The Georgia High School Association has postponed Friday night’s Gainesville-Hughes football playoff game indefinitely and will appeal Wednesday’s temporary restraining order that prevents the GHSA from suspending 34 Gainesville players.
“We don’t feel the decision was accurate,” GHSA executive director Tim Scott said Wednesday evening. “The judge made the decision that we did not follow the bylaws. We absolutely did follow the bylaws, so we’re going to appeal that.”
Scott notified Gainesville athletic director Adam Lindsey via email just before 7 p.m. Wednesday, or about three hours after Superior Court judge Clint G. Bearden issued the order and a preliminary injunction.
Lindsey expressed displeasure with the GHSA’s decision.
“Disappointed, just disappointed,” Lindsey said. “I have always been a huge protector of the GHSA, and I think this is just an awful look. They’ve been taking beating all week on the original ruling, and this is just a ‘taking my ball and going home’ stance. At end of day, it’s adults making decisions that hurt kids.”
Scott told the AJC he didn’t expect an appeals hearing before Monday, meaning the game will not be played this week.
As for the bylaws, Gainesville attorney Creighton Lancaster argued that the GHSA should not suspend players who have not been ejected by game officials.
Lancaster cited this GHSA bylaw: “Ejections are based on judgment calls by a contest official and are not reviewable or reversible.” No Gainesville players were ejected by game officials.
Lancaster also disputed that GHSA bylaws call for an automatic suspension for players leaving the bench during an altercation.
The GHSA cites another bylaw in its defense: “The GHSA office may review film to determine participants in a fight situation, or to determine athletes leaving their bench to go to a fight. ... Note: penalties may then be levied, modified or changed based on this film review.”
The GHSA originally suspended 39 Gainesville players and 41 Brunswick players in the aftermath of a fight that broke out in Friday’s Class 5A second-round game. Gainesville led 42-0 when the game was stopped late in the third quarter and was declared the winner.
The GHSA’s board of trustees reinstated four of the 39 on Tuesday upon Gainesville’s appeal. It was also discovered Wednesday that the originally announced 39 suspended players was actually 38.
Gainesville declined to appeal the suspension of four players that the school believed actively engaged in the fight.
Postponing a quarterfinal into the following week has a ripple effect on each of the eight teams still competing for the Class 5A championship.
The Hughes-Gainesville winner is scheduled to play the Jackson County-Rome winner. Now, Jackson County or Rome cannot be certain of playing a semifinal game next week or when it might be scheduled.
Scott noted that there are 10 days between the Friday, Dec. 5, playoff semifinals and the Tuesday, Dec. 16, Class 5A championship game, meaning it would be possible to finish the playoffs without any teams having to play two games in one week.
The Gainesville-Hughes game is among the more high-profile of 32 quarterfinals in all classifications. Gainesville (10-2) is ranked No. 4. Hughes (12-0) is ranked No. 1.
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