By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Cardinal Mooney junior offensive lineman Nick Bilas is allowed to play football this fall — for now.

Mahoning County Judge R. Scott Krichbaum granted Bilas a temporary restraining order on Friday, giving Bilas the right to play for the Cardinals until a hearing on Sept. 4.

Bilas’ family moved from Poland to Youngstown, transferring Bilas to Cardinal Mooney. The Ohio High School Athletic Association, arguing on behalf of Poland, contended that the Bilas family did not establish a “bona fide residency” in the city and that Bilas should be forced to sit out a season per the OHSAA’s transfer rules, Bilas’ attorney, Mark Hanni, said.

“The evidence we have is totally overwhelming,” Hanni said in a phone interview Friday. “They violated the rights of the Bilas family and I’m protecting those rights.”

Hanni pointed out that Bilas’ father, John, is a major in the U.S. Marine Corps. Bilas’ mother, Kimberly, works for the United Way.

“They were questioning the integrity of an officer in the Marine Corps and I take exception to that,” Hanni said.

Mooney plays Cleveland St. Ignatius tonight at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mooney is the defending Division III state champion, while Ignatius won last year’s Division I crown.

Mooney coach P.J. Fecko said Bilas is a backup on both the offensive and defensive lines but will not hesitate to play him on Saturday.

“He’s going to be dressed and will travel with the team,” Fecko said. “If the opportunity presents itself, he’ll play.

“I’m a football coach, not a lawyer, but we have paperwork from the courts that he is eligible to play football in the state of Ohio, he did everything legally and that’s where we stand.”

OHSAA spokesman Tim Stried said since the case is ongoing, the organization would not have any comment outside of confirming that Bilas requested eligibility and the OHSAA found that he did not meet one of the 11 transfer bylaw exceptions, thus was not granted eligibility.

“Whenever there is a transfer, the student-athlete is ineligible for one year unless he/she meets one of the 11 transfer bylaw exceptions,” Stried wrote in an email.

Poland coach Mark Brungard and athletic director Brian Banfield declined comment. An attempt to reach Poland’s interim superintendent, Don Dailey, was unsuccessful.

The schools’ athletic departments have had a contentious relationship in recent years and the teams rarely play each other in any sport outside of postseason tournaments, in large part because many of Cardinal Mooney’s athletes live in the Poland school district.