Carol City Injunction Denied, Reporter Says; Playoff Ban Stands

T25PS has not independently obtained the written ruling or verified a final disposition of the underlying case or any further appeal.

Earlier Friday report

The reporting below was published before Villamarzo’s denial update.

Carol City’s fight to return to the Florida high school football playoffs has moved toward a courtroom, with several players and parents seeking an injunction against the FHSAA’s postseason ban.

Reporter Susan Miller Degnan reported Friday that a hearing was scheduled for 2 p.m. in Miami Circuit Court. According to her report, attorney Jason Setchen of Athlete Defender and Coffey Burlington filed for injunctive relief on behalf of the players and parents, asking the court to reverse the decision preventing Carol City from participating in the state playoffs.

What is confirmed, and what is not

A request for an injunction is not a court victory. T25PS has not independently obtained the filing or an order granting relief, and no reinstatement is confirmed in the reporting reviewed for this update.

The timing raises the stakes. Florida’s playoff bracket reveal, including its new eight-team Open Division, is scheduled for 5 p.m. Eastern Friday, according to published bracket-release coverage. The immediate question is whether the court issues any relief affecting Carol City’s eligibility before that announcement. A hearing alone does not answer that question.

For background, see T25PS’s earlier coverage of the postseason ban.

This developing report will be updated when a ruling or other confirmed change becomes available.