CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The high school football playoffs across all four classes in West Virginia have been officially postponed due to ongoing legal issues, as announced by officials on Tuesday afternoon. David Price, the executive director for the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission (WVSSAC), made the announcement in a statement that emphasized the need to focus on resolving the current litigation before proceeding with the playoffs.
In the statement, Price expressed his disappointment about the situation, stating, “We are extremely disappointed to not be having the playoffs this weekend. We understand the frustration from all of the parties involved, and we want nothing more than to put the focus back on the student-athletes and their pursuit of a championship. However, we must abide by the decisions of the courts and their timeline.”
The legal troubles began when multiple school districts initiated injunctions, with **Wood County Schools** being the first to successfully obtain one. This particular injunction, granted last Saturday, altered the playoff matchups and the points awarded to teams, resulting in the unexpected elimination of four schools from playoff contention, including **Point Pleasant** and **Tolsia**, both of which were set to compete.
On Monday, a Mason County circuit judge ruled in favor of Point Pleasant, mandating a play-in game against St. Albans, along with a similar match involving Capital and Hampshire in AAA. These changes subsequently impacted the participating teams and their standings, as St. Albans and Capital were able to enter the playoffs due to the earlier injunction. In response, the WVSSAC plans to file an appeal with the state Supreme Court, seeking to have all these injunctions overturned.
Price provided further insight on this matter during an interview, detailing the association’s aspiration to reset the eliminated teams’ standings based on their performance before the legal disputes arose. “Basically those previous projections that had Tolsia, Point Pleasant, and Westside in the playoffs would be what you would then go forward with if you prevail,” he mentioned, indicating that they believe reassessing the situations could help restore fairness.
Westside High School is expected to present its request for an injunction in court on Wednesday, with Tolsia considering similar actions shortly thereafter. The WVSSAC aims to get their appeal submitted promptly, potentially as soon as Tuesday night.
The future of the West Virginia high school football playoffs remains uncertain as the community waits for the legal proceedings to play out. Updates will continue to follow this evolving situation.
