The names of the players awaiting the SSAC’s decision were withheld until the official announcement. Messinger said that in the case of his players facing suspension, he expects a court injunction to be filed that would allow them to play Saturday.
“We’re going to prepare as if we have a full roster, based on the fact that someone will file for an injunction,” said Messinger, who has led the Black Eagles to consecutive Class AAA state championships and has a 51-11 record in four-plus years as coach.
“I don’t know how the court system works, or the (injunction) process works, so we’re also going to prepare an alternate plan and with our backups, and we may have to use them. That’s all we can do. Our part as coaches is to get these kids prepared.”
Hurricane Coach Willis May said he had difficulty believing what he saw unfold Friday night.
“I’m sorry it had to end the way it did for them,” May said of his team, which finished the season 10-2. “If this isn’t the just the biggest shame that anyone’s ever saw, I can’t think of a worse one. I’ve never seen a game end the way this one did.”
The game ended at the 14.4-second mark. After officials, May and Messinger conferred at midfield, the coaches agreed running another play was not in the interest of anyone involved.
The officials then jogged off the field, and the respective coaches escorted their teams to their locker rooms.
The Class AA cheerleading State Tournament was delayed several months in the 2009-10 school year after parents of cheerleaders at Tolsia High School protested the results of the Region 4 tournament. Eventually, the Rebel cheerleaders were allowed to participate in the State Tournament, but then backed out.
Ray said if an injunction is filed on behalf of SC players, the Tolsia situation will not serve as a precedent in how the SSAC will handle the remainder of the playoffs.
“I haven’t even bridged that thought yet,” he said. “I’ll take it one day at a time, and I’ll have to review it in that fashion.”
The late-game fiasco was not the first time tempers threatened to boil over.
Fletcher and SC quarterback Tyler Harris were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after a play with approximately 6:30 remaining in the third quarter.
“Honestly, I think they just lost control,” Messinger said Friday night of the officials.
The brawl happened one week after numerous fans were ejected at a first-round Poca-Ravenswood game at RHS. Ray said there has to be more done to maintain control at high school events.
“There have been some issues that have concerned me all year, even before these things happened, and we’re going to have to work with our member schools to work on sportsmanship from fans, players and coaches’ perspective to improve,” Ray said.
