MIAA decides not to appeal injunction
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association released the following statement regarding its decision not to go to court yesterday, allowing the Bishop Feehan-Mansfield game to be played last night:
"The MIAA Board of Directors dropped consideration of going to the Massachusetts Court of Appeals to seek a reversal of an injunction issued in Superior Court in Taunton yesterday. The time of any action in the Appeals Court is uncertain, and the Board wanted to avoid the experience that occurred, after Mansfield H.S. leadership chose to sue the MIAA [Tuesday] afternoon.
This leaves the Association with the opportunity for properly planning for the game [last night]. The Board decision also assures the Walpole H.S. team and community the opportunity to play their Super Bowl game at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, which they earned with a playoff victory Tuesday night.
Mansfield H.S. will be given the opportunity after the tournament to meet with members of the MIAA Board of Directors to address the matter of ineligible player participation and all of the matters related to this. This post-tournament hearing will determine whether consequences or penalties are to be assessed.
MIAA leadership concerns for the health and safety of players participating in two games within four days were ameliorated after consultation [yesterday] with the Chairman of the MIAA Sports Medicine Committee (SMC). The games being played on Turf Field surfaces, with limited practice schedules already prescribed by the SMC, conducted with 10-minute quarters, and forecasted good weather conditions on both days all lend to the health and safety of the team members who are successful [last night]."
BOB HOLMES 