MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has ruled in favor of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission in a case that has stalled the state high school football playoffs for a week.
All injunctions against West Virginia’s governing body for high school athletics were vacated.
With the ruling, the original ratings points formula will be used to determine the seeds for all four classes in the WVSSAC football playoffs. First-round games are scheduled for November 22-23 with dates and times to be announced later today. The typical playoff schedule has been pushed back by one week, meaning state title games will now be held December 13-14 at University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field instead of December 6-7.
The Class AAAA and Class AAA football championship games will be played the same day as the WVSSAC Cheerleading Championships, which will be conducted at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.
Supreme Court Rules in Favor of WVSSAC
A scheduled Class A “play-in” game for Tuesday night between St. Marys and Tolsia at Herbert Hoover was called off.
In the ruling, the Supreme Court stated the following:
It is beyond question that the WVSSAC had the authority to reclassify under West Virginia Code of State Rules §127-3-10. Upon our review, we find that the circuit court’s entry of injunctive relief was not based on the WVSSAC’s lack of authority to reclassify, but rather on the timing and manner of that reclassification. We have repeatedly held that the manner in which the WVSSAC applies its rules is not subject to judicial review.
Hampshire, Point Pleasant (Class AAA), Westside (Class AA) and Tolsia (Class A) had their playoff spots restored in their respective brackets. Capital, St. Albans, Lincoln and St. Marys will not continue onto postseason play.
Respondents in the case from Wood County and Mason County made their final filings to the Supreme Court on Monday morning.
24-654 Response to Petition For Writ of Prohibition (1)
24-656 PPJSHS AND F.H. RESPONSE TO PETITION FOR WRIT
On November 8, the final night of regular season play, Wood County Schools sought an injunction to force the WVSSAC to change its playoff ratings formula. The injunction was granted a day later and new brackets were formed based on the requested adjustment.
The legal action stemmed from a combination of events dating back to the most recent round of realignment among WVSSAC member schools. Last December, final approval came to add a fourth class to five WVSSAC sports, including football. Several schools objected to where they were drawn into, citing a number of issues with the competitive balance formula, and they went through a series of appeals leading up to the month of August.
In August, the state Board of Review ruled that eleven schools were to be moved down one class for football only for the upcoming season. Three days later, eleven more were moved down as well.
In the weeks that followed, several schools requested that the football rating plan, which contains a strength-of-schedule component, should reflect classification of opponents for when their games were scheduled, and not the new classes they were drawn into with the August changes. No changes to the formula were made. WVSSAC Executive Director David Price says the football rating plan did not allow for such a change.
On November 12, the WVSSAC announced that the football playoffs were postponed indefinitely.
As a result of the delay to the start of the playoffs, the record of Spring Mills High School has changed. A Berkeley County court ruled on November 14 that the WVSSAC restore four victories to the Cardinals that they previously had to forfeit due to using an ineligible player. Instead of a 5-5 record, Spring Mills will enter the Class AAAA playoffs with a 9-1 record and the No. 2 seed.
WVSSAC H.S. football playoff pairings
Class AAAA:
No. 16 Parkersburg (4-6) at No. 1 Martinsburg (9-1)
No. 15 Hedgesville (2-8) at No. 2 Spring Mills (9-1)
No. 14 Cabell Midland (5-5) at No. 3 Jefferson (7-3)
No. 13 Musselman (2-8) at No. 4 Wheeling Park (7-3)
No. 12 University (4-6) at No. 5 Huntington (9-1)
No. 11 George Washington (7-3) at No. 6 Hurricane (7-3)
No. 10 Woodrow Wilson (6-4) at No. 7 Morgantown (7-3)
No. 9 Washington (6-4) at No. 8 Parkersburg South (5-5)
Class AAA:
No. 16 Hampshire (5-5) at No. 1 Princeton (10-0)
No. 15 Point Pleasant (4-5) at No. 2 Fairmont Senior (9-1)
No. 14 Robert C. Byrd (4-6) at No. 3 Bridgeport (10-0)
No. 13 Elkins (5-5) at No. 4 Herbert Hoover (10-0)
No. 12 Lewis County (5-5) at No. 5 Oak Hill (9-1)
No. 11 Shady Spring (7-3) at No. 6 Nitro (9-1)
No. 10 East Fairmont (5-4) at No. 7 Spring Valley (7-3)
No. 9 Ripley (7-3) at No. 8 North Marion (7-3)
Class AA:
No. 16 Westside (7-3) at No. 1 Frankfort (10-0)
No. 15 Chapmanville (5-5) at No. 2 Roane County (10-0)
No. 14 James Monroe (7-3) at No. 3 Independence (6-3)
No. 13 Moorefield (4-6) at No. 4 Williamstown (8-2)
No. 12 Nicholas County (6-4) at No. 5 Wheeling Central Catholic (8-2)
No. 11 Clay County (7-3) at No. 6 Philip Barbour (7-3)
No. 10 Wayne (6-4) at No. 7 Scott (8-2)
No. 9 South Harrison (8-2) at No. 8 Bluefield (4-5)
Class A:
No. 16 Tolsia (6-4) at No. 1 Tug Valley (10-0)
No. 15 East Hardy (4-6) at No. 2 Tucker County (10-0)
No. 14 Madonna (7-3) at No. 3 Wahama (10-0)
No. 13 Valley Wetzel (7-2) at No. 4 Cameron (9-1)
No. 12 Wirt County (7-3) at No. 5 Doddridge County (8-2)
No. 11 Tyler Consolidated (6-4) at No. 6 Sherman (8-2)
No. 10 Meadow Bridge (7-3) at No. 7 Pendleton County (7-3)
No. 9 River View (7-3) at No. 8 Petersburg (5-5)