Judge Denies Bid to Overturn Plainfield North Football Win

A Cook County Judge has denied a bid to overturn Plainfield North’s win against Fenwick High School. Plainfield North will play against East St. Louis Saturday in the 7A state championship game at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

District 202 spokesperson Tom Hernandez said the district empathizes with Fenwick High School, but appreciates the court’s decision.

“(We) will continue to prepare to play in the state championship Saturday afternoon,” Hernandez said. “We will do our best to be worthy of the opportunity and will represent District 202 proudly.”

Illinois High School Assocation Executive Director Craig Anderson said that on the final play of the fourth quarter in Saturday's IHSA Class 7A Semifinal Football game between Fenwick High School and Plainfield North High School, “an error was made by the officiating crew, which resulted in an untimed down being awarded to Plainfield North.”

On the untimed down, Plainfield North tied the game with a field goal and then went on to win the game in overtime. Per Rule 3-3-4 in the 2016 NFHS Football Rules Book, the game should have concluded on the final play of regulation and the untimed down should not have been awarded.

Fenwick High School filed suit Monday in Cook County Court against the IHSA to have a judge overturn the win.

Judge Kathleen Kennedy heard about 45 minutes of arguments from lawyers representing the IHSA and Fenwick High School before making her decision, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Fenwick lawyer Peter Rush argued that the official who made the call didn't have the authority to continue the game and violated IHSA bylaws, according to the report.

IHSA attorney David Bressler said that "officials make hundreds of bad calls every week and that courts would be flooded with lawsuits if Fenwick won the legal fight," according to the Tribune.

“I wish there was a way that Fenwick could participate in the game, but there's not,” Bressler said in the article. “Sometimes the law is not fair.”

The IHSA said in a statement that Wednesday's decision to uphold the result of the IHSA Class 7A Semifinal
Football game is not a victory.

"There is no celebration and there are no winners in this circumstance. It is simply a resolution. The Fenwick High School community has been dealt a pair of devastating blows over the past few days, while Plainfield North had a historic moment shrouded in controversy simply for following the rules provided for them, first by the game officials, and then by the IHSA," the statement said.

The IHSA said it appreciates Judge Kennedy's ruling from the perspective that it be able to self-govern within the rules set by its member schools.

"Judge Kennedy recognized the historic precedent that would have resulted if she had overturned the outcome of the game based on an officiating error. This is the same pitfall our membership foresaw in originally approving the by-law, and that our Board of Directors recognized in their decision not to consider an appeal," the statement said.

Saturday's game between Plainfield North and East St. Louis will be held at 4 p.m.