Photos by Steve Ellmore
IRVINGTON, NJ – After several hours of a hearing conducted by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, Wayne Hills was reinstated into the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 4 playoffs.
As a result, Irvington is the No. 2 seed behind top-seeded Wayne Hills. The Blue Knights will host seventh-seeded Randolph in the first round on Friday night, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m.
When the pairings were announced on Nov. 7, Wayne Hills was seeded No. 1 and Irvington was seeded No. 2. The teams, in fact, met on Nov. 4, with Wayne Hills handing the Blue Knights their first loss, 48-27, at Wayne Hills in a game that determined the inaugural North Jersey Super Football Conference-Freedom White Division.
But a day after the seedings were announced, Wayne Hills was ruled disqualified from the playoffs due to three allegedly ineligible players – the Hayek brothers, Tyler, Hunter and Jaaron.
The brothers’ residency was in question.
Thus, Irvington was given the No. 1 seed. In addition, the rest of the teams in the eight-team playoffs moved up a seed, including Northern Highlands, which was ninth in the power-points standings.
However, on Nov. 10, State Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington stated that the NJSIAA would hold a hearing on Nov. 15 to decide the eligibility case.
Also, a game between Roxbury, which was originally seeded eighth, and Northern Highlands was set up. Originally, it was believed the game would be a play-in to decide the No. 8 seed. But instead, it was just a regular-season, played on Nov. 14, which Roxbury won, 45-35.
Following the hearing, the NJSIAA ruled in favor of Wayne Hills, which meant the original seeds would hold.
Wayne Hills will play eighth-seeded Roxbury on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 2:30 p.m.
The winner between Irvington and Randolph will play the winner between No. 6 seed Morris Knolls and No. 3 seed Wayne Valley.
Randolph has won four straight games to improve to 6-3.
The Blue Knights are 8-1.
Here are the playoff games
Friday, Nov. 18
7-Randolph at 2-Irvington, 7 p.m.
5-Fair Lawn at 4-West Morris, 7 p.m.
6-Morris Knolls at 3-Wayne Valley, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 20
8-Roxbury at 1-Wayne Hills, 2:30 p.m.
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