The legal dispute between Massillon Washington High School student-athletes and the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) has reached the Supreme Court of Ohio, where the Ohio Attorney General is defending the Fifth District Court of Appeals’ decision allowing two Massillon football players, the Feister Brothers, to compete for the remainder of the 2026 season.
In an October 26 filing on behalf of the Fifth District Judges, the Attorney General weighed in with a football analogy:
“After losing at the lower court, Relator the Ohio High School Athletic Association attempts a Hail Mary to overturn the Fifth District’s injunction pending appeal, which enjoined Relator from preventing two student-athletes from playing varsity football for Massillon Washington High School for the remainder of the season.”
The Attorney General continued:
“In other terms, [OHSAA] called the wrong play and now faces dismissal of its action.”
The dispute began when six Massillon student-athletes and their families challenged OHSAA’s application of its transfer eligibility rules. Following sustained advocacy by Plakas Mannos on behalf of the student-athletes and their families, three students secured full eligibility approval.
Plakas Mannos continues to fight for the Feister Brothers’ eligibility. On October 16, the Fifth District granted brothers Brayton and Brydon Feister an injunction preventing OHSAA from excluding them from varsity football for the remainder of the 2026 season while their appeal proceeds.
OHSAA subsequently sought emergency intervention from the Supreme Court of Ohio. The Attorney General and Plakas Mannos are now aligned in defending the Fifth District’s decision before Ohio’s highest court. On October 26, the Attorney General moved to dismiss OHSAA’s action and opposed its emergency request, while Plakas Mannos filed on behalf of the Feister brothers seeking to intervene and preserve the appellate court’s ruling.
BOTH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S RESPONSE AND THE STUDENTS’ FILINGS SUPPORT KEEPING THE FIFTH DISTRICT’S INJUNCTION IN EFFECT SO BRAYTON AND BRYDON FEISTER CAN FINISH THEIR ENTIRE 2026 FOOTBALL SEASON.
Plakas Mannos also continues to fight for Gary Yeager’s full eligibility. Although his family has relocated to Massillon, OHSAA has withheld full approval to Gary Yeager because his mother has not yet sold their former Akron home which has been on the market. This approval has been withheld despite the fact that the family is actively marketing their prior home for sale with a realtor, has held an open house, and has even significantly reduced the asking price in an effort to sell the home as quickly as practicable. Plakas Mannos, on behalf of Gary Yeager and his family, continues to challenge that requirement and its constitutional implications for families making genuine moves.
The broader litigation also challenges OHSAA’s interpretation and enforcement of its transfer bylaws and raises constitutional questions concerning parental rights, family autonomy, and the limits of athletic eligibility restrictions.
The Plakas Mannos legal team working on these matters includes attorneys Lee E. Plakas, W. Scott Gwin, and David L. Dingwell, together with Gene L. Valentino, J.D. (Law Clerk; Ohio Bar Examination Passed; Admission Scheduled November 16, 2026).
Follow the case: Supreme Court of Ohio, Case No. 2026-1444
Plakas Mannos | Canton and Akron, Ohio | www.lawlion.com