The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors conducted an appeal hearing for East St. Louis Senior High School via a teleconference call at 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2010.

The IHSA Board voted to sustain Executive Marty Hickman’s original ruling, which forced the East St. Louis Senior High School football team to forfeit 10 victories from the 2009 season and five victories from the 2010 season, which also removed the team from the 2010 IHSA Football Playoff Field.

East St. Louis Senior High School appealed to St. Clair County’s 20th Judicial Court later in the afternoon and a temporary restraining order was granted by Judge Richard Aguirre.

Per the temporary restraining order ruling, East St. Louis Senior High School will return to the 2010 IHSA Football Playoff Field. The Class 7A bracket will revert to its original field and the pairings that were released on Saturday. East St. Louis will play Belleville West and Belleville East will play O’Fallon in first round games.

“We are disappointed with the Judge’s ruling,” said Hickman. “However, the Judge indicated that if we provided East St. Louis Senior High School with additional due process, we can make a second ruling on this issue. Our intention is to provide that opportunity to East St. Louis Senior High School as soon as possible and issue another ruling at the appropriate juncture.”

“No decision has been made in regard to appealing Judge Aguirre’s ruling from today,” added Hickman.