Mansfield gets the green light to play Bishop Feehan tonight

A spokesman for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association has told The Boston Globe that the MIAA has decided not to appeal an injunction granted by a Taunton Superior Court judge to allow Mansfield High School back into the state's Division 2 football playoffs. Mansfield will play Bishop Feehan tonight at 7 at Bridgewater-Raynham High School for the right to go to the Super Bowl.

MIAA spokesman Paul Wetzel said the association, which had reportedly planned to pursue an appeal today, will instead call a meeting after the Super Bowl between Mansfield High School and MIAA officials to discuss the issue that led to Mansfield being temporarily disqualified from the playoffs.

The legal drama followed a decision Monday night by the MIAA to disqualify Mansfield from the playoffs over its use of an ineligible player -- a transfer student who is in his fifth year of high school. Judge John P. Connor Jr. granted the injunction yesterday following an hour's worth of arguments. He cited the MIAA's member handbook, which says schools should get the chance to appeal punishments before the association's board of directors, according to The Boston Globe. That didn't happen in this case because MIAA executive director Richard Neal determined that there was not enough time to assemble a review board after the status of the ineligible player was discovered.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)