained a TRO that allowed their playoff game to be rescheduled. However, their opponent, University School, announced that it would not compete in the rescheduled contest.
In a statement to the OHSAA, University School said:
“University School prepared and looked forward to competing in this year’s State Football Tournament in its match-up with Glenville, originally scheduled for the evening of Friday, October 30. We were disappointed to learn of the initial cancellation of the contest on Thursday, October 29 and, then, surprised to learn of the temporary restraining order leading the OHSAA to reschedule the game for the afternoon of Saturday, October 31. We will not compete in the now re-scheduled contest, respect the court’s prudence in deciding the ultimate outcome of the legal dispute, and will prepare to compete with Salem on Friday night if that is the resolution.”
Will we see the same thing happen tonight in Grand Rapids? Will Comstock Park take the field, or will we see another situation similar to what unfolded in Ohio?
And if the game does get played, who will come out on top?
With all the playoff drama brewing, who’s ready for the ride?