Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 16, 1993 TAG: 9311160165
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Pulaski County is practicing this week thinking it will face C.D. Hylton in the first round of the Group AAA Northwestern Region Division 6 playoffs at 8 p.m. Friday.
At the same time, GW-Danville is practicing for a playoff game at Pulaski County on Friday night.
Which team will play the Cougars may not be known before Wednesday. All this comes from a ruling earlier this year, when the Virginia High School League said an uncompleted game between Hylton and Jefferson County, W.Va., be declared no contest.
The issue could be settled today in GW's favor when the VHSL hears an appeal about the Cougars' first playoff opponent. If not, it will be settled Wednesday, when a Chatham Circuit Court hears an injunction that has been issued against the VHSL by the fathers of two GW-Danville players.
The snafu occurred because a game between Hylton and Jefferson County on Sept. 3 was interrupted by lightning with the score tied 3-3. Officials called off the game and efforts by Hylton to have the game resumed at a later date failed.
The game counted on the VHSL rating scale in determining wild-card playoff teams, so it became very important to Hylton and GW-Danville's bid for the fourth playoff spot in the Group AAA Northwestern Region Division 6 playoffs.
If the game was declared a tie, GW would have had a higher points rating than Hylton, meaning the Eagles would be Pulaski County's first playoff opponent. If the original ruling stands, Hylton has the higher points rating.
Hylton appealed earlier this fall to have the game thrown out when it couldn't resume the contest. The VHSL executive committee ruled then that the game be declared no contest.
"There were two reasons why the executive committee ruled that way," said Earl Gillespie, the VHSL's executive director.
"First was the statement by the host school that it was no contest. Number two was that Hylton had made every effort to make up [resume] the game on Saturday or Monday and Jefferson did not agree to those dates."
Gillespie admits the VHSL and national federation rules say the game should have been declared a tie. He simply went by the host school, which erroneously said it wouldn't count as a game in West Virginia.
Last week, GW-Danville made a second appeal to the executive committee when it became apparent the Eagles wouldn't make the playoffs. The executive committee again ruled it no contest because it was too late for Hylton to do anything about the first ruling.
Under VHSL rules, though, there is a super appeals committee that is formed of high school administrators who are not on the executive committee and did not hear the first case. This group will hear today's appeal and make a ruling.
Charles Lackey, GW-Danville's principal, says his school is appealing the ruling because national federation and VHSL rules for when a game is halted by weather were not followed. "It either has to be a win, loss or tie," Lackey said.
Lackey added that his school and the Danville system would not go to court. "We'll use the resources we have within the Virginia High School League," he said. "We feel we have a reasonable appeal, but in the end we'll follow their decision."
However, Larry Moore Sr. and Pat Daly Sr., the fathers of two players, weren't as agreeable. They obtained an injunction Monday from the Danville Circuit Court asking that the decision be reversed. That case, should the VHSL not rule in favor of GW today, will be heard Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Pulaski County coach Joel Hicks is convinced his team will play Hylton on Friday night.
"I just don't think anything will come of it. My personal opinion is they'll make a ruling like the one they made before. This has been no distraction. We're going 100 percent for Hylton," Hicks said.
And if the opponent turns out to be GW-Danville? "I guess I'll get a hold of Ed [Martin, GW's coach], we'll trade films and we'll start again," Hicks said.
by CNB