Linden-McKinley won't play in City League boys basketball final due to schedule rule
Columbus City Schools confirmed Monday that Linden-McKinley's boys basketball team is ineligible to play in the City League championship game because it already has played the maximum of 22 regular-season games.
Linden shared its first North Division championship since 2020 with Northland and, under a school district rule used in the event of a tie, would have qualified to play South Division champion South (16-3, 14-0) on Saturday at East because Northland participated in the game more recently.
"I want to express our deepest apologies for this oversight," Superintendent Angela Chapman said in a statement released by the district. "We understand the disappointment and frustration this error has caused, and we empathize with the disappointment and regret many are experiencing.
"In response to this situation, I have initiated a thorough investigation to identify the cause of this error. Our priority is to understand what went wrong and implement measures to prevent similar mistakes in the future. We are committed to upholding the integrity of our athletic programs and providing fair and equitable opportunities for all participating teams. We have also reached out to OHSAA to inquire if this scenario warrants any flexibility but have yet to receive a response."
Linden (16-6, 13-1) played its 22nd regular-season game Friday, defeating Whetstone 68-45 to clinch a share of the North title with Northland (17-4, 13-1). City teams often schedule 21 or fewer regular-season games because the City championship counts as one.
Northland is the defending City champion, having defeated Africentric 60-58 in last year's title game.
A post Sunday on the Linden team Facebook page noted Linden is on its fifth athletic director of the school year, citing a "hardship situation" as a reason the number of games was overlooked when the schedule was devised and approved.
The current athletic director, Madison Horrigan, took over in December, after the season had started.
Linden and Northland split their season series. Northland won 77-53 on Jan. 9 and Linden won 49-37 on Feb. 2.
After a 57-55 win at Beechcroft on Tuesday, Linden coach Kevin Darthard lauded the effort of his team even as he awaited a decision.
“The calendar I give our guys earlier in the year calls (last week) ‘championship week,’ ” Darthard said. “January is ‘championship month’ because of all the conference games you have to knock out in order to get here. This time of year, conference games are tough. Every game is tough. It really is a tournament feel.
“The time, the effort, the energy everybody puts into the program going back to last spring to now, all the little things that win these games … seeing these guys do what they’ve done and showing their resilience, it’s been emotional.”
Linden is the seventh seed in the Division II district tournament. The Panthers' next game will be in the second round of the postseason March 2 against 10th-seeded Hamilton Township or No. 14 Bexley.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Schedule rule costs Linden spot in Columbus boys basketball final
