GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — I spent at least four hours in a courtroom on Friday, listening to a hearing between the Michigan High School Athletic Association and a Grand Rapids Catholic Central student.
The hearing stemmed from a temporary restraining order that allowed Grand Rapids Catholic Central to compete in the high school football playoffs — despite the MHSAA saying the team should not have.
Watch: Judge to rule Monday on Grand Rapids Catholic Central football eligibility case against MHSAA
A question of eligibility led the MHSAA to try to put a stop to Catholic Central's postseason.
"We get that we have to make hard calls," the MHSAA's attorney said.
The MHSAA said a video turned over to them — by a woman said to be interested in purchasing an ineligible player's family home — showed that the family had not moved as they initially thought. A move was a requirement in this case for the student to be allowed to play.
At the beginning of the season, the MHSAA said the student was good to go.
"How could this happen? The MHSAA had already declared this student eligible. Before the season even started. That case was closed," an attorney for Catholic Central said.
Angela Goyette recorded the video, according to court records. She was subpoenaed to appear in court, but didn't attend Friday's hearing. The judge did not find her in contempt.
"Well, they come to find out, the rival they were supposed to play that week, Comstock Park, had actually been on what I would call, these are my words, a witch hunt. Comstock Park was hell-bent on making sure that there would not be a football contest between them and Catholic Central. So a few days before that decision of ineligibility had been made, Comstock sent in Angie Goyette, who I'll characterize as a secret shopper, into the home of the student that was determined to be ineligible, his former home," Catholic Central student Noah Zinea's attorney Adam Tountas said.
Ultimately, Grand Rapids Catholic Central got to play in the first round of the playoffs, against Comstock Park — the very athletic program that the student whose eligibility is in question left. Grand Rapids Catholic Central won.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central's athletic director, Mike Jacob, swore to tell the truth about his investigation into whether a student-athlete truly moved and was eligible to play football at the school.
Jacob said in court that multiple investigations — his own, and the MHSAA's — found that the student was eligible to play.
Jacob said he went to the family's new home in Grand Rapids. He checked utility bills from year to year and found that they had dropped significantly. The athletic director testified that he verified voter registration changes and driver's license changes with the Secretary of State.
The MHSAA maintained in court that this was a tough but necessary decision.
"Rules only work, of course, when they're enforced. That's the MHSAA's job. To enforce the rules. To enforce the tough calls," the MHSAA's attorney said.
The MHSAA said in court filings that the video it received from Goyette was new information it previously did not have, which changed its decision.
Jacob outlined when the potentially ineligible player was on the football field. He explained that the school allowed him to play in multiple games after the MHSAA concluded its investigation and found him eligible.
"Did Catholic Central rely upon those determinations to benefit my client Noah?" attorney Chris Barry asked.
"We relied on our association's determination, yes." Mike Jacob said.
"To benefit Noah and his teammates?" Barry asked
"Yes." Jacob replied.
When eligibility came into question again, the school benched the player.
The plaintiff in the lawsuit filed against the MHSAA — which led to court on Friday — is a different player on Catholic Central's team: Noah Zinea, the kicker.
His attorneys spoke to me after the hearing was complete. They say Noah and his teammates deserve to play.
"They deserve to play football. They should play football," Tountas said.
The judge is set to make a decision by Monday. The game is planned for Tuesday.
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