Waldron 8-man football will get the postseason appearance it earned after all.

The Mohawks, who finished second in the 8-man league standings, opted not to participate in the postseason after Ft. Wayne King’s Crusaders, a homeschool team from northeastern Indiana, was added to the postseason bracket without prior knowledge of the seven teams in the league.

Indiana Deaf, Waldron, Dugger Union and Rock Creek Academy secured the top four positions in the standings and the right to play in the postseason. However, the Indiana Football Coaches Association, which is overseeing the progress of 8-man football in the state, decided to allow the Crusaders into the postseason tournament which pushed Rock Creek Academy out of the No. 4 seed it earned.

At the behest of the Shelby Eastern Schools board, Waldron pulled out of the tournament in protest of a homeschool squad being allowed a playoff berth without participating in the league, which is in its second year of existence. The Mohawks were scheduled to face the Crusaders last Saturday night in Waldron in a semifinal contest.

Waldron’s forfeit advanced the Crusaders to this Saturday night’s championship game at Westfield High School to face the winner of the semifinal battle between Indiana Deaf and Dugger Union, which Indiana Deaf won to stay unbeaten this season.

In a show of solidarity, Indiana Deaf then joined Waldron in refusing to play the Crusaders in the championship game.

Administrators with Indiana Deaf instead reached out to Waldron to play one more time in a game between the top two finishing teams in the league. That game will occur at 2 p.m. Saturday at Waldron High School.

Indiana Deaf, now 9-0, defeated Waldron (6-2), 66-20 in their regular-season meeting in late September.

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