Injunction granted; MIAA to appeal

let em play lets go feehAN

Kind of SAD when a team that obviously broke the rules (...or at least severely BENT them) has to resort to COURT to get what they want. Also, SO not fair to the teams that abided by the rules.....

It's good to see the justice system works!!
Go Hornets!

Stop your winning Mansfield and take your punishment.

Stop your crying Mansfield and take your punishment.

I think Belichick's fingerprints are all over this one.

Don't have a dog in this fight. I think this is the best move for the kids, there should be some penalties for the AD/Coach but let the kids play.

Kids......Its called a democracy. A legal system. Justice. The correct way to settle a dispute. Not by the politics of the MIAA.

Decided you couldn't spell whining William, then went with a synonym?

will macdonald, how's about you go to high school and learn to write "whining" before posting anything on a public forum?

If the rules committee, MIAA, followed the handbook rules this might be over or not. Good job Mansfield !

now that north attleboro is the hock champ, they should be playing feehan
why wasn't this "discovered" last week or in time for north to not disband
rather ironic that mansfield discovered this so late and had to use legal methods to play when they have admitted that they broke the rules and ar not even the champion of their league now that the 2 loses put into their recod

we want to play north!

How does bill belichick have anything to do with this? Think before you speak/write a terrible joke.

Clearly, rules and regulations mean nothing. Great lesson for the kids. "This might be a movie in a few years". THAT's pathetic.

The justice system works.... Go HORNETS! You deserve it!

It's nice to hear from all those people who feel Mansfield should have forfeited - these are the same turkeys who would root for a 5 year old to be suspended for bringing a paper knife to home room. It's not like they brought in a star running back or a Brady-esque QB to carry them through the season. They had a kid on the team who for any number of reasons slipped through the cracks as having been in high school for 5 years instead of 4 - and YES that could easily happen in today's society of beaurocracy, red tape and incompetent paper-shufflers - and that's not a reference to the coaching staff - they can only evaluate based on what they are given. He played in two blowouts for absolutely no impact other than to get some actual playing time - certainaly no reason to have to forfeit an entire season's worth of effort!
Oh, and Mr. MacDonald - I think you meant to say "whining" - learn to spell.

This could be the worst piece of journalism I've ever experienced. Nowhere does Forsberg address what Mansfield actually did that would have caused the game to be cancelled in the first place. Anybody care to explain this?

Whatever Mansfield did, unless they lied when they called in the score to a game, you have to play the game and figure it out later. But how can you not mention what the infraction was in a story about how the infraction was handled?

The MIAA requires any 5th year to apply for a waiver before the start of the sports season. 99% of those requests are rejected. The coach got caught and should be punished or fired. The school department has also taught every student, parent and resident a valuable lesson; IT'S OK TO CHEAT. Shame on them!!

TERRIBLE lesson for the kids...that you can break the rules and then wriggle out of it by legal means.
And this guy is a teacher?
Hello?

OK just did my own research and found out that Mansfield used an ineligible player in 2 games.

Are you kidding?

Why would this game have been forfeited because of that? Unless the dude they used moonlighted on Sundays, I doubt it could possibly have made a difference. The MIAA and anybody else involved looks petty and silly in all of this.

Are you out of your mind IronGirl? Mansfield is the best team in the Hock, therefore they should play vs. Feehan. This was a minor rule infraction. Go cry somewhere else you clown. William, can you spell?

yeah you deserve it good job breaking the rules and getting no punishment

This is Belichick country so why not bend the rules. Rules are made for poor folks without lawyers. We don't need no sticking rules!

Another case of some one not following the rules and crying about how they are being treated unfairly.
The kids knew how long that kid was in school and nobody cared, then all of a sudden they did well, so the rules should be bent to accomodate them.
The courts are not your friend. They make thier own rules way to often, and the kids who follow the rules are the ones who lose.
The olympic relay team loses the gold medal a few years after the win. Only one took drugs but the team plays. The real loser is the real first place team and the fourth place team that was cheated out of the third place finish.
Is there a kid that couldn't make the team because there wasn't enough room?
Rules are rules .

I played on a High School football team that had to forfeit a few games in the middle of the season for the exact same reason . We didn't get to keep our wins and to this day our record reflects the forfeited games. My question is the same today as it was then. Why doesn't the coach and the AD suffer a penalty like the kids. Hold the people accountable who failed to obey the rules. Maybe the coach should be suspended from coaching for a year to send a message to all the "rule breakers". Having lived through this myself, I have a zero tolerance for this nonsense. The kids take the hit but the coach is on the sidelines next year getting paid.

hey, how about this is all over a kid that hardly ever plays, and had no effect over the outcomes of the two games he did play in.
and mansfield turned it in, which says something.
lets all just remember that this is high school sports, its not the end of the world.

Massachusettes playoff system is horrible to begin with, this falls right in line with a rulebook that is just as archaic as the system.

mansfields pathetic they are even possibly jepordizing the chances to have the playoff game in gillette stadium..good one

The court granted the injunction because the MIAA didn't follow its own rules...can you folks not read? According to MIAA rules, they had to allow Mansfield the opportunity to appeal. They didn't. So Mansfield gets to play and sort it out later.

As for the original penalty, it seems harsh considering that the player in question (allegedly) played in only a few series in games that were already well beyond decided. If the MIAA can show that the Mansfield coaching staff knew that they were violating the rules, the forfeits should hold. Or if a case could be made that the player had any influence on the outcome. But if it went down as they say it did...that this player was sent in at the very end of two blowouts just to get him the chance to get on the field...forfeiting would be a case of upholding the letter of the law at the expense of its spirit.

I feel the teams should be allowed to play. The player in question simply is not allowed to participate. At the conclusion of the game complete the investigation. If Mansfield is in fact guilty here's the penalty, first, fire the AD. It's the AD responsibility to police this, second, fire the Head Football Coach and barr him from coaching for the next 5 seasons. Third, suspend all the Assistant Coaches for one season. Finally, fine the school system a total of 15K and donate it to the Jimmy Fund. If you're not prepared to take these drastic measures this behavior will continue. The moral, action suggested will make people think before venturing down this path again. Otherwaise stop wasting ink.

Just another long line of irresponsible adults molding the lives of kids..."don't worry kids...my bad...we'll go to court and everything will be ok"...there's no level of ineligibility...if you are ineligible you can't play...end of story...if you play your team suffers a forfeit...not in Mansfield...as long as Mr. "anger management" is coaching this team...last year he didn't like the outcome of the playoff game and blamed the officials...enough to have to write letters of apology for his behavior...no shocker here that he could find another way to steal the spotlight in a negative fashion...God forbid he could lose because he coached a bad game....

This is obviously not a case of a coach trying to sneak a ringer on a team to win. If this player was in for only six plays after the outcome of the games were already decided, this is a coach who wanted to make sure all of his squad had the opportunity to play during the season. I’d suggest that the (new) AD reread his job description and the school administration review their policies and procedures so this does not happen again. In addition - Yes, we all know there are political overtones with all youth sports governing bodies…….thinks about the players MIAA!

Who believes that the ineligible player had an influence on the outcome of any game played by Mansfield this year?

Did Mansfield break the rules? Yes.

Did Mansfield report the violation? Yes.

Did Mansfield gain an unfair advantage as a result of the violation? No. The player in question participated in two games (a total of seven plays). By the time he came in to each game, Mansfield was up by several touchdowns.

I agree that Mansfield should be allowed to play in the Division 2 semifinals. But I also think that Mansfield should be penalized for the infraction. Perhaps the MIAA should take away the school's eligbility for the 2009 playoffs. Then again, why would anyone trust the MIAA to make a rational but fair decision?

Go Hornets,
This kids deserve to go out winners!

KrisKev, are you seriously equating doping in the Olympics with an administrative error at the high school football level? What kind of moron are you?

How much time do you get in jail for manslaughter? Murder 2? Shoplifting? Give up?? There is no ONE answer since they allow for leeway and that missing word in this conversation, judgment. So this is how they deal with fouls in the real world yet you nitwits on this string want to essentially give the death penalty to the season of a great team OF KIDS because of a technicality?? And a most minor and petty one at that? Are you kidding me?!!? Do you possess no reasoning capabilities whatsoever??

No wonder this country is in a mess. Fools who can't think in grays, just black and white. And slippery slope my a$$. This is an easy decision if you don't work for the MIAA. "MIAA" ... where common sense is Missing In All Actions.

Oh yeah, William. Learn to spell, and also how to post. Stupid.

I guess that rules are made to be broken!
I did feel for the Mansfield team but this is the wrong message for our youth.
It is hard enough for a parent to try and teach their childen to play by the rules in
not only sports, but life in general. Sad that rules really do not mean much
today.

Some of you think that because the player was not that useful to Mansfield, there should not be a penalty. So then, where is the line in the sand? Why is it significant ONLY if he was useful? Define usefulness. Why have lines?

I disagree about "it's only a high school game"...so when should life and lessons about following rules take effect?

NEVER LIKE REDDING, HE PULLED OFF ANOTHER SLICK ONE , AFTER HE LOSES HE'LL NEED A STRAIGHT JACKET THIS YEAR !!!!!

The judge didnt exonerate Mansfield all he - correctly - was to confirm their right to appeal. Given that they self reported it shouldnt be too hard to determine whether or not the rule was violoated - and btw check out the rule it there is no mention of intent to deceive. Once they have their moment Im thinking that all that will have changed is that they have participated in another 1 or 2 games that end up being purged from the records. Seems to me this conveniently came out just when M figured it was too late to matter. How many of these guys lauded the golfer who turned himself in and cost himself millions - M seems to have taken it to the point where they found the rule actually app.lied at which point they had a change of heart.

Hey Brad, are you retarded? I'm just curious because in your post you wrote "This could be the worst piece of journalism I've ever experienced. Nowhere does Forsberg address what Mansfield actually did that would have caused the game to be cancelled in the first place. Anybody care to explain this? "
I'd love to explain it to you, Corky! Apparently you couldn't make it down to the 8th sentence of the article!
"The game was originally declared a forfeit yesterday by the MIAA after it learned earlier in the day that Mansfield used an ineligible, fifth-year player in two of its regular-season wins this fall. "

Now stay in school Brad, because as of right now, you lack the intellectual capacity to work the fry-a-lator at McDonalds.

It is important to note that this kid played at the end of 2 blowouts at the beginning of the season and thats it. It's not like he was an instrumental part of the season. I'm a MHS grad and I believe Redding and the AD should be punished for this. But the kids who worked and played hard all season to get her should not.

In many other instances at other schools there was this sort of situation ...."Did the coach know the player was flunking a class?...no.....did the kid know he was flunking a class? no..cuz he never went to class"...This is another in a long line of mishaps that previously happened in schools all over the state. The decision in each case resulted in a forfeit. The kids that were ineligible to play based on academics or otherwise. Why does Mansfield get a free pass?...Good question...if I was any other school that was penalized for this same ineligible infraction I would be lined up at the door...be it one play or 100 plays....Just another case of discrimination here.

O yea we definately broke the rules when one of our players played in 6 hole plays against two bad teams omg someone call the cops

Classic. Tying up the courts with a sports issue that should be cut and dry. You play a 5th year player, you forfeit the game. Period. Shame on the Mansfield AD, coach, and principal for refusing to take responsibility for a clear rules violation. It does not matter how many plays he played or whether it impacted the game. We know the rules and need to abide by them.

At the end of the day the best team will win, and I am sure Feehan didn't want a free pass if they are confident in their team. Sounds like the 5th year kid was playing after the games were won and seems he didn't have an impact on either game. Also, dont forget about the other 50 kids on the team who did nothing wrong, that had no choice in the matter. No one know's any of the details so pipe down until the whole story comes out- let 'em play.

OK - judging from many of the comments here, it's extremely easy to see how this mistake could have been made! At least half of those posting comments have little or no insight as to the real story here, because they probably didn't bother to read any of the actual news accounts. So just like the MIAA, they've decided to form an opinion based on heresay and those who only share their view. First of all - how can this be called "cheating" when the player in question wasn't even good enough to play more than a few plays over the entire season?? Secondly, what make you all so sure that the coach and AD knew this kid's status? He's a 3rd or 4th string player - they probably barely knew his name!!
Fire the coach?!! Fire the AD? Put a lid on it! There was no cheating here - just an honest mistake.

Feehan will lose they had nick shweigher last yr hes gone. Marthas vineyard is going D2 and any word on the Norton Abington game?

Brady,

I posted at 6. At that time that paragraph was not there. I'm pretty confident in my reading comprehension. Apparently the author of this rubbish noticed his mistake and fixed it. Or actually, I noticed and he fixed it. I'd love to take you to a day at the office with me, though, and then let you judge my "intellectual capacity" (which is actually not the same thing as "intellectual ability" or "intellectual proclivity", which is what I'm pretty sure you were trying to say).

its high school football...not the NFL...its nice when adults ruin everything. Do you think Feehan wants a bye to the superbowl? i wouldn't. do you think north could really be proud about being hock champs on a technicality? i wouldn't. The team who wins is the team who should be in the playoff. The player in question is 18 years old, not 20. He dropped out of high school and then returned and wanted to get involved in a team sport. He didn't know. But we should probably punish this kid and the rest of the team because well...rules are rules right? The fact that they beat every other team in the hock and are truly hock champions doesn't matter right?

Mansfield = Cheaters
You apologists can spin it all you want but they cheated, and then tried to justify it when they got caught. Nice to know the character building that takes place at Mansfield High School

The bottom line is that the MIAA got what it deserved. The organization is one of the most self serving organizations in the state. They frankly do not care about the kids and schools they "supposedly" care about. If the public honestly and objectively looks at the many decisions that they have made you will find out they are an organization that exists for one reason------to benefit themselves.

The coach thinks there's going to be a movie about this? Get over yourself.

I believe the MIAA got what it really deserved. Its all about greed or should I say money. All the gate proceeds go to the MIAA, not onme cent goes to the schools involved. You mean to tell me the Mansfield High School knew nothing about this player, come on I was not born yesterday. I have been following high school for 45 years and there are rules teams/schools should follow. The court decision is a joke, throw the rules out we do not need them, North Attleboro should be declared the League Champion and play Bishop Feehan.

I can honestly see both sides of the argument to a certain extent, however I do see more legitimacy in one than the other. I definitely hope one team wins and sticks it to the other though :)

Alright I do not care if any of you posters are adults or not, but to be perfectly honest with you, its a highschool football game. Yes it's competitive but this is what kids do to get away from stress related issues or problems at home. Football is fun for kids and everyone heres saying this team broke the rules, okay granted but this ineligable kid played what, when they were up by thirty points like seriously grow up. Im a student at Southeastern and Im cheering these kids on because I went to school with them, they deserve this game this school deserves this game the only team we losed to was a 11-0 dartmouth. There we go..GO MANSFIELD!

Mansfield didn't "Cheat", they made a mistake! People! The two teams this kid saw action against had a combined record of 1 - 19, with the "1" coming when they played eachother! He's an 18yr. old former dropout/1st yr. player who came back for his diploma (applause!)and nobody knew he was ineligible (he didn't drop out of the Mansfield system)! Mansfield has won a LOT so I understand all the " jealousy and spite, but the spirit of this rule is to keep a team from gaining an unfair advantage over another - which is CLEARLY not the case. The MIAA doesn't care about the kids, they're #@#ing LAWYERS!

This was the perfect opportunity for the coach, AD and administration to teach the community life lessons in accountability for one's actions and loyalty to team. Instead they've used every weapon in their arsenal to eschew personal responsibility for their mistake. It's pathetic and sad and if I was a parent in Mansfield I would be considering all options possible to surround my children with role models who valued building character more than winning an athletic competition. Barely a mention of the inelligble student, other than to note his lack of athletic ability and actual affect on the outcome of the season. Whether he knew of his inelligibility or not was never mentioned. I'm extrapolating a little here for lack of knowing the actual facts but one can surmise that he practiced the entire year (camp, 2-a-days, every day after school) and got rewarded with 7 garbage time plays. In appreciation of his hard work, dedication and preserverance he's been rewarded with being dropped like a bad habit by a coach who claims to be looking to protect his "kids" but only cares about himself. Every adult involved should be ashamed of themselves.

Bill R - North Attleboro is a great team but mansfield beat them without the "help" of their Ringer. I wasn't born yesterday either , so I'm sure that a top 5 ranked team would risk their UNDEFEATED season to knowingly play an ineligible player against Sharon (who did not win a single game all season) and Oliver Ames (who's one and only win was against Sharon)! Yes, you'd have to be really naive to think they didn't know! I agree!
I'd also like to add that the Bishop Feehan team is in church as we type - praying the MIAA is successful tomorrow so they don't have to play Mansfield!

Unfortunately, whether right or wrong the whole thing is tainted now and it's a shame. If Mansfield wins, there will be a lot of sour people at Feehan naturally and people will call Mansfield cheaters. I think it's a minor infraction and all of the kids that have worked hard all season on the Mansfield team should not have to pay for the mistakes of the coaches and administration. ( I am a Feehan grad and supporter by the way - full disclosure)High school sports have become far too serious and exposed in the internet age. While we had newspapers back when I played (way back in the early 90s!), there wasn't a forum for so many people to weigh in on the performance of teams and players. For the most part, it's a bunch of kids and we should take the whole thing a little less seriously. Let em play and let teh best team win!

I can't believe people like JCH have posted comments about the talent level of the kid in question. From his/her Post: "First of all - how can this be called "cheating" when the player in question wasn't even good enough to play more than a few plays over the entire season??"

Give me a break. It's not the kids fault and nobody should be weighing in on whether he was good or not. The rules should be applied consistently whether the kid is the star of the team or has rode the pine all season. Give em credit for being out there and trying to better himself man. Geez.

Biil R
If The MIAA would look out for the kids? then we will have a game tomorrow or on December 6 if mansfiels wins?. Make the coaches pay for this, suspension for tomorrow and/or Dec. 6 Not even allowed near the game/field

At the end of the day,

Mansfield rightfully reported the ineligible player
Mansfield knew they might suffer severe consequences
The MIAA rushed to judgement, again, and has mud on thier face now
Mansfeild rushed to a lawyer and now they have mud on their faces too
The MIAA should get their 17 member board together tomorrow and hear Mansfields appeal.....and then deny it.
But no, they appealed in court. Let;s get more lawyers, judges, tv newscasters, and politics involved.
WHO LOSES: The 150 kids on Mansfield, Feehan, and NA football teams.
Regardless of outcome, the 2008 Div 2 Superbowl will have an asterisk next to it and as usal, the kids will be the ultimate victims here.

AND I WAS SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE GAME SINCE REGARDLESS OF OUTCOME, MY TEAM WAS GOING TO TH SUPERBOWL WITH KIDS AT BOTH SCHOOLS

Does anyone actually think there was ANY benefit to the Mansfield Team to let a 5th year senior play? Why would the coach and AD try and slide this kid in? You all keep mentioning Rules. Do you actually know why that rule was in place? Its about "Red Shirting". and NO the kid was not purposely kept back to "mature" so he can be a better asset to the team. There is absolutely NO reason for anyone in mansfield to try and slide this kid thru. You all know it. It just seems like no one likes a team that can really truly be dominant. They didnt need the 5th year senior and they wouldnt have let him ever suit up if they believed for a moment that he would have ANY influence on the outcome of a game whether it be positive or negnegative.

Alright. Mansfield made a mistake. They admitted their mistake. The player played 7 meaningless plays. No one knows who knew what until the investigation. If Mansfield plays the playoff and wins, make a case of it. If Mansfield loses, Feehan was better anyway and it doesn't matter. If Mansfield wins, continue the investigation and be done with it by Friday. If Mansfield wins and is found guilty, Feehan plays on Saturday. Mansfield beat North without this player. Anyone can participate in practice so that shouldn't be an issue.

And the two forfeits would be against teams that wouldn't be champions anyway this year. It was great to see that the Hockomock was not a three team race this year and all the schools in the running should be commended. Give this thing a day to pass and let's see the findings before we hang anyone. You are dealing with kids living a dream, not a big payday.

Great lessons here.Maybe Plaxico can come and watch the game. He got away with breaking the rules too!

First of all, the kids did not break the rules - any rules! It was an administrative error by a school. Nobody "cheated", it wasn't necessary in order to beat every team in the league. Mansfield is the better team, and I understand that the people paying all that $ to send their kids to B.F. don't like that. Regardless of if they get stripped of their wins, we ALL know they won the HOCK and were the best team. BF doesn't want to play this game because their Superbowl will be tarnished when they get in after losing tomorrow but at least give that satisfaction to the Mansfield kids before you "teach them this valuable life lesson".

one last thing... here's a quote from the MIAA web site -

"However, in our sport-crazed society, some people expect successful educational athletics to be defined by the goals or mission of collegiate and professional sports. Such is not the focus of high school sport"

...interesting point, don't you think?

What everyone seems to skip over is the fact that the player should not have been allowed to play in thoses games. It should not matter if the wins the player played in were one sided or not. A rule is a rule. Mansfield should appeal before the MIAA and then the MIAA should disqualify them. Simple, end of story.

The Mansfield coach was called on the carpet last year after his outbursts in last years playoff off and this year its just more of the same for a school that values winning above all else. Try again next year!!!!!
26

Type your comment here...Ok. How many of you "play by the rules" supporters would not complain about getting a speeding ticket for going 1 mph over the speed limit? After all speeding is speeding, right? How about turning off the registers at all shopping centers at 6:00 PM sharp on Christmas Eve and sending everyone in line home without that last minute gift. Store closes at 6, it's posted, that's the rule. Maybe letting this player and all other 5th year or otherwise ineligible players practice, be on the team, get some "junk time" keeps them out of trouble. Last I heard, Mansfield is a respectable program. Let 'em play!

Hey 80gator, I hardly think that Plaxico got away with anything. If you've been watching the sports news or listening to EEI you must know of the news reports coming down from the proper authorities. Let the kids play the game and sort it out after the game is played. Then maybe the MIAA will get it right the second time.

GO 'ROCKS!!!

Granted the Mansfield kid in question was not a difference maker, but they did break a rule. What's disturbing is that all seniors played on Thanksgiving, EXCEPT for the kid in question. This means that Mansfield knew they had made a mistake, but tried to pull a fast one by waiting till the last minute. They need to grow up, be men about this, and accept their penalty. Bishop Feehan doesn't deserve this emotional roller coaster ride. Then there is the chance that Saturdays Super Bowl could be in jeapardy due to rest time restraints? Walpole definitely doesn't deserve to be dragged into this. Their kids earned the right to be at Gillette on Saturday.

Hey Head Coach Mike Redding.......you're FIRED!
Hey Mr. AD Patrick Burns.......you're FIRED too!
If this was an actual situation that the Administration cared about, then they would lose their jobs. The kid is INELIGIBLE, which means HE CANNOT PLAY PERIOD. The MIAA is at fault, and I agree that they are probably the worst organization running HS sports in New England, but the school is at fault just as much. AS A COACH, KNOW YOUR TEAM. AS AN AD, KNOW THE BEST TEAM YOU'VE GOT inside and out. Stop pissing everyone off, step up, take the blame for something YOU DID, AND TAKE THE FORFEIT LIKE MEN. Teach your kids a lesson.

I can't believe how many people are missing the point on this one. Is it unfair for the kids to lose their chance at a playoff game because their elders are lazy? Absolutely. Sometimes uncontrollable events in life are not fair. The important thing is how you act when times get tough. Mansfield leadership has disrespected Sharon. They've disrespected Oliver Ames. They've even disrespected one of their own students who gave blood and sweat for his teammates, his school and his community. All to escape the consequences of their own mistake. If I were a member of that team I would not take the field without my inelligble teammate who has earned every bit as much respect as any other member of that team. Mike Redding is a coward.

EVERYONE ON THIS BLOG IS EMOTIONAL AND IRRATIONAL! Now I'm sure there are some rational posts on here but the majority are 100% biased, knee jerk reactions.

I have never in my life seen a bigger group of whiners* and apologists.
Now, hopefully the majority of these comments are posted by emotional high school students that needed somewhere to pour out there feelings but I somehow doubt that is the case.

For the Record: I AM THE SIBLING OF A BISHOP FEEHAN STARTER AND A LOYAL SHAMROCKS FAN BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL POINTS THAT MUST BE NOTED.

1.) The MIAA is at fault for not sitting down with Mansfield privately and settling the matter before publicly announcing the game would be canceled.
Why? Because this has set off an emotional rollercoaster and the majority of the passengers are 16-18 year old kids. IF the game is played, BF and Mansfield will be on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. Bishop Feehan will be coming down from the highest of highs, while Mansfield will be resurrected from the lowest of lows. Those who argue with this point only need to put the two scenarios in perspective. One team has awakened from a wonderful dream, while the other stirred from a terrible nightmare. That is an absurdly unfair situation set off by the spontaneous leaders of the MIAA.

2.) Mansfield brass should have taken more care in investigating new student transcripts.
The information was surely readily available and should have been discovered long before Thanksgiving.
Fact: The player in question played several insignificant downs during 2 blowout games earlier in the season.
Red Flag: Why did the player not see any snaps for the remainder of the season even during subsequent blowout wins?
Were the coaches aware of this oversight? Why did the coaches not report the suspected violation on Thanksgiving? For fear of their league title being revoked? For fear that North Attleboro would be awarded playoff rights?
Still, this is an administrative issue and punishment for the kids seems unfair.

3.) Although the 7 downs in which the player participated were inconsequential, where is the line drawn?
If a subject in violation played in only one third of half of games or merely played on kickoff or punt team. When does this rule become judgmental?
The answer is it doesn't. Rules are rules and care should be taken in following the rules explicitly. THIS IS NOT TO SAY I BELIEVE MANSFIELD SHOULD BE THIS SEVERELY PUNISHED. It's merely to say that from the MIAA's point of view these were clear violations to a rule that was written in stone and should not be open to interpretation.

4.) Notice to Bishop Feehan fans.
It's easy to say, but try to put yourself in the shoes of Mansfield players and fans. If this were a BF player who slid under the radar and played minimal time during the season would you, specifically, be sharing the same sentiment that you are now? I would have a hard time believing anyone who says yes. I can only imagine the displeasure I would feel if my senior brother were stripped of his opportunity to compete in his final season for a state championship.

5.) This is a High School SPORT.
I am disgusted by the division among everyone on this blog and am genuinely concerned about how this division will be reflected on the field and in the stands, IF the game is to be played at 7pm tonight.
A week ago we celebrated Thanksgiving in which, among other things, we are thankful to live in this wonderful country, in which, our youth has the opportunity to take part in such wonderful activities such as High School Football.

I implore everyone will take a step back, control his or her emotions and let the process run its course. I hope we are all mature enough to enjoy what should be a fantastic competition between two highly regarded programs.

As in any court case " intent " is a major factor. Why are so many people trying to put a stigma on the Mansfield coach and AD? This seems to be an honest mistake. Is the Mansfield team weaker without this player? Was it stronger with him? As a neutral observer, i.e. a resident of Easton, I enjoy the excellence of the endeavors of all high school athletes, and it would be a shame to see this team denied the right to show their abilites against another championship quality team.

Ya. Everyone chill out.

Now, lets think about this! if both team play tonight and Mansfield wins, moves on to Superbowl and wins and then the MIAA goes to court with the coaches in the upcoming month and the MIAA wins the Ruling. You strip the Championship away from the kids. SHAME ON THE MIAA. Again, don't let the head coaches attend the playoff game and/or the superbowl. Punish the coaches not the players.

Let the players play and go for that Superbowl RING