MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. — As Middletown’s undefeated football team faces exclusion from the Section IX Class AA championship, the city’s mayor has formally called on state athletic and education officials to review the forfeiture, explain the basis for the penalty and consider an immediate stay.
In a November 9 letter published by the City of Middletown, Mayor Joseph M. DeStefano addressed NYSPHSAA Executive Director Robert Zayas, members of the association’s appeal panel and New York State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa.
The mayor urged officials to conduct an expedited review of the eligibility ruling that has left the Middies currently barred from Saturday’s championship. He requested a written account of the evidence, applicable rule and legal authority supporting the penalty, along with a pause in its postseason consequences during the review.
Mayor questions whether penalty fits the circumstances
The forfeiture stems from a kicker added to Middletown’s football roster from the soccer team late in the season. The player reportedly completed 10 qualifying practices and appeared in the final two regular-season football games—against Monroe-Woodbury and Kingston—but was one appearance short of the three-contest postseason representation requirement. He subsequently handled kickoffs in Middletown’s 48–15 semifinal win over Valley Central.
Middletown officials have acknowledged an unintentional adult misunderstanding of the eligibility requirement. The district’s request for relief from Section IX was denied, and its subsequent appeal to the NYSPHSAA Executive Director was also rejected on Monday, according to the district.
DeStefano wrote that he attended the semifinal and, based on the information presented to him, did not believe the issue affected the game’s outcome. He called for the governing organizations to explain what competitive harm resulted and why a less severe response would be inadequate.
The mayor suggested officials consider alternatives such as formal reprimands, compliance training, probation, additional eligibility checks or consequences directed toward the adults responsible—to the extent those remedies are permitted under the applicable rules.
His letter frames the decision around fairness to a team that finished the regular season 9–0, Middletown’s first unbeaten regular season since 1961, and won its semifinal to reach 10–0 on the field.
Two New York precedents raised in the letter
DeStefano also identified two prior instances in which athletic governance decisions were overturned.
In November 2024, a state Supreme Court judge ruled in favor of Syracuse’s Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central football program after its postseason victory over Vernon-Verona-Sherrill had been forfeited. The dispute concerned a player’s ejection and subsequent eligibility, along with procedural issues in the appeal process. The Vernon Verona Sherrill school district confirmed that the court restored the on-field result and the team’s advancement.
In July 2026, a NYSPHSAA appeal panel overturned a Section One amendment that would have excluded existing non-public member schools from sectional postseason competition. The Ursuline School described a unanimous ruling finding that the amendment exceeded Section One’s authority.
Neither ruling resolves Middletown’s case. The Syracuse dispute involved an ejection-based eligibility determination and due process, while the Section One appeal dealt with the authority to change competition rules. Middletown’s case concerns an athlete who reportedly fell one regular-season football contest short of an existing representation rule. Those distinctions matter when assessing whether similar relief could be available.
What the mayor is asking for now
The mayor’s request is time-sensitive. Middletown was scheduled to play Newburgh Free Academy in the Class AA championship on Saturday, November 14, at Monroe-Woodbury High School. Unless the eligibility decision changes, Valley Central is expected to replace Middletown.
DeStefano wants officials to review the complete record, provide a reasoned explanation of the rule and penalty, and stay the forfeiture during review so the championship opportunity does not disappear before the dispute can be resolved.
The mayor’s letter is a public request for action—not a ruling reinstating Middletown. The district has said it is working with legal counsel to examine possible further relief. No successful court challenge or stay restoring the Middies’ championship berth has been confirmed as of this report.
KOT845 will continue tracking the district’s legal efforts, the Section IX championship situation and the impact on student-athletes.
Read the documents and background: Mayor DeStefano’s full November 9 letter · KOT845’s original investigation and eligibility timeline.
Reporting note: KOT845’s publisher is a member of Middletown’s football coaching staff. This report distinguishes the mayor’s requests from the status of the district’s appeals and any court proceedings.
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