DOE denies Manasquan bid to overturn blown semifinal call; lawyers rush to appeal

With only one day left to delay Saturday’s Group 2 championship game, Manasquan is going to need a last-second save in order to overturn one of the worst calls in state playoff history.

On Friday, the New Jersey Department of Education denied a petition filed by Manasquan to overturn the outcome of its Group 2 semifinal loss to Camden, saying that the result is “not reviewable.” That game was decided by a call to overturn a basket that was initially called good at the buzzer, but waved off minutes later.

What should have been a 47-46 win for Manasquan was turned into a 46-45 loss.

In part of a letter released on Friday, acting state Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer says, “Manasquan protested the determination to the NJSIAA, which denied the appeal, and now seeks to have the officials’ call and the NJSIAA’s determination overturned by the Commissioner. Upon careful consideration of this matter and granting every inference to Manasquan for purposes of this proceeding, the Commissioner is unable to grant the relief requested.”

This decision comes a day after Judge Mark A. Troncone said the New Jersey Superior Court’s Chancery Division in Ocean County did not have jurisdiction to grant “injunctive relief” for Manasquan and delay the state title game.

Troncone said that the case needed to go through the Commissioner of Education. The next step now for Manasquan is to appeal to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court.

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) and two officials who refereed that game have admitted that it was the wrong call. A fact that was driven home when the video of the last 5.8 seconds of that game went viral online. The NJSIAA says video replay cannot be used to overturn a call and denied an appeal from Manasquan on Tuesday.

Manasquan has filed an emergent application to Appellate Division on Friday, according to Gerald Clark, whose law firm is representing the Manasquan Board of Education. Clark expects to hear a decision from the Appellate Division by the end of the day.

“NJSIAA’s position they can not use video is wrong,” Clark told NJ Advance Media on Friday morning. “They use it frequently to exact discipline and punishment to players and coaches, and their own rules specifically provide for it in this very state tournament situation. The only waste of taxpayer money here is NJSIAA’s inexplicable refusal to voluntarily do the right thing and send the right message to the kids.”

Manasquan Camden NJSIAA basketball controversy — Manasquan Board of Education attorney Michael Gross speaks the media outside court with Manasquan Superintendent of Schools Frank Kasyan, after Ocean County Superior Court Judge Mark A. Troncone ruled against the district, Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Toms River, N.J. Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media

In videos online and in a video taken by NJ Advance Media at the game, it is clear that the shot is off before the buzzer and the center official makes that call initially. The officials don’t huddle immediately and only meet after a Camden coach comes running over in protest.

One official is walking off the court until he’s tapped on the shoulder by this coach.

After the officials huddled, the basket was waved off and that was the final decision. One veteran official told NJ Advance Media this is not standard protocol. That official, who was not at the game but reviewed the video, said you either huddle immediately or sprint off the court.

That official said “that conversation never should have happened.”

Everyone from Governor Phil Murphy to Dick Vitale have chimed in on the ending of a high school basketball game that has become national news because of the egregious error.

Manasquan Superintendent of Schools Frank Kasyan expressed disappointment in the Commissioner of Education’s decision when reached on Friday afternoon.

“I wanted to show the students that any time you feel something unjust occurs instead of overreacting to that, you follow the process and procedures that are put in place to make the correction,” said Kasyan. “According to the state of New Jersey, the only avenue I had to go was first of all through the Superior Court system to try to get a stay so the game wouldn’t be played until the Commissioner of Education would give us emergent relief and give us a call on what he felt was the right thing to do. That’s why we did what we did and unfortunately I was a little disappointed with his decision, but he stayed in line with the NJSIAA rules and regulations. Hopefully, I am going to get something from the NJSIAA.”

Manasquan mayor Michael Mangan came out with a statement on Thursday that urged Camden to give up “victory that was not rightfully earned.”

“While we understand the frustration and disappointment surrounding this incident, it’s important to clarify that Camden City School District had no influence or say in the outcome of the game or the decision made by the NJSIAA officials,” Sheena Yera, Senior Director of Communications, Media and External Affairs, said in a statement later that day.

The NJSIAA took accountability and apologized, but said there is nothing it can do.

So, even though everyone admits that Manasquan should have won, it will be Camden playing Newark Arts in the Group 2 championship game on Saturday at noon at Rutgers University.

Newark public schools superintendent Roger Leon issued a statement on Thursday offering to delay the state championship game between Camden and Newark Arts if it will “allow time for the court to issue a correct, full and fair decision.”