Messmer/Shorewood Playoff Hopes Still Alive, As Co-op Wins Temporary Injunction

A judge filed a temporary injunction Monday preventing the WIAA from releasing Division 1 and 2 playoff brackets, and ensuring there's still a chance of a playoff berth in the Messmer/Shorewood football team's future.

The co-op may learn Tuesday morning if its playoff prayers will be answered when the case resumes at 10 a.m.

Shorewood High School Principal Matthew Joynt said team representatives debated for the majority of the three-hour hearing in Milwaukee County Circuit Court Monday afternoon, and he's very optimistic about the outcome of tomorrow's ruling.

"If we weren’t optimistic and didn’t believe we have a solid chance of making the playoffs, we wouldn’t be making the court challenge," he said. "Given that, we still feel bad for those teams that have to wait. But we believe they would do the same thing for their kids."

Judge Kevin Martens said playoff brackets for Divisions 3 through 7 could be released.

Other Division 1 and 2 teams are, however, forced to wait until the judge rules over the Messmer/Shorewood team case.

The schools filed an injunction Friday to stop the WIAA from releasing playoff pairings.

The disagreement between the co-op and WIAA hinges on the team’s playoff eligibility. It voluntarily left the Woodland Conference following the 2007 season to become an independent, then joined the Midwest Classic Conference in 2011. Per WIAA rules, teams that leave a conference are not eligible for the playoffs for four years.

Messmer/Shorewood played a six-game schedule in the Midwest, wrapping up the regular season with a 48-21 rout of Wayland Academy on Friday and 4-2 conference record.

The schools contend their new affiliation overrides the rule and they should be eligible to join the 224-team field.