Playoff football game postponed -- Springer-style

Here's an interesting development that could delay the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV football playoffs.

Oakdale, the Valley Oak League champion and a 2007 mythical state champ, won't be playing tonight. It turns out Placer High supporters have obtained a temporary restraining order from a court in Oakland, forcing the first round playoff game to be postponed. Oakdale, which was scheduled to play Colfax tonight, would have played Placer had paperwork regarding a transfer player been filed properly.

Modesto Bee's Will DeBoard is all over the story. To read the complete article, follow this link: http://www.modbee.com/sports/story/507938.html.

I've attached a snapshot of the breaking news story below.

Feel free to chime in with your thoughts. Improper and/or insufficient paperwork has kept other teams out of the playoffs before -- locally, the 2006 Golden Valley boys soccer program comes to mind -- but I've never heard of a team taking it to the courts.

A little excessive?

Or worth the fight?

I can see both sides of the argument, but I'm a firm believer in the process. Coaches, administrators and teachers love to preach to their kids the importance of focus, attention to detail and "giving it your all" in practice and games.

Well...

Clearly, someone in charge missed the lesson -- and now Placer High parents and players are holding onto a season lost, pleading with the courts to overturn a CIF decision. The only thing missing at this point is Jerry Springer, weilding a mic and smirky grin, turning three football communities (Placer, Colfax and Oakdale) against one another.

"Thanks for tuning in, folks, we're here with Oakdale and Colfax -- two football teams that want to be together in the first round of the playoffs. ...But there's one catch: Somebody else wants a piece of it, too. Isn't that right, Colfax?" Springer says as the crowd gasps. "Let's bring out Placer -- a team that feels it should be with Oakdale."

Please, do us a favor: Drop the TRO, accept the punishment and let the kids play football.

"MODESTO -- Tonight's Oakdale vs. Colfax High section football playoff game has been postponed due to a judge's temporary restraining order issued out of an Oakland courtroom.

The restraining order concerns Placer High School, which was forced to forfeit three games after filing improper paperwork for a transfer. The Hillmen would have advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs without those forfeits, and would be Oakdale's opponent tonight."