MHSAA: 3 Saline Football Forfeits Stand

In a letter to families of the varsity football team, Saline Area Schools Superintendent Steve Laatsch announced the MHSAA will not reconsider the appeal of three football forfeits

Earlier this year, the district discovered a football player was no longer living within the district. The district self-reported the residency violation to the MHSAA. Saline won all three games he played in. The MHSAA forced Saline to forfeit those games.

Members of the community demanded that the district appeal. An ad-hoc committee of three board members and three football parents drafted options for an appeal. The Board of Education met in closed session and, when it emerged back into public view, directed Laatsch to appeal to the MHSAA.

The district released this:

"At the direction of the Saline Area Schools Board of Education, Superintendent Laatsch submitted an appeal to MHSAA last week related to the three-game forfeitures of the Varsity Football team. MHSAA reviewed the appeal and determined the penalties, including the forfeiture of the first three games of the season, will stand without modification"

A similar message was sent to families of the players added this:

"I recognize this is not the news the team was hoping for. I trust the coaches, student leaders, and entire team to continue providing support for each other and focusing on the team’s collective well-being and success," Laatsch wrote.

It's never been made clear exactly what was appealed and why.

For the football team, they're 4-3 instead of 7-0 with two games left in the season.

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