The “play-in game” between Hampshire and Capital scheduled for Saturday afternoon has been canceled, Hampshire High confirmed Friday.
The two Class AAA teams were ordered to wage a play-in game by Mason County Circuit Judge Anita Ashley on Monday. The game had to be scheduled or parties could be found to be in violation of a court order.
In response to the Mason County litigation, Hampshire County filed an injunction on Wednesday to not play the game as the state awaits a ruling from the West Virginia Supreme Court.
The injunction was upheld and the game was canceled, as was the other Class AAA “play-in” between St. Albans and Point Pleasant.
Even if the games had been played, they likely would’ve had no bearing on the playoff picture.
If the state Supreme Court of Appeals sides with the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, prior injunctions would be made meaningless.
On Thursday, the WVSSAC filed a motion for expedited relief and a petition for writ of prohibition with state Supreme Court.
The motion argues that the injunctions granted in Wood County last Saturday and Mason County on Monday impose requirements on the WVSSAC that are contradictory to one another, making it impossible for the WVSSAC to comply with both court orders.
The WVSSAC postponed playoffs in its four classifications indefinitely on Tuesday after those injunctions were filed.
Wood County’s emergency injunction last Saturday had a profound impact across the state, as four schools, including Hampshire, were bumped from the playoffs when the playoffs ratings system was altered.
That injunction reverted the points system to reflect classifications before the WVSSAC allowed two-dozen schools to drop a class in August after issues were raised about the classification methodology.
Frankfort and Petersburg were two of those schools, dropping to Class AA and A, respectively.