MIAA spokesman Paul Wetzel confirmed this morning that the organization will not file an appeal against yesterday's Superior Court ruling that granted the Mansfield football team a temporary injunction in order to play its Eastern Mass. Division 2 semifinal playoff football game against Bishop Feehan.

Wetzel said Mansfield officials will meet with an MIAA subcommittee or the organization's Board of Directors sometime after Saturday's Super Bowls to discuss the ineligible, fifth-year player that originally led the MIAA to cancel Tuesday's game.

Bishop Feehan and Mansfield will tangle tonight at 7 p.m. at Bridgewater-Raynham High School. The winner meets Walpole in Saturday's Super Bowl.

Wetzel said the MIAA's leadership committee convened this morning with lawyers and, after examining the written ruling handed down yesterday by Taunton Superior Court judge John P. Connor Jr., decided against filing an appeal, which the organization previously hinted it would do in a press release distributed last night.

"Once we got the judge's written ruling, he emphasized the organization's rules that allow for an appeal of any punishment handed down by the MIAA," said Wetzel. "We talked with our lawyers and decided, especially given the timing of the situation, to not file an appeal."

"We were running into a situation like yesterday, where time was a factor. You can't just walk into an appeals court at 10 a.m. and ask to sit down with a judge."

Wetzel also confirmed that Saturday's Division 2 Super Bow will be played as scheduled at Gillette Stadium after both Bishop Feehan and Mansfield agreed to the short schedule.

The MIAA's medical advisory group does not particularly like the playoff schedule that sees Super Bowl teams play three games in a 10-day span from Thanksgiving until the Super Bowls, but procedures are in place (shortened quarters, lightened practice loads) to ensure the safety of student-athletes.

A reminder to join us tonight for a live blog from the Mansfield-Feehan game.