Simeon is appealing the Illinois High School Association’s eight-game rule and practice requirement.
The IHSA says its board will likely hear the appeal on Friday. The IHSA will release its state football pairings on Saturday night.
Eight Public League football teams, including Simeon, lost the chance to advance to the state playoffs after Chicago Public Schools canceled classes for Thursday due to the ongoing Chicago Teachers Union strike.
Simeon’s scheduled Week 2 game against an out-of-state team fell through, leaving them a game short of the IHSA’s eight-games played requirement for playoff qualification.
The Wolverines (6-1), ranked No. 13 in the Super 25, are the best team in the Public League. Simeon beat Phillips earlier this month and are ranked third in the state in Class 6A by the Associated Press.
According to IHSA strike bylaws, if football practices have been terminated for seven days (excluding Sundays) a team may not resume competition until after three days of practice. The teams cannot practice if there is no school. Thursday was the seventh day the teams have missed practice, so that rule kicks in.
The eight teams won’t have time to get the three practices in and play a game before the state playoffs are seeded by the IHSA on Saturday afternoon.
“It’s very emotional and disheartening,” Simeon coach Dante Culbreath said. “These kids work so hard. To lose a game is one thing. To be caught up in this is a totally different thing. I’m getting calls from emotional kids.”
Public League football players are planning to go to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office on Friday morning and address their concerns about the impact the ongoing Chicago Teachers Strike is having on their school and season.
