Unatego Spartans football excluded from Section IV playoff contention

OTEGO (WBNG) – After starting the 2024 8-team football season 6-2, the Unatego Spartans have been notified that they are ineligible to compete in the playoffs.

In August, the Spartans, which had already merged with the Franklin School District for Athletics, allowed a merger with Unadilla-Valley and Gilbertsville-Mount Upton after those schools announced they did not have enough players to make the eight-man squad .

Unatego Central School District Superintendent Dr. Dave Richards told 12 News that during the merger process, Section IV never notified them that remerging would make them ineligible. He also mentioned that Chapter IV of the football manual did not mention this.

“A rule has been adopted prohibiting Class B schools (8-man football) from playing postseason games in May 2022.” Dr. Richards said. “It was never included in the state manuals or in Section Four of the football manuals. So the principle exists, but no one knows about it. How can we follow this?”

Unatego athletic director Matt Hafele said they made the decision to give these five students a chance to play the game they love.

“We do everything that is in the best interest of the students involved and we already have a merger partnership with these two schools. So when they came to us. our coach said, ‘I absolutely don’t want students to not have the opportunity to play,'” Hafele said.

A total of 470 students attended Unatego, Franklin, Gilbertsville Mount Upton and Unadilla-Valley schools, meaning they were placed in Class B.

The maximum number of students who can participate in the 8-person playoffs is 396 students. This means that, in accordance with Section IV, only class C and D schools can participate in the competition.

The Spartans appealed the decision twice during the season, hoping to be approved because the team was helping neighboring schools rather than pooling talent to create a “super team.”

However, these appeals will be denied and coaches will be notified on Friday that their season will end the following week.

Even though the teams’ playoff hopes are over, Unatego Football head coach Frank Microni told 12 News the team has handled the news maturely.

“There is no animosity. They behave the same as we started on the first day. All these kids have made progress,” Microni said. “They are very disappointed, but that is not the case. We’re not happy about it, but we don’t treat anyone differently. They’re still our teammates, they’re still our brothers.”

While players took the news as best they could, it still came with disappointment from both players and their parents.

Angela DeDominicis, Spartan’s mother, told 12 News the following:

“It was really hard for my son, like all the other kids. I mean being in my final year of school, making it this far and constantly giving it my all. All these kids are very disappointed that they won’t be able to make the playoffs after working so hard.”

The Spartans will play their final game of the season at Trumansburg Stadium on Friday, November 1 at 7 p.m.