The Glenville saga might be coming to an end. The Tarblooders look to be out of the Ohio high school football playoffs again.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association filed an appeal Wednesday, Nov. 4 looking to stop a court order allowing the Glenville football team to participate in the Division III playoffs. OHSAA’s appeal came nearly a week after it banned Glenville — the 2025 Division IV state champion — from the 2026 postseason only to have that decision overturned by the courts.
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The Eighth District Court of Appeals granted OHSAA’s emergency stay on Nov. 5, pausing Judge Andrew Santoli’s order, according to reporting from WKYC.
That decision means the original sanction on Glenville is back in effect. OHSAA’s playoff bracket now shows fourth-seed Salem meeting the 12th-seeded University School in the second round of the Division III, Region 9 playoffs. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, at Salem.
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OHSAA removed Glenville from the playoffs the day before the Glenville-University School game. However, Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Andrew J. Santoli granted Glenville a temporary restraining order in an attempt to have the game played. University School then declined to play the game this past weekend, stating it would abide by whatever the court ultimately ruled regarding Glenville being allowed to participate in the playoffs.
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That ruling came Tuesday, Nov. 3 from Santoli, who granted a preliminary injunction, sought by Glenville athletes. Santoli ruled the OHSAA’s decision to ban Glenville was arbitrary. He also denied OHSAA’s motion that the complaint filed on behalf of two Glenville athletes lacked standing.
That left OHSAA with the option of determining who plays Salem by either rescheduling the Glenville-University School game, declaring University School forfeited the Oct. 31 game or finding another solution.
OHSAA then filed its appeal Nov. 4 with the Eighth District Court of Appeals, stating that if the game does happen, the outcome will be fixed before OHSAA determines the eligibility of Glenville’s roster.
Reach Aaron at 330-580-8428 or ahhughes@usatodayco.com. On X: @AaronHughe2
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Glenville, University School and Salem football playoff limbo ends
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