The Michigan High School Athletic Association cited new evidence behind its decision to remove Grand Rapids Catholic Central from the MHSAA's football playoffs.
As reported by mlive, the MHSAA’s decision, handed down the day before Round 1 of playoffs was to begin Oct. 30, stemmed from Catholic Central’s alleged use of an ineligible player for six regular-season games. Forfeiture of those games would change Catholic Central’s record from 7-2 to 2-7 and thus eliminate the Cougars from playoff contention.
In August, the MHSAA ruled the Catholic Central player would be eligible for the 2026 season following his January 2026 transfer from Comstock Park, according to court documents cited by mlive. Under MHSAA rules the student-athlete would be ruled ineligible if he and anyone with whom he has been living moved back to the Comstock Park school district before the completion of 180 school days.
According to court documents, the family rented out their house in the Comstock Park school district and moved into an apartment nine miles from Catholic Central High School. On Oct. 26, the MHSAA said it received a video, with audio, depicting a tour of the ineligible athlete’s Comstock Park residence, led and narrated by the ineligible athlete’s grandfather acting as the real estate agent showing the property.
"According to court documents, the video showed several family photographs on the walls, food in the refrigerator, garage full of belongings, clothing in all of the closets and substantial furniture and personal belongings throughout the house," mlive's Patrick Nothaft wrote. "During the tour, the grandfather allegedly told the prospective buyer about his grandchildren, pointing to a family photograph on the wall. When the prospective buyer inquired where his grandchildren went to school, the grandfather said, 'They went to Comstock Park,' but 'now the younger one is going to Catholic Central, playing football there,' according to a transcript of the video submitted as part of the MHSAA court filing."
Later in the video, the prospective buyer asked the grandfather where the family was moving and whether they already had a place lined up, to which the grandfather responded, “not sure yet. It will probably be Rockford.” The prospective buyer then asked about the family’s timeline for moving, and the grandfather responded, “um, nothing set,” according to the transcript cited by mlive.
The MHSAA disclosed its new evidence in court filings as part of its appeal of Kent County Circuit Court Judge Paul Denenfeld’s temporary restraining order blocking the removal of Catholic Central from the playoffs.
On Tuesday evening, the MHSAA’s appeal was denied by a state Court of Appeals judge. A show cause hearing is scheduled for Friday.
"The court case seeking to overturn the MHSAA was filed by an attorney for Catholic Central senior football player Noah Zainea, who is not the ineligible player but argues that the MHSAA ban will cost him his final football postseason," Nothaft reported.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central defeated Comstock Park, 56–13, in the Division 5 district final, advancing to face 9-1 Berrien Springs. According to Nothaft, a kickoff time and date for that game has not been determined, but could not be played before Sunday, due to the MHSAA requirement that football teams play no more than one game in five days.
