Wayne Hills Wins Appeal, May Play In State Tournament

WAYNE, N.J. — The Wayne Hills High School football team has won its appeal and two of its star players — Hunter and Tyler Hayek — may play in the Section 1, Group 4 tournament, the state's governing body on high school athletics ruled Tuesday, according to a report on NorthJersey.com.

The top-seeded Hills will face off against No. 8-seed Roxbury Saturday at 1 p.m.

The NJSIAA's Eligibility Appeals Committee met for six hours to determine the Hayek boys' eligibility status and provide due process to the school and the Hayek family, both of which have been at the center of the controversy since last week.

The NJSIAA ruled last week that Hills' varsity team was banned from the postseason after local officials learned that Tyler, Hunter, and Jaaron Hayek played the entire season without filing change of address forms.

The state banned Tyler, Hunter, and Jaaron Hayek from participating in any extracurricular activities, including sports, because the family allegedly did not file bona fide change of address forms with the district. The team also had to forfeit its eight wins.

RELATED: Wayne Hills Football Team Disqualified From State Tournament

The district, players, and parents appealed to the state Department of Education and a stay was placed on the ban and the brothers' suspensions. The group tournament was re-seeded.

Kimberly Harrington, the acting commissioner of the State Department of Education, ordered a stay on the ban and suspensions and ordered the NJSIAA hold the hearing so the players could present their evidence. She said in her order that the state's decision to ban the players and punish the 63-player team "was procedurally flawed," because they were not granted due process.

RELATED: High School Football Team Is Back In The State Playoffs [video]

It was not immediately clear last week if the district would appeal ban, but did after parents blasted Superintendent Mark Toback and Principal Maureen Weir at a closed-door meeting last week.

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