Judge sets Monday hearing on Glenville football playoff dispute
University School says it will not play the rescheduled game, citing a court order that paused the original contest.
By Noor Graham ·
Ohio high school football playoffs are facing a legal pause as a judge prepares to decide the fate of a contested game. A Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas judge will hold a hearing on Monday, November 2. The hearing will determine if Glenville High School and University School must play to advance in the Ohio High School Athletic Association tournament.
The dispute began when officials canceled a scheduled Friday, October 30, game on Thursday, October 29. OHSAA officials stated that an investigation found students from Ginn Academy were incorrectly assigned to Glenville for athletic participation. Ginn Academy is a non-member magnet school that does not have its own sports teams. Its students are eligible to compete at the nearest Cleveland Metropolitan School District campus.
Family members of two Glenville players filed a motion for a temporary restraining order. Judge Andrew Santoli granted that order on Friday, October 30. The OHSAA rescheduled the contest for Saturday, October 31. Jon Benedict, a communications officer for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, said the Glenville players arrived at the venue at noon on October 31. He noted that the University School team did not appear.
University School officials released a written statement on Saturday, October 31. They said they had prepared to compete in the state tournament. The statement expressed disappointment over the initial cancellation and surprise at the temporary restraining order. The school said it would not compete in the rescheduled contest. It added that the team would prepare to play Salem on Friday night if that becomes the resolution.
This is the second time Glenville has been removed from the football playoffs. In 2018, the team was removed for the same violation. Officials fined the program $5,000 and placed it on probation until 2021. The current legal dispute centers on whether the original game should have been played or if the rescheduled match is valid.
