The last week and a half has been uncharted territory for West Virginia high school football players and coaches.
The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia finally settled it on Tuesday evening, allowing teams to proceed toward a normal playoff structure.
It started on Nov. 8, the day before the Secondary School Activities CommissionƵs final playoff rankings were to be released, when the Cabell and Wood county school districts filed separate injunctions challenging the playoff point structure.
The injunctions came in response to the ƵSSACƵs Board of ReviewƵs decisions in August to move 22 schools down a class.
More injunctions, and the scheduling and cancellation of three Ƶplay-in games,Ƶ followed.
Coaches handled the unexpected break in different ways, especially using the extra time to get better.
ƵWe treated it like we do an open week,Ƶ Martinsburg coach Dave Walker said. ƵI ended up giving them a day, and then we went back to work on fundamentals. We self-evaluated ourselves and focused on us.Ƶ
Coaches worked to keep the team morale high, but not knowing what would happen until Tuesday was an itch coaches could not get rid of on their own.
ƵItƵs frustrating,Ƶ Hurricane coach Donnie Mays said. ƵItƵs not like I havenƵt been here before. In 2010, I went through the same thing when we were at South Charleston High School. We just sat there and played the waiting game to see if we were going to even be allowed to continue our football season. The difference now is weƵre still allowed to continue our season.Ƶ
Coaches understand that many players are active on social media and see there the latest on whatƵs being said about their season,
ƵTheyƵve responded about as well as you could expect teenage boys would be without knowing,Ƶ Nitro coach Boom McKinney said. ƵWe get a lot of questions every day. TheyƵve done as well as they can as teenagers. ItƵs the waiting game or, ƵWhat are we doing?Ƶ ƵWhat are we planning for?Ƶ or, ƵAre we watching film?ƵƵ
Nitro was one team whose potential matchup was changed by the recalculation of ƵSSAC playoff points due to injunctions.
ƵYou just have to be honest with them,Ƶ McKinney said Tuesday, hours before the Supreme Court decision was announced. ƵItƵs the unknown. Until we know who weƵre playing, we have to concentrate on ourselves. WeƵve done a lot more individual and team drills. We just have to sharpen our craft and skills. We cannot get out of focus. We have to know what our main goal is, and thatƵs to play four more games.Ƶ
Mays said HurricaneƵs players developed a ƵnumbnessƵ to the constant developments and updates.
ƵTheyƵve never had something happen like this before,Ƶ Mays said. ƵTheyƵre in the waiting game. The difference is they know theyƵre still going to be able to play. We feel like we have a quality football team. We want to get back out there, do things and get on the field to compete. At the same time, nothingƵs really changed.Ƶ
Football was one of five sports to adopt the four-class system in December that the SSAC had piloted in boys and girls basketball.
ƵItƵs just an unusual situation,Ƶ Walker said. ƵI wish it could have been resolved before the season started. But it wasnƵt. I donƵt know how it could have been fixed. Going to four classes probably was the start, personally. I donƵt know that we need four classes in West Virginia. The stateƵs not big enough. ItƵs just an odd time we live in right now.
ƵYou have to react and adapt to whatever comes your way and try to make the best of the situation.Ƶ
Mays concurred.
Ƶ(Huntington coach) Billy Seals and I have been on the same page on this thing for a long time,Ƶ Mays said. ƵThis didnƵt just pop up overnight. This has been something that weƵve been sending emails and stuff like that to the people that need to see it. (ItƵs) making sure that they understand that we felt like this is not good, the way the system was broken down.
ƵChanges were made in August with us. We were in a basic agreement with the teams in our conference that everybody was going to be in 4A. Then, when that thing switched, it screwed up our ratings. ThatƵs not exactly how things should be done.Ƶ
Mays is hoping for clarity in the scheduling process going forward.
ƵThis was pushed on everybody at the same time, and we already had our schedules made,Ƶ Mays said. ƵIƵve been saying this at our rules meetings every year and will until IƵm blue in the face. Only having 16 teams in 4A makes it almost impossible to schedule games. We need more teams. Or, we need to do away with 4A. ThatƵs the reality of the beast.Ƶ
