Within the 2023-24 OHSAA Basketball Coaches Manual is Specific Regulation 6: “Regular season games – Maximum of 22 games.”

It is clear.

The Linden-McKinley boys (16-6 overall, 13-1 Columbus City League) have played 22 games. They are tied with Northland (17-4, 13-1) at the top of the North Division.

The district has a quirky tiebreaker intended to spread the wealth. In the event of a tie, the team that most recently competed in the City final does not return. (The Africentric girls, who have won nine City titles in a row, tend to avoid ties.)

Per the district’s quirky tiebreaker, since the Northland boys won the City championship game last year, Linden should get the chance to represent the North Division this year.

But wait.

The City championship is considered a regular-season game, and Linden has already played the maximum 22.

“As I know it now, as I’ve been told, Linden-McKinley will not be able to play in the City League championship game,” Linden coach Kevin Darthard said. “As I know it, as of now, Northland is in."

Northland will face the South Division champions, South, for the title on Saturday.

We think.

Darthard, as Linden’s coach, is ultimately responsible for Linden’s schedule. Yet, as he noted, Linden has had five athletic directors since August, and it is the ADs who “rubber stamp” each date and deal with the computerized scheduling system. What happened amid the bureaucratic tumult? Who can say? Darthard believes Linden might qualify for a “hardship” exception from the OHSAA.

There is a bitter irony central to all of this.

Darthard, who teaches at Hamilton STEM Academy and worked at the Linden Recreation Center, has rebuilt a once-storied program to be a positive reflection on the community. He preaches diligence and consistency, on and off the court. His teams have won games — 76 victories over six seasons, with appearances in a City League title game, a state district semifinal and a state regional semifinal — and produced academic all-stars. Last year, the team’s GPA was 3.64.

Somehow, none of the adults — neither Darthard, nor anyone who went through the revolving door to the AD’s office, nor Vincent Clarno, the director of student activities for Columbus City Schools — could count to 22. It’s a shame the student-athletes must pay the cost of the errors of their elders.

This story remains fluid.

There has been a suggestion that Linden and Northland, who split their season series, play a closed-door scrimmage or some such thing to decide the City-North championship. The OHSAA Basketball Coaches Manual may have room for this under General Regulation 1.11, which covers something called “Foundation Games.” But what would this accomplish? Even if Linden won such a rubber match, the City championship game would still be No. 23 — which, presumably, would make Linden ineligible for the postseason.

Darthard indicated that, as of Sunday, Linden did not have the option of playing for the City title and sacrificing the state tournament. Linden last appeared in the City title game in 2020 (lost to Walnut Ridge) in what was its first crack at the championship since 1992.

We shall see how this unfolds this week.

In the meantime, congratulations to the Africentric girls (19-2), who are seeded No. 2 in the upcoming Division III district tournament. The Nubians are the defending state champions, and they are seeking a ninth state title for the program.

A shout out to the South Bulldogs (16-3, 14-0), who are shooting for their third City title in six years. South made it to the Division II state final in 2019.

And a tip of the cap to Northland, the defending City champion. Someday, we should hope, the district will come up with a better tiebreaker.

marace@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Arace: A confusing primer on OHSAA and Columbus City League rules