Rare Mistake Gets Undefeated HSFB Team DQ'd from Playoffs, 53-Second Error Explained

An Orange County, New York, high school football team was disqualified from the Section IX Class AA championship this week due to the participation of an ineligible player.

According to Bryan Fonseca of the New York Post, Orange County Supreme Court Justice Verris Shako handed down the decision, and the Middletown High School district rescinded its emergency court petition on Friday.

Per Fonseca, it was determined that a kickoff specialist who played 53 seconds in Middletown's 48-15 playoff semifinal win over Valley Central on Nov. 6 was not eligible to play in the postseason.

While Middletown High School admitted that it erred in allowing the ineligible player to play, it reportedly argued that the rest of the team should not be punished, especially since the ineligible player did not make a significant impact.

The player in question, who also played on Middletown's soccer team, reportedly executed eight kickoffs and did not score any points for the football team.

According to Blaise Gomez of News12 in Hudson Valley, New York, the court decision means Middletown will not have the opportunity to see through a campaign that saw it go undefeated in the regular season for the first time in 65 years.

In place of Middletown, the Valley Central team that originally lost to Middletown in the semifinals will now face Newburgh in the Section IX Class AA championship game on Saturday.