AIA hearing concludes; decision by May 18
Everybody will have to wait at least 10 more days for a judge to render a decision regarding where Phoenix Northwest Christian, Eagar Round Valley and Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin will be placed for the 2020 high school football season.
Judge Lisa Daniel Flores of Maricopa County Northeast Valley Regional Superior Court, in a two-day evidentiary trial hearing conducted digitally, listened to attorneys from the Arizona Interscholastic Association, Northwest Christian, Round Valley and Benjamin Franklin with witnesses called to the stand.
At the conclusion of Friday’s hearing, Flores advised all of the attorneys not to repeat what she has already received from the four sides in closing arguments, which are due via email by midnight Wednesday.
Supplemental materials can be presented via email by next Friday.
She said that she would then use that weekend to go over everything with hopes of making her decision on Monday, May 18.
That will be the most anticipated day of the year for high school coaches across the state who are waiting for their 2020 football schedules. Because of the lawsuits by the three schools, it has held up the official schedules until a court decision has been made.
“I truly understand everyone’s position,” Flores said. “You shouldn’t look at closing as educating me about something. You’ve already done that.
“Confine it to highlighting the evidence, either from the testimony heard or any of the admitted evidence that you want to draw particular attention to. That’s my advice to you. It’s my job to read everything. If you give me 200 pages, it’s going to take me longer to read it and make my decision.”
The AIA was sued by those three schools after losing their appeals on their football conference placements for next season. Northwest Christian, a top program in 3A, is battling the move up to 4A, as well as Benjamin Franklin, which lost its only two games last season to American Leadership Queen Creek, including the state championship.
ALA Queen Creek did not move up to 4A.
The AIA used a different criteria just to place schools for football mainly because of the lack of competitive games in the playoffs the past several years. Instead of school enrollment sizes, schools were going to be moved up or down, depending on how successful or how much they struggled during the last three seasons, using a standard deviation model with no more than a 14-point scoring differential.
fight
its The model was approved by the AIA’s Legislative Council in March 2019. The council is comprised of school and district administrators from every conference all over the state.
AIA Executive Director David Hines, Round Valley superintendent Travis Udall, Northwest Christian head coach Dave Innis, Round Valley head coach Marcus Bell and Benjamin Franklin Athletic Director Coleman McArthur all testified during the two-day trial.
The AIA and Northwest Christian each brought in doctors to testify, as well, with the safety and size of players at the forefront.
On Thursday, Northwest Christian, the first member school to file a lawsuit over its conference placement against the AIA, had most of Thursday to argue its side.
On Friday, Round Valley and Benjamin Franklin both were given their chance to argue why they should stay where they are. Round Valley captured the 2A state championship last season and was one of Thatcher’s biggest challenges during the Eagles’ three-year run of state championships, from 201618.
McArthur was asked by Benjamin Franklin’s attorney for the average weight of the offensive linemen on the BF’s 2019 roster. He said 188 pounds.
He was then asked for the average weights of the opposing teams’ linemen in the 4A region it would be playing in, and he gave those numbers, all of which were more than 200 pounds.
McArthur was asked if parents expressed concerns about moving up to 4A to play football.
“Yes, they did,” McArthur said. School enrollment numbers from opposing schools also were brought up, show how much bigger those schools are.
The AIA attorney, in cross examination, asked if half of the teams among Benjamin Franklin’s 12 wins last season had larger enrollment.
“Yes, I believe so,” McCarthur said. The attorney also asked if the school went to the AIA with concerns for Ganado players’ safety after beating the Hornets by scores of 62-6 and 48-6 the last two seasons.
Franklin’s attorney, in redirect, asked McArthur if it was his job to ask if Ganado football players are safe.
Bell was asked when he picked schools for his schedule, if he chose to play at least some schools that were larger than Round Valley. He said, yes. Asked why, and he said mainly because of less travel.
Round Valley is part of the White Mountains area in Northeastern Arizona, along with 3A schools Lakeside Blue Ridge, Show Low and Snowflake.