UPDATE:

The IHSAA overruled the District 3 Board of Control on Tuesday afternoon, restoring two games Owyhee football was originally forced to forfeit. The Storm will play at Timberline Thursday night in an SIC Playoff Game. Our original article is below.

Owyhee High School football team went from preparing for a Southern Idaho Conference playoff game against Timberline on Monday, to filing an appeal with the District 3 Board of Control on Tuesday, as the Storm try and remain eligible for the Class 6A postseason.

When this week began, Owyhee sported a 5-3 overall record and a 2-3 mark within the SIC's River Division.  But allegations of using an ineligible player were filed by Boise High School to the District 3 Board of Control, and Owyhee was deemed to be in violation, causing the Storm to forfeit each of their last two games, a pair of wins over Boise and Mountain View.

The player in question is junior quarterback Kole Frogley.  Frogley had been a member of Owyhee's team each of the past two seasons, but decided to pursue rugby prior to the start of the fall sports season.  Midway through the season, Frogley decided to re-join the Owyhee football team.

IHSAA rules state that any player wishing to participate in a varsity contest must first complete ten practice periods before gaining eligibility.  Owyhee Athletic Director Dane Roy told IdahoSports.com that Frogley had completed the mandatory ten practices, but Boise disputed that number had been reached.

Ultimately, the Board of Control ruled against Owyhee on Monday.  Roy says Owyhee has filed an appeal, and hopes to hear a decision soon.

The twelve-team Southern Idaho Conference splits its members into two divisions, each featuring six teams.  Ten of the twelve compete this week in SIC cross-divisional playoff games. 

The first place team from each division face off in the SIC Championship Game, with both participants earning state berths and first round byes. 

Then, the second place team from each division plays the fifth place team from the other division, and the third and fourth place teams battle as well.  The winners of those four contests also qualify for the 6A playoffs. 

The losers of the four games still have an outside shot of earning one of two available at-large berths to the playoffs, also.

Finally, the sixth-place finishers from each division play each other in a game that has no playoff implications.

Two years ago, Owyhee found themselves in the sixth place game.  The Storm won that contest and still had a strong enough MaxPreps rating to earn an at-large bid to the playoffs.  After that occurred, the SIC implemented a rule change stating that both teams competing in the sixth place game are automatically ineligible for the 6A state playoffs.

Before Boise filed the complaint, here's how the division standings looked:

FOOTHILLS DIVISION

1. Rocky Mountain (5-0 SIC, 8-0 overall)
2. Middleton (3-2 SIC, 4-4 overall)
3. Timberline (3-2 SIC, 5-3 overall)
4. Meridian (2-3 SIC, 3-5 overall)
5. Capital (2-3 SIC, 2-6 overall)
6. Centennial (0-5 SIC, 0-8 overall)

RIVER DIVISION

1. Eagle (5-0 SIC, 7-1 overall)
2. Borah (3-2 SIC, 5-3 overall)
3. Kuna (2-3 SIC, 3-5 overall)
4. Owyhee (2-3 SIC, 5-3 overall)
5. Mountain View (2-3 SIC, 3-5 overall)
6. Boise (1-4 SIC, 4-4 overall)

And before Boise filed the complaint, here's what the SIC cross-divisional playoff games looked like:

(RIVER #1) Eagle at (FOOTHILLS #1) Rocky Mountain

(RIVER #5) Mountain View at (FOOTHILLS #2) Middleton

(RIVER #4) Owyhee at (FOOTHILLS #3) Timberline

(FOOTHILLS #4) Meridian at (RIVER #3) Kuna

(FOOTHILLS #5) Capital at (RIVER #2) Borah

(RIVER #6) Boise at (FOOTHILLS #6) Centennial

Obviously, a lot changes if Owyhee has to forfeit their final two games of the year.  Two wins against Boise and Mountain View turn in to two losses, making the new standings:

RIVER DIVISION

1. Eagle (5-0 SIC, 7-1 overall)
2. Borah (3-2 SIC, 5-3 overall)
3. Mountain View (2-3 SIC, 4-4 overall)
4. Boise (2-3 SIC, 5-4 overall)
5. Kuna (2-3 SIC, 3-5 overall)
6. Owyhee (0-5 SIC, 3-5 overall)

That also changes the SIC cross-division schedule

(RIVER #1) Eagle at (FOOTHILLS #1) Rocky Mountain

(RIVER #5) Kuna at (FOOTHILLS #2) Middleton

(RIVER #4) Boise at (FOOTHILLS #3) Timberline

(FOOTHILLS #4) Meridian at (RIVER #3) Mountain View

(FOOTHILLS #5) Capital at (RIVER #2) Borah

(RIVER #6) Owyhee at (FOOTHILLS #6) Centennial

If the changes are upheld, Boise goes from no shot to the playoffs to a real shot, while Owyhee goes from a good chance to make the playoffs to no chance whatsoever.

But it also creates a ripple effect, as three of the five games with true playoff stakes change.  For the teams that have already started preparing for a specific opponent, having a sudden change to the schedule that creates a new matchup is frustrating for coaches and athletic directors alike.

IdahoSports.com will update this situation after a final ruling has been made by the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA).