Doddridge County granted preliminary injunction to compete in class A for football

WEST UNION, W.Va. (WBOY) — Doddridge County High School has been granted a preliminary injunction to compete in class A for the high school football season.

Doddridge County Schools said in a Facebook post that the injunction was granted on Friday ahead of the Bulldogs first game, which is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. on Friday, by Third Judicial Circuit Judge Tim Sweeney.

The injunction only changes the classification for Doddridge County and only preliminarily.

Another 22 schools were already reclassified for the football season by the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC) after its Review Board temporarily reversed the reclassifications from December . The injunction and classification changes only apply to the 2024 season and will be reviewed in the spring.

In the Facebook post, Doddridge County Schools Superintendent Scott Cochran said that the change will “restore the competitive balance.”

“Judge Sweeney’s order today reflects what we have been arguing for months. Doddridge County High School should be classified with those schools that are similar in size, located in our region, and which we have a history of competition that goes back many decades. Today’s order restores competitive balance, provides for player safety, and will ensure that our natural rivals remain on our schedule in future years. I wish to thank Judge Sweeney for acting on our request prior to the start of the football season,” Cochran said.

With the changes, there are now 16 schools in class AAAA, 31 schools in class AAA, 31 schools in class AA, and 47 schools in class A.

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