GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Catholic Central football players will spend the weekend not knowing whether their season goes on. Judge Paul J. Denenfeld of the Kent County Circuit Court heard hours of testimony and argument Friday in an eligibility fight with the Michigan High School Athletic Association, then said he would rule Monday, Nov. 9.
At stake is a Division 5 district final against Berrien Springs that is set for Tuesday. A temporary restraining order is the only reason the Cougars were able to take the field in the opening round of the playoffs at all. They beat Comstock Park in that game, the program a transferring player had left before the season.
The state association first cleared that transfer before the season began, and the school played him in several games afterward. The MHSAA later reversed course, telling the court it received video, recorded by someone presented as a possible buyer of the family home, that it said showed the family had not truly moved. A move was a condition of his eligibility. Catholic Central benched the player once the question resurfaced.
Athletic director Mike Jacob testified that both his own review and the MHSAA review found the player eligible. He told the court he visited the family at their new Grand Rapids address, compared utility bills that dropped sharply, and confirmed changes in voter registration and driver license records with the Secretary of State.
The lawsuit was brought on behalf of a different Catholic Central senior, a kicker on the team, whose lawyers argue the whole roster should not lose its season. The MHSAA argued that rules mean little unless the association enforces them, even when the calls are hard.
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