Postponement Could Have Trickle-Down Effect On All Class 5A Semifinals
The day has arrived for the scheduled Class 5A quarterfinal playoff game between Gainesville and Hughes, but a Friday night kickoff remains very much in doubt.
As of 2 p.m. on Nov. 28, there has been no update on the quarterfinal playoff matchup between Gainesville and Hughes after the GHSA responded to a judge’s temporary restraining order on Nov. 26. The order had reinstated 34 Gainesville High School football players after they received a one-game suspension from the GHSA following a fight that broke out between Gainesville and Brunswick in the second half of their second-round playoff matchup on Nov. 21.
What about the Semifinals?
As Gainesville and Hughes await the announcement of when the game will be rescheduled, both teams must also prepare for what happens next, depending on who wins and moves one step closer to the semifinals.
It’s doubtful that the game will be played on Nov. 28, the original scheduled date. That leaves Saturday, Nov. 29 or even Monday, Dec. 1 as possible dates for the game to be played. If it becomes a Monday game, then the winner will have to immediately begin preparations to play a semifinal contest and could be facing the task of playing two high-level playoff contests within the same week.
However, there’s no guarantee at this point that next week’s semifinal game is still going to be played on Friday, Dec. 5.
The winner of the Gainesville versus Hughes game will play the winner of the Rome versus Jackson County game.
Postponement Could Affect Every 5A Semifinal Contest
The decision on when to play the Gainesville versus Hughes game could affect much more than just the Red Elephants and Panthers.
The saving grace in this could come down to the time between the semifinals and the Class 5A state title game. With the semifinal game scheduled for Dec. 5 and the championship contest scheduled for Dec. 16, that allows 10 days between rounds. A semifinal game could be rescheduled during that time frame, preventing any playoff teams from playing twice in a week.
The postponement of the quarterfinals game between Gainesville and Hughes is the latest in a dizzying series of events that began on Nov. 24 after the GHSA reviewed video from the previous week’s bench-clearing brawl between Gainesville and Brunswick that involved players from both teams running onto the field.
That review prompted the GHSA to give a one-game suspension to 39 players from Gainesville and 41 players from Brunswick.
Gainesville High School then appealed the suspensions to the GHSA’s Board of Trustees on Nov. 25, resulting in the reinstatement of four of their players.
On Nov. 26, Gainesville sought an injunction with the Georgia Northeastern Judicial District Court to have the suspensions of the remaining 35 players temporarily lifted. Superior Court Judge Clint Bearden granted a temporary injunction, allowing the suspended Gainesville players to participate in the semifinal game against Hughes.
It took just a few hours for the GHSA to respond to the injunction by announcing that they would postpone Friday’s quarterfinal game between the two teams.
GHSA Executive Director Dr. Tim Scott told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he did not expect a hearing about their decision to postpone the game, or a decision as to when the game would be rescheduled, before Dec. 1.
That all but guarantees no Gainesville versus Hughes quarterfinal game this week.
ITG Next is monitoring this ongoing story and will provide timely updates as they become available.
