CHARLESTON – The state Supreme Court has sided with the governing body that oversees high school athletics to allow it to proceed with the prep football playoffs already delayed a week because of legal action.
In an order issued November 19, the Supreme Court said the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission has the right “to proceed with the football championships according to its rules and authority.”
The SSAC postponed last weekend’s first round of the playoffs following two injunctions from circuit judges in Wood and Mason counties. The SSAC appealed the decisions regarding final rankings and playoff pairings to the Supreme Court late last week.
The Mason County injunction ordered for two play-in games to be played, but the SSAC said it should be dismissed because the judge has no jurisdiction over other schools and counties. Mason County countered in its response, saying it “has jurisdiction to order the WVSSAC to facilitate the subject play-in games.”
Wood County also said the SSAC failed to follow its own rules when it agreed to change the classifications of nearly two dozen schools in August.
Tuesday’s Supreme Court order allows the SSAC to proceed with the playoffs using rankings it calculated when the football regular season ended.
In another court ruling, the SSAC has said it will not appeal a ruling made last week by a Berkeley County judge who restored four victories to the Spring Mills High School football team for using an illegal player. The ruling said the player was protected under the federal McKinney-Vento Act for homeless students.
Still pending is legal action that postponed last week’s Class A state volleyball tournament.