NJ school loses shot in court to reverse ref’s wrong call on buzzer-beater

🏀 An Ocean County Superior Court judge declined to order a pause

🏀 Manasquan will appeal to the state Department of Education

🏀 Newark's school superintendent is okay with a delay

The Manaquan Warriors boys basketball team has potentially two chances left to determine if they will be able to play in the NJSIAA Group 2 championship game on Saturday.

A Superior Court judge in Ocean County ruled late Thursday afternoon that it is not up to them to decide whether or not Saturday’s championship game between Camden and Arts High School of Newark scheduled for Saturday at Rutgers should be paused, according to numerous reports.

The Manasquan/Camden game was played at Central Regional High School in Berkeley.

Manasquan filed an appeal with state Acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer for him to decide about a possible pause in playing the game. A delay would allow additional time to revisit a ref's call during Tuesday night's semi-final game that took back Manasquan's buzzer-beater and gave Camden the win.

The Clark Law firm of Belmar said it handled the case pro bono, or without cost to the district. Attorney Gerald Clark told New Jersey 101.5 that the NJSIAA's position they can not use video is wrong.

"They use it frequently to exact discipline and punishment to players and coaches, and their own rules specifically provide for it in this very state tournament situation. The only waste of taxpayer money here is NJSIAA's inexplicable refusal to voluntarily do the right thing and send the right message to the kids," Clark said.

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NJSIAA does not allow audio or video reviews

The NJSIAA has admitted that the referees made a bad call and apologized to the Manasquan team. But because its rules do not allow for a review using video or audio, the decision will stand.

If the decision does not go Manasquan's way, the case could also go before appellate judges, Manasquan Board of Education attorney Michael Gross said outside the courtroom in Toms River, according to the Asbury Park Press.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Education acknowledged an email from New Jersey 101.5 about the possible appeal and did not readily have an answer.

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"You have to learn to live with the decisions of the referee"

Camden school district attorney Lou Cappelli Jr. said Manasquan should accept the NJSIAA’s decision and called the situation "ridiculous."

“There are rules and regulations. You have to learn to live with the decisions of the referee. That’s all part of sports. Coming to a court to address a referee's call is outrageous. It’s a waste of the taxpayers' money and a waste of the court’s time, as well," Cappelli told reporters.

Cappelli, who is representing the City of Camden as an attorney for the firm Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor, is also director of the elected Camden County Board of Commissioners.

Correcting mistakes

In a statement to ABC 7 Eyewitness News, Newark school superintendent Roger León said he is fine with a delay because the teams deserve to know that adults who make mistakes can have them corrected.

The NJSIAA has not commented since their apology on Wednesday.

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