Glenville offers to bench 10 players to save playoff spot
The school claims it can resolve the eligibility dispute by excluding specific athletes, a move the OHSAA has not yet accepted.
By Sakura Ellis ·
High school football playoffs in Ohio are currently stalled by a residency dispute involving the Glenville High School team. Today, attorneys for the school offered a specific solution to unblock the schedule.
James Hardiman, an attorney representing two Glenville players, told 19 News that the school is ready to sit the ten athletes whose eligibility is currently under review. He stated, "We will play the game anytime, anywhere." This offer addresses the rescheduled matchup against University School, which was originally set for last Saturday but was called off by a court order.
University School chose not to travel for that Saturday game, opting instead to wait for the courts to rule on filings from the Ohio High School Athletic Association. The OHSAA has argued in multiple court documents that Glenville failed to prove many of its student-athletes should have been playing for the school. The association claims the team is entirely ineligible because players participated without verified residency status.
Glenville attorneys argue that OHSAA has not offered the option to simply remove the questionable players. They contend the association is focused on declaring the whole team ineligible due to insufficient data on where the students actually live. OHSAA released a statement on Tuesday noting that Glenville and Cleveland Metro have submitted conflicting residential documentation for numerous athletes since the middle of last week.
The delay is also affecting the Salem Quakers, who were scheduled to play the winner of the Glenville-University School game this Friday. Matt Freeman, the Salem athletic director, said the team is currently waiting to hear what the OHSAA decides to do.
