Latest playoff mess brings back memories of 1993
By Eddie Dwyer, Copyright November 2012
Brooklyn, Ohio – The news Thursday that Judge Richard McMonagle ruled the OHSAA must accept the John F. Kennedy forfeit and thus award playoff spots to Cleveland Heights in Division I and Beachwood in Division IV could cause a ripple effect similar to the one that took place in 1993.
Veteran Saint Ignatius football fans might recall that in 1993 a Division I, Region 3 dispute between Lima Senior and Westerville North High Schools resulted in the teams playing an extra or play-in game at a neutral site - Marion Harding High School. The game was played on a Sunday.
Although wire reports from 1993 described the Sunday game as an extra "playoff game," the new expression is play-in. I'm just hoping we can say "play on" come Saturday night when the Wildcats (9-1) are scheduled to begin their Region 1 playoff run against Austintown Fitch (9-1) on Byers Field at 7 (see the corner's preview from Tuesday). No first-round delays, please Judge.
Before 1999, only the top four teams in each of the state’s regions at the end of the regular season qualified for the OHSAA playoffs.
The 1993 decison on the Lima Senior-Westerville North dispute extended the Division I playoffs by a week. Three of the four regions in Division I - 1, 2 and 4 - did not play the weekend of Nov. 27.
As a result, the Division I state semifinal game between undefeated Saint Ignatius and undefeated Walsh Jesuit was not played until the afternoon of Dec. 4 on what was then a grass field at legendary Fawcett Stadium. Despite a persistent rain that made the Fawcett Stadium conditions less than desirable (I am being kind), the Wildcats rode Eric Haddad’s five touchdowns to a 34-0 victory over the Warriors.
The state championship game, which matched the Wildcats and the Fighting Crusaders from Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, was, because of the Lima Senior-Westerville North situation, played two weeks before Christmas at Massillon’s Paul Brown Stadium. But not even Santa’s flying sled and a herd of reindeer, or the steady diet of whiteouts that swept across Tiger Stadium that afternoon, could slow down Haddad, Scott Mutryn, Darin Kershner and Co. The Wildcats prevailed, 38-20, in a game that wasn’t even that close and brought home the fifth in what are now a record 11 big-school state championships. It also marked the second of the program’s three national titles.
As for Thursday’s decision by Judge McMonagle, if it stands up it means Mayfield, which was awarded the final playoff spot in Region 1 by the OHSAA and was practicing all week for Saturday’s regional-quarterfinal matchup with undefeated and top-seeded St. Edward, would be told its season is now over. A close Mayfield source of the corner’s emphasized that the school won’t go down without a legal fight of its own. Cleveland Heights, which filed an appeal with the OHSAA this past weekend, would be St. Edward’s opponent.
It would be the same situation for Edgewood, as the Cuyahoga County court ruling by Judge McMonagle puts Beachwood, not Edgewood, into the Division IV regional quarterfinal against Brookfield.
Here is a statement from the OHSAA: "The OHSAA is working with its legal team and the legal teams of the schools affected by this decision to pursue our next course of action. Because of second-level computer points, the court’s decision has many implications for other teams and regions of the playoffs, which are scheduled to begin Friday night.
"To be clear, the student-athlete in question at the school which forfeited its game was eligible by all OHSAA standards.”
The case centers on a John F. Kennedy forfeit of its October game versus John Adams. JFK forfeited after it discovered a player participated who did not meet the Cleveland Metropolitan School District academic eligibility standards.
Cleveland Heights defeated John Adams during the regular season and Edgewood defeated JFK. If John Adams receives the additional victory, Cleveland Heights would have enough second-level playoff points to qualify for the Region 1 playoffs as the eighth and final seed, in front of Mayfield. An additional JFK loss would drop Edgewood below Beachwood for the eighth spot in Region 13.
Under the OHSAA Harbin computer playoff system, teams are awarded points for each game they win and each game a defeated opponent wins.