By Al Muskewitz
Faith Christian informed by AHSAA late Friday afternoon the game is off, Oakwood takes forfeit over scheduling conflict, Lions get a pass into regional title game
It is all but certain Oakwood Academy will forfeit Saturday afternoon’s Class 1A Northeast Regional semifinal basketball game with Faith Christian on religious grounds.
The teams are scheduled to play at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Jacksonville State.
Oakwood athletics director Calvin Morton told East Alabama Sports Today following a Friday morning meeting with school administrators that unless there’s a last-minute change the Mustangs “are probably going to forfeit the game.”
UPDATE: State officials informed Faith Christian late Friday afternoon the game was off.
Oakwood is a Seventh-Day Adventist K-12 school and the tenets of its church preclude its members from engaging in physical activity from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, which this weekend is around 5:30 p.m.
“As of right now we’re probably going to forfeit the game,” Morton said, “but we’re going to wait to tell the state until maybe if there’s a last-second change, but if not then probably by the end of the school day we will forfeit.”
The AHSAA hasn’t budged on moving games in the past. The other Class 1A regional semifinal between Cornerstone and Decatur Heritage is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and a switch in times would move it to the slot prior to Decatur Heritage’s girls semifinal game with Sumiton Christian instead of after it.
AHSAA assistant director for communications Ron Ingram said midday Friday the governing body had no comment.
In their last communication with the state, Faith Christian officials were told by AHSAA executive director Alvin Briggs they were playing at 4:30 p.m. Saturday unless they heard from him or his office.
It would have been Oakwood’s first-ever appearance in the regionals since joining the AHSAA in 2016.
“We’re all disappointed we can’t continue the season, but we’re at a point where the situation is bigger than basketball,” Morton said. “The student-athletes are standing firm in their faith and belief in honoring the Sabbath.”
With the forfeit, the Lions advance to the region championship game for the first time since 2008 against the Sumiton-Decatur Heritage winner Tuesday at 5:45 p.m.
Lions head coach Cory Hughes, an ordained minister and pastor at Grace Fellowship Church, and athletics director Casey Farr shared the Mustangs’ disappointment.
“We really, really wanted to play Saturday at 4:30 in front of most of Calhoun County,” Hughes said. “I was really excited about that, so it stinks we’re not getting to do that … but we understand the state has procedures they go by and policies and we respect those.”
It wasn’t immediately known how the forfeit would impact ticket refunds for the game. Faith officials estimate they have sold more than 100 tickets for the game. [*** read more]
